The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1907-10-07
FORD JURORS To
|. BE INVESTIGATED
BY GRAND JURY
Rurnors That Bribe Money
Was Used Instigates
Inquisitors
SEVERAL SUSPECTED
Alleged Sale of Votes for
the Acquittal of the
Defendant
SEVERAL SUSPECTED
BURNS ON WARPATH
Angered by Statements At
tributed to Attorney
Earl Rogers

Persistent rumors to the effect that
bribe money was used freely in an
effort to procure an acquittal for
Chief Counsel TREY L. Ford of the
United Railroads in his trial, which
resulted Saturday in a disagreement
of the jury, and that several MEM
bers of the jury were tampered with
by agents of the defense both be-
fore and after their acceptance as
jurors. are to be investigated by the
grand jury at a meeting which has
been called for tomorrow. Rurnors
that the Ford jury was fixed" gained
broad circulation during the last days
of the trial, and following the an
nouncement of the disagreement open
charges were made In certain quarters
that money was passed. the names of
the jurors alleged to have sold their
votes being mentioned. While the pros
ecution refuses to discuss any matters
pertaining to the jury and has carefully
avoided any reference that might look
like reflection on the integrity of
any juror, 1t is nevertheless true that
the prosecution has evidence in its
possession which is deemed of sufficient
Importance to lead to an inquiry. This
evidence is 10 be. placed before the
grand jury this week
RUEF TO Testify NEXT TIME
District Attorney Langdon and Spe-
cial Agent Burns have refused abso-
lutely to discuss the rumors of jury
fixing. Asked directly If they had evil
dence against any member or mem
bers of the jury they remained silent.
but they did not deny, and this very
silence allows of an explanation Of the
failure of the prosecution to put Ruef
on the witness stand IN the Ford trial,
as was originally intended. The jurors
who voted for an acquittal attributed
their opinion to the fact that Ruef was
not called. If the prosecution feared
prior to the conclusion of the trial
that members of the jury had been ap-
preached, the reason for keeping Ruef
The second Ford trial will be begun
week from today and there is little
doubt that Ruef will be called as a
witness this time, though the prosecu-
ton stilI believes that the case against
Ford, even without Ruef's testimony,
is a.perfect one.
"I decline to make any comment
about the jury" said Burns yesterday,
'but am absolutely certain that with
an honest jury to try Ford there can
be no other verdict than that of
guilty
CONTEMPT FOR ROGERS
Burns was highly inoensed yesterday
over the statement attributed to Attor-
nsy Earl Rogers Of the defense. In
which he referred to Burns as subor-
ner Of perjury. When Rogers state
ment was mentioned he expressed his
entire contempt 1or the souroe from
which IL originated, and made q dscIas-
alton rejecting on Rogers habits. He
continued
Rogers methods are we'll known,
win case on its merits, but always
through ohicanery. have been told
by people OF Los Angeles, where he
lives, that such is his reputation In that
city
His statement virtually amounts to
an open charge. does 1t notr' Burns
was asked.
when he says I am q subornsr OF
perjury he is lar" was the answer.
-'T defy him or anybody else to show
that have ever had any hand In suoh
a thing. I suppose he bases his state
msnt on what Boxton said on the wit
ness stand In the Glass trial about
being told by me to deny that he had
confessed taking money. That was ex-
planned by Boxton himself, later, and It
is clear to everybody that at the time
of the occurrence referred to we were
making every effort to keep the con-
fessions from the newspapers. and I
advised the supervisors not to admit
that they had confessed
There isn't any abuse, however, that
their friends or anything they can say
or do. that will deter me from perform
ing my duty. Rogers says the Irish are
cutters I'll leave it to the people
of San Francisco when we are through
with this investigation whether I'm a
gutter, and I'm Irish, at that.
"I understand that Porter Ashe has
Continued on Pase ?. Middle Column