Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-16
JUDGE COMMITS WITNESS
FOR CONTEMPT
REFUSES TO GIVE TESTIMONY IN
GLASS TRIAL
Attitude of Second Vice President of
Telephone Company Serious
Blow to Prosecution
of Glass
By Associated Press.

BY Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO, July 15,-The first
serious blow to the bribery graft prosecu-
ton was struck by the Louis Glass de-
fense in open court today through Emile
]. thinner, second vice president and di-
rector of the Pacific States Telephone
and Telegraph company, who first re-
fused to be sworn, afterward accepted the
oath and took the stand, answered two
or three questions put by Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Heney, then refused to
testify further.
Judge >Lawlor committed him for con-
tempt to the county Jail 'for "a term of
five days and until the question is an
swered."
Under the law as interpreted by the
court, this means that Mr.. thinner must
stay in jail throughout the progress of
the Glass trial or until he signifies his
willingness to testify.
On thinner the prosecution relied as ITS
most important witness against First
Vice President Glass, accused of bribery.
At the time this crime is alleged to
have been committed-March of 1906
Louis Glass was acting as president ana
general manager of the Pacific states
company, owing to the death of President
John l. Sabin.
Testified to Grand jury
Before the grand jury thinner testified
that Glass drew checks for the brloe
moneys claimed to have been paid TO the
supervisors, caused thinner to cash them
and instructed him to give the money to
Agent Halsey and require from Halsey
no voucher. merely carrying these thou
sands of dollars on the current expense
account.
Mayor Charles Boxton has told the
Glass Jury that he as supervisor ac-
cepted $4,000 from Agent Halsey to vote
against an ordinance granting rival
franchise to the Home Telephone COM
pany, and on this and other strong Iouh-
dation stones the prosecution purposeu
TODAY to rear the fabric of Glass quit.
If Heney has other material at hand TO
substitute. the building of the case may
proceed tomorrow.
About that he refuses to talk.
1--WE have no statement to make on any
point at this time is the way he put II
| to the newspaper men at the noon recess
| Neither would Delmas, leader of the
| forces of the defense, say word. 1t is
admitted that the action of thinner places
a powerfully persuasive argument IN tn'
hands of the prosecution against the time
of argument to the jury; but on the Other
hand the question is heard;
| "If Heney cannot replace thinner VII
| not the defense have strong grounds on
which to urge an instruction to acquit?
Zimmers refusal to testify was based
on this statement by him:
THE grand jury has seen fit to indict
several gentlemen on evidence that seems
insufficient; therefore I have decided to
take this stand in order to protect my
self" :,
He meant that he would avail himself
of "his constitutional right not to be
made a witness against himself" though
in reply to questions by the court he
averred that he did not fear his answer
might tend to subject himself to felony
prosecution, or that it would degrade his
Characteristic two grounds on which the
law allows a witness the right to refuse
to testify