The San Francisco call., 1908-04-25
FORD'S CASE HURT
BY NEW WITNESSES
Keane Connects Ruef With the
Overhead Trolley Franchise
on May IA

"Aiy best recollection Is that Abra-
ham Ruef left the Overhead trolley
ordinance in the chambers of the board
of supervisors on May Ia" Testimony
of George b. Keane, new witness In the
trial of TREY l.. Ford.
abraham Ruef rented a safe deposit
box I'm the vaults of the Western ma
tfonnI bank on May 25.. Testimony of
Frank f. Morris, new witness I'm the
trial of Tfrey l.. Ford.
Two new witnesses were produced
yesterday in the trial of Tirey L. Ford
by Assistant District Attorney John
toward connecting the general counsel
of the United Railroads with the brib-
cry of the members Of the board OF
supervisors through the intermediary
Of Abe Ruef.
George B. Keane was the first intro
duction. and while Keane's testimony
was uncertain in a measure-as he is
still deeply inoculated with the bacil-
lus of Ruefsm-the antitoxic treatment
administered by O'Gara clarified his
memory to certain extent and he
demonstrated that Ruef was the agent
Of the United Railroads in the over
head trolley scheme
Frank T. Morris, bookkeeper of the
Western national bank and safe de-
post company, was the real innovation
Of the case. a flesh and blood vindica-
tion Of o'Gara's early promise that new
evidence would be forthcoming in the
third trial Of Ford
Morris testified beyond dispute that
Ruef rented a third safe deposit box
at the bank May 20, the day on which,
according to several officials of the
mint, TREY L Ford received $4,000
from the subtreasury and United States
mint on a telegraphic order from Pat
rick Calhoun and the New York sub
treasury officials. On Monday Morris
testimony will be substantiated by the
testimony Of another official of the
bank. Ruef had two boxes in the vault
prior to May 25. but he paid s24 rental
for a box on that day.
MAKES DEFENSE TREMBLE
When Morris finished his effective
testimony the attorneys for the defense
shuffied In their chairs.
You are a curio, Mr.. Norris" COM
mented Stanley Moore.
OGara promptly came TO the defense
OF the witness. under the impression
that the attorney was jesting with his
testimony as Jury box play"
ut is Just a fresh face" Moore apollo
gized, referring to the heretofore
saneness OF the present trial and its
two predecessors.
YES" replied O'Gara, with some
triumph; yes, and a fresh fact"
George B. Keane was the first wit
ness called. He stated that he had been
clerk Of the board OF supervisors at the
time OF the passage of the trolley or
dinance. From the first he was q de-
linquent witness and O'Gara had to
give him harsh treatment to get any
degree OF definiteness from his answers.
Reluctantly Keane admitted that In
his best recollection Mr.. Ruef left the
ordinance on the table of the clerk May
a." Keane admitted being Ruefs as
sociate since 1898, and told of Ruef's
attendance at caucuses Of the super
visorS.
Charles Haggerty, who has been
Ruers Office boy since 1905, be his en-
ployer In or out of jail. testified, as
at the previous trials. that shortly after
the fire Ford and Thornwell Mutually
called upon Ruef while the latter oc-
cupied a temporary office at 1882 Pine
street.
W. X Cole, E. D. Hawkins and
Nathan Selig, employe and officials of
the mint at the time OF the alleged
boodling. testified to the receipt by
Ford Of 100000 in currency at differ
ent times, $4,000 of which was paid
May %.
William NJ. Abbott. assistant general
counsel of the United Railroads and CO.
defendant with Ford, repeated his tes-
timony given at the previous trials.
after his objections to testifying had
been overruled by Judge Lawlor. Ford
was with Abbott when the $4,000 was
received, and again when a larger
amount was secured.
Morris, the new witness, then ap-
peared, and the session closed with the
reading OF the testimony of Frank A.
Leach of the mint