Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-04
FOUR MEN
SELECTED
FOR JURY.
Ruef'S Attorneys Take
No Unnecessary
Chances
Each Talesman Is Closely
and Exhaustively
Questioned
Attorney Aeh Demands to Know II
Prospective Members Are PREF
udleed Against Political
Bosses
Rv Associated press.

BY Associated Press,
SAN FRANCISCO, April 3.-Three of
the first twelve talesmen who will sit
in the jury box, subject to peremptory
challenge, were passed by the prosecu-
ton and the defense as a result Of the
second days proceedings in the trial of
Abraham Ruef for extortion.
They are J. II. Dumbrell, a retail
merchant: William D. knight, cashier
for a furniture firm and Julius Meyer,
a tobacconist, retired.
]. R. Bradstreet having been passed
by both sides yesterday, four talesmen
have now been temporarily selected.
When this number has been increased
to twelve they will be subject to per-
emptory challenge, the defense having
the right to exclude ten jurors per-
emptorily and the prosecution five.
In all seven panelmen were examined
today, four being challenged for cause
and excused-Angelo' r. Duperu, real
estate man; William Cohen, retired
merchant; Donald Mcdonald, a whole
sale liquor dealer, and former Super
visor John H. Sheehan.
The eighth talesman, Christian Refs,
capitalist, was given permission to ad-
dress counsel just before the adjourn
ment of court for the day.
He stated that he was disqualified
to serve as a juror because of deafness
and that he was otherwise physically
unfit, at this time, to try the case.
Produces Proof
In substantiation he produced a phy-
sician's certificate. Both the defense
and the prosecution paid a high COM
plirnent to Mr. Refs by expressing an
earnest desire to have him on the jury
"if he thought he could hear the testi-
mony," and the defense offered to ac-
cept him without examination as to
qualifications. Mr.. Refs replied that it
would be useless for him to attempt to
serve. He was excused.
During the examination of Juror
Knight he was asked these questions
by Attorney Ach of the defense:
would the fact that this defendant
has been indicted by a grand jury conf
posed of prominent citizens of San
Francisco prejudice you against him -
IF 100 or 500 other crimes should be
charged against this defendant Ruef
and this court should admit in this trial
evidence supporting them and you be-
lieved the defendant guilty of those 900
crimes would that belief influence you
as to the guilt or innocence of the de-
fendant on the charge on which he is
now being tried. If the prosecution had
failed to prove his guilt on this charge
beyond a reasonable doubt?''
Refers to Political Bosses
"Are you decidedly prejudioed against
political bosses? In other words, do
you think a political boss is such a
vicious and corrupt being that he ought
TO be sent to Jail anyway"
By Attorney Shortridge of the defense
this question was put to Talesman
Meyer:
do you clearly and thoroughly un-
derstand that when a lawyer accepts a
retainer from a client for a stated
period of time the acceptance of that
retainer precludes his acceptance of any
service against that client during that
period?'
Ruefs chief defense will be that he,
as a lawyer was retained for period
of years by the French restaurateurs
10 care for their legal interests, and he
viii offer In evidence a contract to that
effect in explanation of the large sums
paid by them to him and which the
prosecution claims he extorted.
1t took only two minutes to examine,
challenge and excuse former Supervisor
Sheehan. He said:
II am biased and prejudiced. I have
been twenty years in business in the
heard the merits of these charges dis
cussed perhaps 1000 times. l would not
be proper person to sit on the jury"