Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-04
Calhoun and Mutually
Refuse to Give
Testimony
Brides Paid by United
Railroads Estimated
at $75O,OOO
Langdon Intimates That President of
Company and Other Officials VIII
Now Be Indicted, If
Possible
BY Associated Press.

By Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 3-The an
pearance of President Patrick Calhoun
and General Manager ThornweIl Null
lally toiling up the long flight of stairs
leading to the grand jury chamber on
the top floor of Native Sons hall this
afternoon was a long-looked for signal
that the inquisitorial board had reached
its promised investigation of the muni-
cipal bribery charges against the United
railroads.
President Calhoun and Manager Null
lally were detained in the grand Jury
room for a moment or two. When they
reappeared Mr.. Calhoun said in answer
to many questions:
Il have nothing to say at this time
When l have statement to make to
the public l shall put it in writing"
From District Attorney Langdon it was
learned that Mr.. Calhoun and Mr.. Null
lally in turn were informed briefly by
Assistant District Attorney Heney that
they were summoned to give testimony
as to the alleged bribery of supervisors
and others by which it is claimed the
United railroads obtained it's overhead
trolley privileges in San Francisco; that
they were then warned that whatever
testimony they might give might be used
against them in a criminal action; that
they were informed that they had the
right to refuse to testify on one ground
only; namely, that to testify might tend
to incriminate themselvese and render
them liable to criminal prosecution; and
that thereupon each refused to testify
at all.
No Questions Asked
1--WE were then very careful" added
Mr.. Langdon, mot to put any questions
Asked if he meant that this refrain
ment was for the purpose of leaving
the field free to the indictment of the
president and the general manager the
district attorney replied:
You may say that it was very sig
nifcant''
Proceeding on the working basis of
the confessions before the grand jury of
lie as official records recently 1t is the
ennounced theory of the prosecution that
the United railroads expended s750000 in
bribery for the purpose named. in the
following manner:
In cash-To each of fifteen supervisors
$4,000 to Supervisor " Wilson daS $1,000; to
of $S5,OOO. In bonds of the United rail-
roads: To Abraham Ruef and Mayor
Schmitz $565, ,00O to go-between. name
withheld, s1O0,0O0 total in bonds of
s6e5 0O0 and a grand total of three quar-
ters of million dollars.
According to a further statement from
in order to avoid future suspicion these
bonds were not issued in the names or
Ruef and Schmitz, but in the names of
other persons, and that they were, con-
verted into cash by Ruef and Schmitz
through the house of Charles Sutro &
Go. of this city, Fred Hilbert, friend
of Schmitz acting as messenger between
the offices of Schnitz and Sutro.
TeIItaIe Books Missing
II. w. Phillips of the Adams-P Phillips
of Los Angeles, fiscal agents for
the Home Telephone company of San
francisco, and for its subsidiary corpo-
ration the Empire Construction company
were also F. NJ Brown, employed in the
department of the Empire
company, and Charles G. Green, holding
a similar position with the Adams-Phil-
BY questioning these three men Mr..
Heney and Mr.. I4angdon sought to dis
CONTINUED on Page Two1