The San Francisco call., 1908-08-28
RUFF TRIAL BEGUN;
ONE JUROR CHOSEN
Defendant Writhes in Court
When Peter CIaudianes
Is Mentioned
Bribing of Former Supervisor
John j. Furey Is the
Charge Against Him

Charge Against Him
With an unusual procedure IN the
order of examining veniremen the task
of impaneling a. jury TO try Abe Ruet
on a charge of having bribed eX-Super-
visor John f. Furey in the interest OF
The United Railroads overhead trolley
franchise was begun yesterday morn
ing before Superior Judge Lawlor. One
juror-Alexander Bond of 2205 Scott
street. a real estate broker-was Sc
lected, subject TO the exercise of pos
sfble peremptory challenge. Three men
were excused from the box because of
fixed opinions and the examination of
lanes GuiIfoy of 952 Capp street, a re-
tired cornice maker, was carried over
until today in order that the man
might be confronted with one of Spe-
cial Agent Burns detectives, to whom,
il is intimated by Assistant District
Attorney Heney, he made admissions
OF a fixed opinion.
The most exciting moment of the
rather tedious day came when Heney
mentioned the name of Peter Claudi-
anes and pricked a sore spot in Ruef's
defense.
The innovation in the examination of
jurors was the ruling by Judge Lawlor
that the defense must undertake the
first interrogating. Heretofore the
practice in the local courts has been
for the prosecution first TO question the
jurors
HENEY WINS HIS POINT
After Ruefs counsel had made for
nal motions to protect the defendants
rights to file a bill of exceptions to
earlier proceedings in the case Heney
= he IaFa
should begin the examination of jurors.
He held that under the California law
the defense must first exercise a chal-
lenge for cause and concluded that the
procedure would be for the defense
first to examine the talesmen.
The Peter Claudianes incident came
late in the afternoon and clearly indi-
Gated that Ruef is smarting and wrig-
Cling under the suspicion that is con-
Meeting him closer and closer with the
dynamite outrages directed against
James L. Gallagher, the chief witness
against him.
To all jurors Ach read off a list of
100 names, and asked of the jurors if
they knew any Of the persons. The
name of John Mccarthy headed the list
of some 65 men TO whom Ach referred
as Burns men.
During the examination of Alexander
Bond, Ach referred to Mccarthy as "a
spy, shadow or a sleuth.
Why not refer TO him as the man
who captured Peter CIaudianes?" sug-
gested Heney.
Ach broke into a fine rage. why did
the district attorney bring that dirty
thing into this case?" he demanded with
outraged sensibilities. What has Peter
Claudianes to do with this case? Be
cause the district attorney got the
newspapers to publish that Ruef hired
should be brought up. Ruef had moth
ing to do with the matter" he protest
ed, while his client chewed gum nerv-
ously "Ruef was in jail at the time"
he added, as If he could not protest too
much.
BOND GIVES TERSE ANSWERS
Bond was under examination for
fully two hours, and at that he ac-
celebrated his own examination by terse.
laconic. concise answers to all ques-
tions put TO him. The only time he
left the path of monosyllables was when
Ach asked If he had read of Ruef's
flight TO the Trocadero, and he an
swered that he had noticed the news
paper accounts, as the name of the
roadhoUse had awakened pleasant
recollections." Ach produced before
him The Call Of April 26, 1907, which
contained the first account in full of
the confessions of the supervisors, but
Bond said he had not read the sensa-
tional disclosures.
Among his questions Ach asked what
the juror would do if Heney should call
TREY L Ford as a witness in the Ruef
trial and then give Ford immunity that
he might testify with impunity against
the defendant Heney objected to the
question as expressing an impossible
contingency. Ach named DR.. Philip
r-F
Louis Glass. among the alleged Burns
retinue, and Ford arose dramatically
IN the middle of the courtroom to voice
a protest, which Heney also made.
After Ach had passed Bond, Heney
passed him with a superficial question.
EXAMINATION OF GUILFoY
James Guilfoy was the first venire-
man examined at length. Ach oues-
toned him extensively on his acquaint-
anee with people who might be imme-
diately or remotely connected with the
graft prosecution, including grand
Jurors, members of the citizens league
Of justice, the editors and managers of
The Call and the Bulletin and others
Guilfoy Will be questioned further this
morning, when Heney will produce a
detective to whom the talesman is al
legged TO have expressed in strong terms
his desire to send the entire group of
indicted men to jail and to have added
that Calhoun is as bad as the rest
Guilfoy denied having made any such
statement.
Emil L Heller, 7s Pierce street. and
Harrison Barto and Oscar Fisher. 2OS3
BUSH street, expressed decided opinions
IN the case and were excused, and Vic
tor g. Bonaly, Edwin K Hurlbert, VII
liam II. Baron and Louis Herman were
excused for business reasons.
Heney is assisted in the case by As
sistant District Attorney O'Gara. M
G Chapman is associated with Ach and
Murphy.
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