The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-04
President and General Man
ager of United Railroads Be-
fore the Grand Jury.
SAID TO HAVE GIVEN
ABOUT $750,00O IN BRIBES
Of This Amount Schmitz and
Ruef, It Is Asserted, Re-
ceived Over Half Million.

SAN FRANCISCO, May a-The ap-
pearance of President Patrick Calhoun
and General Manager Thornwell Mul.
lally, toiling up the long fight of stairs
leading TO the grand jury chamber on
the top floor Of Native Sons hall. this
afternoon. was long looked for signal
that the inquisitorial board had reached
its promised investigation of the munic-
lpal bribery charges against the United
Railroads President Calhoun and Man
ager Mutually were detained in the
grand jury room for a moment or two.
When they reappeared Mr.. Calhoun said
IN answer to many questions;
81 have nothing to say at this time.
the public I shall put it In writing
From District Attorney Langdon it
was learned that Mr.. Calhoun and Mr..
Mutually, in turn, were informed briefly
by Assistant District Attorney Heney
that they were summoned TO give tes-
timony as to the alleged bribery of SUI
pervisors and others by which it is
its overhead trolley privileges in San
Francisco; that they were warned that
whatever testimony they might giva
might be used against them in a Grim
inal action; that they were informed
that they had the right to refuse to tes-
tify on one ground only, namely, that
to testify might tend to incriminate
themselves and render them liable to
criminal prosecution; and that there
upon each refused to testify at all.
Rights Carefully Guarded.
"We were then very CAREFUL add
ed Mr.. Lengdon, ''not 20 put any ques,
tionH to them.'
Asked if he meant that this refrain.
ment was for the purpose OF leaving
the field free for the Indictment Of the
! president and the general manager, the
! District Attorney replied:
You may say that 1t was very sig
ni6cant.'
Proceeding or the working basis of
the confessions before the grand Jury
of fourteen Supervisors (Which became
public as official records recently). ii
is the nnnoucned theory of the prose.
cution that the United Railroads expend.
ed S750,000 In bribery for the purpose
named in the following manner: In
cash, to each of fifteen Supervisors,
| $4,000; to Supervisor Wilson, 100000
to Supervisor Gallagher. $4,000, q cash
total of $4,000; in bonds of the United
Railroads, to Abraham Ruef and Mayor
| Schmitz. $565,000; to a go-between,
name withheld. Sl00.000; total in
bonds of S665,000 and a grand total of
! three quarters of a million,
House of Sutro Involved
According TO further statement
| from the prosecution. IL expects to show
| that, in order to avoid future suspicion,
! these bonds were not issued in tho
names of Ruef and Schmitz, but IN the
names OF other persons, and that they
were then converted into cash by Ruef
and Schmitz through the house of
Charles Sutro & Co. OF this city, Fred
Hilbert, a friend of Schmitz, acting as
messenger between the offices OF
Schmitz and Sutro.
Charles Sutro was one Of The wit
nesses called before the grand jury TO.
day. Also was Charles Holbrook,
senior member of the wholesale gros
Gerry firm of Holbrook, Merrill & Stet-
son, and chairman of the board Of di-
rectors OF the United railroads Mr..
Holbrook, who has been for many
years staunch figure in the business
circles of the city, was asked many
questions by Assistant District Attor-
ney Heney 10 determine what, If any
thing, he knew of the disbursement OF
the S750.000 alleged to have been paid
out in bribes. He satisfied the jury
chairman of the board Of directors, he
was ignorant of any such dealing.
AT the conclusion of the session Dis.
trict Attorney Langdon made this
statement
'.The investigation Of the United
railroads is in full swing, 1t viii be
pushed vigorously TO a conclusion, You
may expect definite results very soon. -
Statement of Accused.
Mr. Calhoun said tonight on BEHALF
of Mr.. Mutually and himself:
"When called before the grand Jury
this afternoon and informed that IT had
under investigation the alleged bribery
of public officials by the United rail
roads, we declined TO be sworn, and in
order that our action may not he mis-
construed | call your attention 10
these facts:
''For months past the public prints
have been fun Of charges traceablc tn
certain persons connected with tho
prosecution that they had positive evil
denc ethat the United Railroads had
spent not less than S450,O00 III briblng
the officials Of this city. ! have re-
pcat;d dly stated that neither | nor the
United Railroads, nor any official of the
United Railroads, had bribcd any one,
authorized any bribery, knew of any
bribery or approved Of any bribery.
This statement | now fully real1irm, It
Is not for us nor my officer OF our com
pauy 10 disprove these grave charges
1t IS for those asking them to prove
them We don Z now care to discuss
their motives. We know that they
cannot produce any truthful evidence
connecting us or any officer Of the
Urited Railroads with this alleged
crime
"We relied ia declining to be sworr
upon the broad constitutional right ~
every American citizen that a defend
ant cannot he called as witness. and
uEun the justice, fairness and common
sense of ebc grand Jury, TO whom we
look for cOmnlcte NiNdication without