The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-10-01
LOOKS DARK FOR
GENERAL FORD
Strong Case Made Out Against
Counsel for United Rail-
roads Company.
ABRAHAM RUFF TO TESTIFY
scoRNFUL YOUNG LADY ON THE
STAND.

San Francisco, Sept. SO.-Charlie
Ragerty. Abe Ruef's office boy; Miss
Celia McDermott, confidential stenog
rapher" to TREY L. Ford, and Mrs.
Emma L. Lonergan, wife of former
Supervisor Thomas F. Lonergan. whom
Ford is accused of having bribed
were the most interesting of the vari-
Gus witnesses who testified TODAY for
the prosecution In the trial of the GEN
eral counsel of the United Railroads
and former attorney general of the
state.
Young Hagerty told of a visit paid
by United Railroad officials to Ruef's
temporary quarters at 2432 Pine street
after the IRE, when, desiring privacy,
Ruef. Ford and Thornwell Mutually
retired into bath room for a CONVEX
sation behind closed DOORS This bath
room, said Hagerty, served as Ruef's
private office. Ragerty often carried
a note from Ruef to General Ford 1t
was sealed and he did not know its
contents. This was soon after the en-
parchment of the grand jury. In the
summer of 1906 he observed Ruef enter
his office with a shirt box under his
arm. According to the prosecution it
contained $4,000 in small bank notes,
for the bribing of supervisors.
Fluffy RuffIes on the Stand.
Miss McDermott provoked much in
terest by her airy attitude on the stand.
She tossed her head at each question
put by Heney, pitched her voice to a
naughty tone, and allowed a scornful
smile to play about her lips. The de-
Tense raising the objection that Miss
McDermott could not divulge as a wit
ness information gained in the pursuit
of her duties as, stenographer to Gen
eral Ford. and the prosecution retort-
ed that the law throws no such protec-
ton around that relation when the.
commission of crime or fraud is in
volved. Judge Lawlor will rule on the
point tomorrow.
confession of guilt by telling how he
brought home and gave TO her the $4,-
o coo alleged to have been paid him as a
bride by the United Railroads.
Abe Ruef to Testify.
There is a general understanding,
though not by authority of any state
ment by the prosecution, that Ruef will
take the stand tomorrow as the last
witness for the people. The prosecu-
ton, as far as it has attempted to go,
has made out a strong circumstantial
case.
Before the resumption this afternoon
of the bribery trial, Judge Lawlor
called the untried cases of bribery re-
naming against Louis Glass. At the
suggestion of Assistant District Attor-
ney O'Gara, they were continued to
Oct. Z, with the understanding that
they or some one of them will then be
set for trial. Judge Lawlor granted
an additional two weeks stay of exc
cution of sentence already imposed
upon Glass.
Director Did Not Know.
The first witness to be called in the
Ford case was John Henry Meyer, a
director of the United Railroads and a
banker by profession.
Assistant District attorney Heney's
examination of Mr.. Meyer was very
brief and for the' purpose of showing
that he as a director was not taken
into the secrets of the alleged briberies
Did you ever know that Abraham
Ruef was employed as a lawyer by the
United Railroads." Heney asked.
The witness replied negatively. He
also declared ignorance of Patrick Cal
houn's 100000 deposit in the local
mint. Mr.. Meyer was not cross-exam-
ined.
Sack Filled With Gold.
Charles HolbrOOk, a director of the
United Railroads, and one of the best
known merchants in San Francisco,
was called. He told of going with Mr..
Ford and Treasurer Starr of the street
car corporation to the mint soon after
the fire, when sack of gold pieces was
delivered to Mr.. Starr and carried
away in an automobile He thought
the sack would hold about $1,000. Mr..
TT 4 a
the board of directors attended by him
was the expenditure of money to Sc
cure the passage of the trolley fran
chise discussed, nor did he learn of
any such expenditure. He had never
been informed that the corporation
employed Ruef as a lawyer or in con-
nection with the desired franchise
Heney brought out this testimony with
intent TO forestall the plea by the de-
Tense that the 100000 paid to Ruef was
paid as a fee, he having been retained
as a lawyer, and that not a dollar was
ever paid by the United Railroads to
anyone as a bride.
Ford's Salary.
Mr.. Holbrook said he last saw Mr..
Starr in New York. last July. He did
not know his present whereabouts. He
said TREY L. Ford's salary in 1906 as
general counsel or the united Rail
roads was $1,000 a month.
On cross-eXamination by Earl Rog-
ers, Mr.. HolbroOk testified that after
the fire no unusual amount of material
supplies-suggestin expectation on the
part of President Calhoun that the
trolley franchise would be granted
was ordered.
In 1906" asked Heney. did an ap-
preparation of 100000 or $4,000 come
I'D before the board of directors?"
Mr. HolbrOok's answer was: Il don't
remember any such sum-"
hn HRnIIRI At AL