The San Francisco call., 1908-09-19

Captain John J. West, secret agent
and former political crony of Abe
Ruef, was the latest to fall before the
onslaught which the grand jury has
directed against corruption in the jury
box, an indictment accusing him of
jury tampering having been returned
against him yesterday. The indictment
was the fourth of series which has
been similar in nature, and more are
yet to come. Up and down the line
among the ranks of Ruef's followers
there has spread general alarm. Who
will be the next? How much does the
prosecution know? Whose head will
next, fall? These questions they asked
themselves when it was definitely
learned that Ruef's military friend,
with all his secrecy and "gumshoe"
tactics. had been gathered into the net
The furry resembled that of the days
when 16 crime debauched supervisors
hit each others heels in a wild en-
deavor to save their petty little selves
by confession, to break away from the
arch boodler before he could pull them
down, as he toppled from power to dis
grace. Some have even made arrange
ments for bail in case-in case-the
whispered word has been overheard
and the intrigue laid bare.
EXPECTED INDICTMENT
That West was to be added to the
number was generally known before
the indictments were returned The
captain himself seemed to be aware of
the approaching indictment, for when
he left the grand jury rooms Thurs
day night he evinced a nervousness
more than a trifie unmilitary and
somewhat laughable.
he was indicted on the testimony of
John r. Foley, venireman, and Philip
de Martini a saloon keeper at Sacra-
mento and Montgomery streets. Their
testimony was corroborated by +. III
Gibson. a friend of Foley's, and George
X. Chalfaunt, De Martins bar tender
Foley's testimony was to the effect
that West had attempted to bribe him,
and De Martini strengthened 1t by tes-
Trying that the ATTEMPTED bribery oc-
CURED in his saloon September >. Chal-
faunt corroborated De Martinis testi-
mony, and Gibson that of Foley.
PROMISES FOLEY MONEY
The grand jury took up the case in
secret and at 1870 a. m. returned the
indictment, stating that it had evil
dence that John ]. West promised John
r. Foley that he would receive sum
Of money in the event that he, the said
John r. Foley, was sworn as a juror
in the said criminal action and would
vote for a verdict in favor of Abe Ruef
the defendant therein
The verbiage, with difference in
names, was the same as on the indict-
ments which made Murphy break into
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avowals OF innocence. The Indictment
was returned before Judge Sturtevant
and filed in secret, pending the issu-
ance OF a bench warrant for the capture
of West Before the warrant could be
issued West had disappeared. The en-
tire force of the sheriffs department
was put on the case, but the ex-captain
showed his military training by cover
ing his retreat In mastery way.
Nothing was seen of him all day.
At about 6 o'clock in the evening he
showed up at the residence of ex-Sheriff
Tom O'Neil, who was colonel of the
militia regiment of which West was
adjutant. and, accompanied by him and
Mrs. O'Neil. drove down in an automo
bile to Sheriff Larry Dolan's home,
where he gave himself up. With the
party was Contractor Muller.
The party, accompanied by a deputy.
proceeded to the residence of Judge
Sturtevant. where Muller and O'Neil
qualified as bondsmen for $4,000 each.
Attorney Newburgh. who gave tenn
porary bail of $4,000 cash Thursday,
appeared in Judge Sturtevants court
yesterday morning with Leon Carrau,
diamond merchant. and Mark NJ. Lich-
enstein, vice president of the Lichen-
stein company. who acted as his bonds
men.
The members of the prosecution had
no hesitancy in declaring that the four
indictments were but the beginning of
a movement to stamp out corruption
in the jury box
I'VE will endeavor TO fndict wherever
we have the evidence said Heney.
More indictments will follow and when
the public learns the evidence which
has been laid before the grand jury
during these last few weeks it will
be more than surprised The amount
of corruption which has been practiced
IN this regard is almost incredible.
The condition of affairs is appalling,
and the deeper we go into it the worse
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