The San Francisco call., 1908-07-19
MAKES CHARGES
IN DESPERATION
Ruef's Affidavit Accuses Prose-
cutOr of Approaching
Prospective Jurors
Burns Says BOOdler Strives to
Divert Attention From
Dynamiting

y
ney Henry Ach appeared before Judge
Lawlor in his chambers and presented
a voluminous application signed by Abe
Ruef in which charges of having ap-
preached prospective jurors at the COM
ing trial of Ruef, Calhoun and Ford in
the guise of agents of the defendants
and of trying to get them to sign
petition denouncing the graft prosecu-
tion were made against Burns and two
of his assistants, j. G. Lawler and h. Z.
SCHNEIDER, and he demanded that Judge
Lawlor should Immediately order them
to show cause why they should not be
punished for contempt of court.
Judge Lawlor after hearing Ach's
arguments declined to take action in
this summary manner before Burns and
his assistants had even received notice
of the charges trumped up against
them. He therefore fixed o'clock
Monday afternoon for the hearing of
the application.
RIDICULOUS, SAYS BURNS
Detective Burns last night when
asked about the charges declared that
they were false and ridiculous.
Matters are beginning to look so bad
for Ruef in connection with the Gala
CHER dynamiting since the confession
Of Claudianes," he said, that IT looks
as though Ruef has been moved to do
something desperate to direct attention
from himself in this affair"
Burns intimated that the men whom
Ruef declared had tampered with the
Jurymen for the purpose of sounding"
them and disqualifying them were in
reality agents Of Ruef.
Immediately after presenting Ruef's
application to Judge Lawlor, Ach hur-
riedly left the city for Bakersfield.
After referring to Burns as IAN en-
ploye of the district attorneys office
and of Rudolph Spreckels," Ruef, in
his application and charges, mentions
J. G. Lawler and r. c. SCHNEIDER and
other persons whose names are un-
known to affiant" as being 'in the en-
ploy Of said w. ]. Burns for the pur-
pose, among others, of endeavoring by
any means available to obtain verdict
Of guilty as against this afiant and his
codefendants. Patrick Calhoun and
Tirey L. Ford"
Ruef makes the assertion that Burns
and his assistants, after Judge Lawlor
had on July 1 fixed the date of the
trial for July is, called on numerous of
the veniremen from whom the jury
list would be chosen, among whom are
named William c. Blocker of 220 Hale
street, Charles A. Dumont of 1909 Pow
ell street, A. Mccarthy of 1912 Pacific
street, Tobias Cohn of 2I07 Market
street, Elias Cohn of Bush and Fill
more streets, E. H. Bode of 1917 Ocean
avenue and Max Waigman of 1882
Golden Gate avenue.
RUEFS FAKE PETITION
Then Ruef declares he has learned
that they represented themselves as
coming from him, and. talked to the
Jurymen in bitter terms against the
graft prosecution. Ruef claims that
several of the jurymen We're induced to
sign the following petition:
San Francisco Improvement Club: I am tax
payer of the city and county Of San Francisco
l believe that the continuance OF the so called
graft prosecution" is detrimental to the best
interests OF San Francisco. The continued inter
ference with the enterprises Of prominent citi-
zens is demoralizing to business. The expense to
tax payers Of maintaining the prosecution is a
needless burden. am in favor of a movement
10 stop this work, and therefore l enroll as a
member of the San francisco improvement club.
Afidavits are subjoined to the appli-
cation from two of the veniremen, VIII
liam c. Blocker and Charles A. Du-
mont, who say they We're approached
about July by man they have since
learned was J.~G. Lawler"
Blocker claimed this man ''he has
since learned was Lawler" got him to
sign the petition, and said he would
get 10000 more names, and that he
also told Blocker If he would sign the
paper he would get him business with
the Vienna cafe. Significantly. how
ever, Blocker swears he has not seen
the man since" but thinks he would
recognize him.
Dumont, too, declares that he did
not know the man was I.awler. but
thinks" he would be able to point him
out.
On these grounds Ruef asked that
Burns and his assistants be cited to
show cause why they should not be
punished for contempt of court.