Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-17
WOMAN IS
STAR WITNESS
MRS. BoXToN TEsTIFiEs IN THE
GLASS CASE
SAYS SHE SAW MONEY PAID TO
HER HUSBAND
1t Is Developed That the Supervisors,
Having Sold Themselves to One
Telephone Company, Were
to Resell to Another
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO Aug. 16.-The wife
of Former Supervisor DR.. Charles Boxton
was the first witness called this morning
by the prosecution in the Glass bribery
trial. Mrs. Boxton was handsomely at
tired in a tailor suit of nannel set off by
a large black picture hat. She wore
black veil Mrs Boxton's testimony was
brief. She told of her husbands bring
ing home and counting to her the $4,000
in currency which BoXton declares was
paid him as bribe by T. " Halsey,
agent of the Pacific States Telephone and
Telegraph company. Mrs. BoXton escaped
from the stand without the ordeal of
cross examination.
Former Supervisor Jennings j. Phillips
was called by me prosecution. He testi-
fed to the acceptance by him of various
bribes from representatives of several
public utility corporations, among them
T. v. Halsey, who, he said, gave him
$4,000 to vote against the Home Telephone
companys application for a rival fran
chise. Phillips on ross-examination said
he was testifying under an immunity
contract
A lively tilt occurred between Heney
and Delmas during the cross examination
of Phillips by the latter. Were you
given to understand" asked Delmas,
that the Immunity contract under which
you are now testifying included Abraham
Ruef?"
Heney objects
Heney objected vigorously, claiming
that this was an effort to inject foreign
matter Delmas replied that in the former
trial of Glass the question had been ruled
proper by the court. Judge Lawlor cut
short the quarrel with asperity and over
ruled Heney's objection.
"Yes, answered Phillips, that was my
information"
Redirectly examined by Heney he said
he had been told by Supervisor Gallagher
the prosecutions whip-that the same
offer of immunity, under the same con-
dition of turning States evidence, was
to be made Ruef.
'And do you not know" demanded
Delmas in recross examination, that
Ruef has never been brought to trial on
any of the many bribery indictments
hanging over him?"
"Yes"
"And do you not know that though he
pleaded guilty six months ago to a charge
of extortion he has never been SEN
tenced?'
Yes, that is a matter of common
knowledge"
'And do you not know that he never
has been sent to Jail like an ordinary
prisoner, but is maintained in a private
establishment under guard of an elisor,
at an expense of $1,000 or $500 month to
the city?"
Eyes, I know that by common notorie-
ty," said Phillips.
do you know of any conceivable i'm
pediment to the pronouncing of sentence
upon Ruef in the extortion case, outside
of a contract of immunity?' asked Del
mas
NO" answered Phillips, 81 don't"
Told by Ruef to Take 1t
1t developed in the earlier examination
of Phillips that he did not accept a bribe
from the Pacific States Telephone COM
pany until after a talk with Ruef in the
latter's office, when he was given to un-
derstand by the boss that Halsey had
tried to "steal' the board of supervisors
from him and that for this Ruef would
like to see him punished" Phillips in
ferred that Ruef thought good way to
punish the telephone agent would be for
supervisors to take bribe moneys from
him, especially in view of the fact that
eventually the supervisors were to resell
themselves to the rival Home Telephone
company.
Phillips testified that there was work.
ing agreement among the eighteen super
visors that whatever differences they
might have should be settled in the now
notorious Sunday night caucuses," and
that differences so settled should be
buried and "a solid front be presented to
the public
He said these Sunday night secret meet
ings of the board were always attended
by Ruef and Mayor Schmitz, and that it
was at one of them majority of the
supervisors voted to vote in favor of the
Home Telephone company's franchise ap-
plication. after they had taken money
from the Pacific States company to vote
against it.
Were these caucus votes taken by roll
call?" Heney asked. over the objection
of Delmas which the court refused to
sustain Phillips answered Yes"