The San Francisco call., 1908-07-03
QUESTIONS COURT ORDER


QUESTIONS COURT ORDER
To decide this important point Dis
trict Attorney LangdOn and Assistant
District Attorney Harrison were in
structed TO so before Justice Cooper
by Judge Muraslky, with their objection,
as vigorously stated by Harrison, that
the appellate justices had overstepped
their constitutional power in making
the order while sitting as court
Harrison read the section from the
. constitution bearing on the matter,
that each of the justices shall have
the power TO issue writs of habeas
corpus and make them returnable be-
fore himself or before any superior
Judge within his district"
First admitting that there might be
a question as TO the legality of the
arbitrary order. Cooper said he would
. direct Ruef's lawyer TO make another
application, which he, as an individual
justice. would then refer TO Judge
Murasky. Half an hour later he
changed his mind and said that he
saw no reason why the court as a
whole could not DO what single JUS
tice had the power to do.
Early in the course OF the eXamina-
tion. which began shortly after 10
o'clock Judge Murasky showed that
he was inclined not to limit sureties
10 real estate as Judge Dunno had
done Saturday, but would accept stocks
and bonds. business interests and other
properties if he were convinced Of their
value. Erskine Richardson, secretary
Of the Ralston iron works, who was
disqualified by Judge Dunno, wanted to
give $4,000 bonds for Ruef.
WITNESS MADE INCORPORATES
Richardson's holdings consisted of
$4,000 in AtchisOn railroad bonds. an
interest of S36.50O in the Ralston iron
works. which is capitalized at $97,S0O,
. and half an interest in a small foundry.
What are the debts of the com
pany?" asked Judge Muraslzy. Richard
son finally admitted that it owed
$4,000 in notes. including one Of
$4,000 held by himself When Judge
MUrasky then asked him to enumer-
ate the assets OF the company he got as
far as $4,000 and could give no more.
Why do you say the company is
worth S97,500 when by your own esti-
mates ii is only worth s50,0O0?" in
quired Judge Murasky. Richardson
finally agreed TO produce the books of
the concern TO the satisfaction of the
court, though he objected to having his
figures made public.
District Attorney Langdon made the
witness plainly uncomfortable when he
brought out that he had only sworn to
an assessment OF 1925 on his personal
property, and asked him why he had
neglected TO mentio nthe $4,000 note
and the $4,000 in bonds.
SLAVES PROPERTY ESTIMATE
After recess to o'clock in the
afternoon. during which District Attor-
ney Langdon and Assistant Harrison
went before the appellate court, the
examination having proceeded sub
sect to the decision, Richardson again
went on the stand According to his
books the plant was worth S136. 600,
and Richardson then declared that he
himself was worth $4,000. Further
questioning elected that he owed $4,000
in personal debts, and Judge AIurasky
agreed TO accept his bonds for $4,000,
q shaving Of $4,000.
The next witness, NJ. S. Schymansky,
who declared he was an ex Russian
nobleman and money lender, was ex-
pected to qualify for S6O,00O but he
disappointed Ruef by proving so re-
fractory and testy under examination
that the amount was cut down to
$40, 900 by the court. While he was be-
ing examined Schymansky suddenly
whipped $5,7oO IN banknotes from his
coat pocket and showed them to Judge
Murasky to prove that he was a man
OF means. He asserted that he was
worth 100000, giving among his as
sets real estate and mortgages in the
city worth $4,000, and $4,000 in the
bank.
District Attorney Langdon questioned
the witness as to why his property was
assessed at only S12SS0 Asked to tell
what he paid for his real estate Schy-
Ynansky rolled his eyes in frightened
horror and calculated in broken Eng
iish: NO. no. no. I'll never tell any
body what I paid" He absolutely re-
fused TO allow Judge Murasky to exam
inc his bank books.
The witness may be worth what he
claims, but I cannot be satisfied with