Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-25
BooDLINe SUPERVISOR ADMITS
HE FALsIFIEp
ASSERTED IN WRITING He GOT
NO HRIRE
Trial q TREY L. Ford Develops the
Fact That Attorneys for Defense
Caught CRATER In
Net

trapped again. Appearing on the witness
stand today as one of the stellar wit
nesses against TREY l.. Ford. counsel
for the United Railroads, accused Of
bribery, Lonergan admitted that he
signed a statement several weeks ago in
which he denied he had received any
money from the United Railroads for
voting in favor of the overhead trolley
| franchise
| On the supposition that he was talking
| to magazine writer, Lonergan declared
above his own signature that he had
voted for the overhead trolley franchise
| because he thought 1t was In the best
| interests of the city.
| When this document was produced In
court by attorneys for the defense. 1t
created something that bordered on con-
sternation. Heney fought with all his
might against the admission of Loner
gans signed statement. but his objection
was overruled and the document was
admitted and was read to the jury. much
| to their interest, apparently.
| The inner workings of the confessed
| boodlers who formerly administered the
affairs of San Francisco as a board of
| supervisors were laid bare this after
noon during the trial of TREY L. Ford.
chief counsel for the United Railroads,
on charge of bribery. Thomas +. Lon
4
stand of receiving $4,000 with the under
standing that 1t was paid to influence
his vote upon the application of the
United Railroads for an overhead trolley
franchise.
| James F. Gallagher, former chairman
| of the board, relates how he had re-
| ceived the sum of SS5,000 from Abraham
Ruef after the latter had requested ard
urged him to ascertain how the eighteen
members of the board stood with regard
to the application for such a franchise
and directed him to learn the price for
which each member would return fa-
vorable vote.
Lonergans story was halting. his mem
| ory was often at fault, and under a
lengthy cross examination at the hands
| of Earl Rogers he made several cor
rections and additions to his original
narrative but these were unimportant.
The direct examination of Gallagher had
scarcely been ended when the days ses-
| sion closed.
Rogers Attacks Story
Lonergan, the supervisor mentioned in
the indictment as having accepted the
bribe money offered by Ford. told story
that Earl Pogers made determined ef-
fort to tear apart. Declaring that he
had first been sounded by Gallagher
and promised the sum of $4,000 for his
/ vote, he told how, at subsequent Sum
day night caucus of the erring super
visors, he had agreed to accept $4,000. OF
this amount, he declared $500 had been
paid him by Gallagher who gave him
| the money in envelope. Later the
| witness had gone to Gallagher's house
and secured an additional $500. the for
mer chairman of the board and distfibut-
ing agent admitting that he had made
mistake in arranging the envelopes.
Lonergan's narrative of how he was
| paid the second installment gave Rogers
| the opening for the greater part of his
| croSs-examination. Lonergan testified
| that he had discovered while in conversa-
tion with Gallagher that he was in possess
sion of an envelope containing $1,000. and
that the money had gotten into his
pocketbook in some manner of which he
was not aware.
The somewhat unusual circumstance
| was later substantiated by the testimony
of Gallagher. who swore that he had OBJ
| tanned momentary possession of Loner-
gan's pocketbook. slipped the envelope in
side and returned it, informing the re-
| cipient only when confronted with a de-
mand for its payment.
GaIIagher's Story Brief
| Gallagher's contribution to the days
! testimony was given briefly and without
emotion of any kind. Ruef, he said, had
| directed him to find what passage of the
| ordinance would cost, and he had placed
! the price at $4,000 each for fifteen OF the
supervisors, $4,000 for Railroad Commis-
| soner Wilson, who, he said, assisted
in ascertaining the sentiment Of the mem
bers. and $4,000 for himself. Replying to
| the questions of Francis j. Heney, who
conducted todays proceedings for the
prosecution, Gallagher told of receiving
the sum of ss5.000 in Ruefs office, the
money being in bills, ranging in denomin-
/ 4 Mo-. .G,..x
| pervisor, the witness said he had paid
! the members of the board the sums agreed
| upon.
The one incident of the day aside from
/ the routine examination was the attempt
| by Heney to prove that Lonergan had
been several times entertained by de-
| tectlve in the employ of the defense. who
| had, it was claimed, taken the fallen
supervisor for automobile rides and In
vited him to indulge in like recreation
no later than last night. when two
women were to have been their COM
| panions
| Lonergan was called to the stand this
| morning when the trial of Ford was re-
sumed in Judge Lawlor's court. The ex-
animation was conducted by Assistant
District Attorney Heney. In response to a
| question Lonergan stated that he had first
| been approached in the matter of the
| trolley franchise by Chairman Gallagher
of the board of supervisors early In MAJ.
| 1906.
The conversation was private. accord
! ing to the witness, and Gallagher had at
| that time not answered to the manner In
which Lonergan should vote or made
| mention to any conversation. In subse-
quent conversation in the city hall, how
ever about one week before the trolley
franchise ordinance was passed to print
when the supervisors had assembled for
one of the Sunday night caucuses, Cal
| lagher had made reference to the ordin-
ance and asked that they favor 1t. Loner-
gan testified that he had discussed the
ordinance with Supervisor A. M. Wilson
after the FIRE: that Wilson had informed
him that there was $4,000 "in 1t for Loner-
gan If he voted for the ordinance"
Wilson Held Out Bait
i On another occasion, Lonergan COM
tinued, Wilson had told him there was
i only $4,000 in it for him. and Lonergan had
asked, What kind Of work do you call
that?" Lonergan. however, recolleeted