The San Francisco call., 1908-09-11
UNMASKS PLAN TO
PACK RUFF JURY
Judge Lawlor Severely Scores
Selection of 2,40O Venire.
men by Colleagues

Judge Lawlor severely criticised the
selection of the 2,4O0 names that con-
stitute the trial jury panel by his col
peremptorily excluded yesterday one of
the veniremen as being morally unfit
TO sit as juror.
The arraignment was made during
the proceedings of the Abe Ruef
bribery case and was occasioned by
the examination of the sheriff's re-
turn on the venire of $50 names Or
derec on Friday of last week. Michael
Meyer of 362 Pierce street, who has
charge of Dickie's roadhouse, now
known as the White Horse tavern,
was the venireman who, in the opin-
ion of the court, was not of sufficient
moral character to serve. Lawlor
made his ruling on the mans state
ment of his occupation.
Henry Ach, for Abe Ruef. questioned
the right Of the court to pass upon
the. worth of juror Il don't con-
cede that the court has the right to
stamp out the character of any man as
morally UNFIT" declared Ruef's attor-
ney, without giving him the oppor-
tunity of making showing, whether
he works as a bar tender or not
Judge Lawlor said the man had been
in charge of Dickie's place for seven
years. He quoted the general provi-
sions Of the code which gave the court
discretion in such matters. Acn re-
| sponded that the mans character
should not be stamped out"
'I suppose the~defense is trying to
suggest that the prosecution is op-
posed to the man because he is a sa-
| loon keeper" declared Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Heney. 1T is trying to
make a case that the prosecution does
not like saloon keepers. That is not
true. I believe there are as many
honest saloon keepers as there are
honest merchants, and l would as soon
| have a case tried by an honest saloon
| keeper as by an honest merchant But
| the prosecution knows nothing about
| this man."
'I don't, either" Ach interrupted.
ASK Frank Murphy about him." He
ney suggested. Murphy has not been
in court since the Blake bribery mat
ter was exposed.
Out of a vesnire of t150 names sc
failed to respond in court yesterday
morning. Among those who did not
appear was James E. Britt, the light
weight, who is in Europe. When the
names had been shifted down but q
were available for the box, and an
adjournment was taken until this
morning to secure better return. So
far seven jurors in the case have been
Professionally passed.
Judge Lawlor declared that he did
not like the system of selecting jurors
to fill up a panel from the trial list
preferring that the veniremen be sum-
moned into court by the sheriff. He
declared that the judges were respon-
sible for many names being in the
box that should not appear, and that
persons who lacked intelligence, were
decrepit or unable to give the time to
jury duty were placed on the roll "I'
would be a judicial outrage to make
some of them serve" he declared. 81
am not satisfied with the list; suitable
citizens are not selected"
Among the yeniremen who were ex-
cused for cause were Alfred Green
baum, who was member of the Oliver
grand jury, and Thomas B. Andrews
foreman of the Andrews grand jury
which first legally exposed the corrup.
ton of the Ruef, political machine.
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