Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-11-16
Says Jury Has Been Unduly In
fenced by Fridays Epi-
sode in the Court.
NO DECISION YET REACHED
When Courtroom Opened Was q
Great Rush to Enter, Police
Restraining Crowd.
officials still Bafllcd as to How Haas
Secured Pistol With Which He
Killed Himself.

San Francisco. Nov 1G.-Ihat the in
terest or the people Of this city is cen
tered on, the bribery trial OF Abraham
Ruef was made manifest early this
morning when long before the time set
for the opening OF Judge Lawlor's court
crowds began to assemble before Car
Ycntcrs' hall on Fulton street where
the trial is being held. All classes of
the community We're included in the
assemblage which occupied the time Of
waiting in discussing the exciting
events connected with the graft cases
followed 50 swiftly on each other dur
ing the past few days. The sentiment
was generally expressed that while or
dei. must be preserved and the law al
lowed to take its course, there must be
10 Unnecessary delay in the work OF
bringing the guilty to justice.
RUSH INTO COURTROOM.
When the doors OF the courtroom
We're swung open, there was a rush to
enter, which, however. was restrained
by the large force OF police detailed for
the purpose and little confusion ensued.
In addition to many officers In uni
form, Il score or more of plain clothes"
men and detectives were scattered
among the throng of people. and In the
room We're so located as to keep close
watch over Ruef and the attorneys en-
gagged in the trial Of his case. Warned
by the tragedy OF Friday last. no pre-
caution Will hereafter be omitted by
the guardians OF the law to prevent its
repetition or the occurrence Of disor-
der of any kind, though 1t Is not antici-
pated that any trouble will mark the
further progress OF the case.
RUFF BROUGHT IN.
Abraham Ruef was brought to court
from the branch county jail at Ingle-.
side. several miles distant, in the steel
lined prison van. escorted by a troop of
mounted police. When Fulton street
was reached the dense crowd which
blocked the approach to the courtroom
was parted by the police and the van
driven to the edge OF the sidewalk.
Closely surrounded by officers and de-
tectives the defendant assembled the
steps OF the building and quickly walk
ed to the seat which he has occupied
during the trial. J.
CHANGE OF VENUE ASKED.
In addition to the mounted police,
five uniform police and three deputy
sheriffs We're in the van with Reuf.
After a few minutes delay Rcuf's
case was called at three minutes past.
10. Atty Dozier announced that he had
4 motion to make on Reuf's behalf,
and asked that the jury be dismissed.
This was done and Dozier filed an aft
davit signed by Reuf asking for a
change of venue to some court in an
other part of the state a he was CON
WINGED that he could not obtain a fair
trial in this court. Atty. Ach
stated that IL the motion for a
change of venue was denied, he would
ask for a continuance of 30 days, and
IL both motions We're denied, he would
ask for the dismissal Of The jury on
The ground that the members had been
unduly Influenced by Fridays "epi-
sode" In court,
THE AFFIDAVIT.
The affidavit consumed about 20 min
utes in reading. BY far the greater
part of the affidavit consists of a rcla-
ton of all the circumstances connected
with the Ruef trial since its commence
lnent. The shooting in the courtroom
Friday; the subsequent excitement; the
mass meetings and other assemblages
held throughout the city and elsewhere
since that time are described in full
y
lated to show an excited state of the
public mind. calculated to injure the
cause of the defendant. In part II is
said that a. conspiracy has been charged
involving the defendant in responsible
itY for the shooting. and that the jury
not having been informed of all the
circumstances, has drawn erroneous in
feronces as to the actual happenings.
1t is said that the jury will or has
learned that Ruof is In custody, and
that he is supposed to have been in.
some way connected with the shooting;
that the appearance of thee new at
torneys in the case will lead the jury
to believe that they have been employ
cd by the people Of San Francisco.
Another point made is that tho de-
tense has not had an opportunity to en-
anime the jurors or any of them as to
their acquaintance or relations with
any of tho three attorneys WHO now
have become Of record
In conclusion the principal affidavit
affii'n1s:
.Affiant is Informed and believes.
that there exists In the city Of San
Francisco n fierce and burning bias
md prejudice against him. and that his
life Is in constant danger: that there.
VIII probably occur during his Journeys
q and from the courtroom, scenes OF
violence ana tuIbii'onco calculated 10
still further prejudice his cause; that
the lives OF his counsel are in danger.
and that they are not in q proper frame
Of mind to give to his ca Sc the atten-
tim 1t deifands.'
The AFFIDAVIT Is sworn to BY Ruef
himself.
tipon its conclusion Dozier began
reading supplementary affidavits reiat-
Ing occurrences ALLEGED to5llave trans,
'sirs1 1T various mass meetings held
lI5the city.
Court -e,,iomnod at ,n:5s Until 10
o'clock tomorrow morning in order
70 give the prosecution time to make
counter atIidavits.
HAAS PISTOL
There has been no satisfactory en-
pianation Of the manner in which Nor
rvs Haas procured possession OF tue
derEinger with which he shot him
self in the county jail. Chief of Police
Bigsy ana some of his immediate
snoordinates arc content With the
declaration that the prisoner carried
tila weapon into his cell. concealed in
: MS Shoe Other members of the, de-