Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-12-10

G AN FRANCISCO, Dec. 9.-The case
IN of Abraham Ruef, charged with
bribery of former supervisor OF
this city, went to the jury at 1886 d. m.
today At 5:45, after being out two
hours and nine minutes, the Jury re-
quested and was given permission to
go to dinner by Judge William P.
Lawlor. The trial twelve returned to
the jury room at o'clock and after
celebrating for an hour and a half.
sent for Judge Lawlor and asked that
the testimony of former Supervisors
Furey, Wilson and Gallagher be read.
The jury listened closely to the read
ing of the testimony. which was not
finished until shortly before midnight.
Throughout the last day of the trial.
which has required los days to bring
to conclusion, the court room was
crowded with men and women of local
prominence, and popular interest i'm ths
outcome was indicated by the men,
who, unable to gain admittance, re-
mained utside in the street during a
downpour of rain.
The unusual precautions taken after
the shooting of Prosecutor Francis j.
Heney were resumed today in full
force, and the spectators subjected to
close scrutiny before entry were sur
rounded by a heavy detail of police at
every stage of the proceedings.
johnson Reviews Arguments
Hiram Johnson, one of the attorneys
who volunteered his services after Mr..
Heney was shot, closed the argument
al noon after an address of two hours
and half, during which time he re-
viewed many arguments set forth by
the defense and advanced others of his
own, seeking. as was apparent, to put
the case of the prosecution before the
jurors in the form of a closely connect
ed chain of events, with the defendant
as the center.
He charged that Ruef had practically
admitted his guilt, and upon more than
one occasion, and he maintained that
the defense had never shaken the tes-
timony of witnesses who in their testi-
mony had charged Ruef with receiving
100000 from the United Railroads and
with giving former Supervisor James
L. Gallagher $S5,O00 to be distributed
among the members of the board.
At times Mr.. johnson vehemently de-
nounced Ruef and the men charged
with conspiracy to loot the city during
the period following the earthquake and
fire of April, 1906.
The instructions of the court were de-
livered after a slight delay, and con-
trary to expectations occupied but an
hour in delivery to the jury
Crowd Is Excited
There was ripple of excitement as
the twelve men in the box filed slowly
out for their deliberations, but the
greater number of spectators remained
in their seats and the crowd in the
street was augmented in numbers by
nc hn Loo itIrx xara-
out.
During the first hour that the jury
remained secluded Ruef paced nervous
ly up and down the aisle, occasionally
stopping to speak to acquaintances, and
often sinking into his seat, where he
appeared bowed in thought, his back
turned to the spectators.
Once or twice he engaged in a dis
cussion of the probable result with his
intimates, and he finally settled down
to a long conversation with two young
women who have served the defense as
stenographers.
Henry Ach, Ruef's chief counsel,
whose efforts in behalf of his client
have several times threatened him with
penalty of physical collapse, did not
appear in court this afternoon, and it
was reported that he had been stricken
with pleurisy during the noon recess
as a result of a cold contracted last
hight dIltI lie ldu COlnBlClCQ al ib~
dress of six hours and twenty minutes
Many Await Verdict
In the foul and sitting atmosphere
of packed court room scores of men
and women kept vigil all night listen
ing to u monotonous reading of page
after page of testimony that the jury
in the case of Abraham Ruef had de-
manded to hear repeated.
Eight hours before the testimony and
argument upon the indictment for
bribery had been given into the hands
of the twelve.
Three separate times Judge Lawlor
guardedly endeavored to learn the ex-
act scope of the repetitions desired,
and in each response the jurymen were
so indefinite in their demands as to
leave open a range of evidence that
could be limited only by objection OF
the attorneys or the order of the court.
No fraction of the interest that has
attended exciting incident or delivery
of ringing address had abated through
out the long session of the court on this,
the hundred and fifth day of the trial.
Jurists of state and national reputa-
ton, clergymen whose sermons have
been based upon the lessons and the
tragedies of the graft prosecution, edi-
tors. politicians, detectives and men
and women socially or otherwise prom
inent remained in the chamber for
hours, patient, persistent and untiring
watchers of the last hours in the third
I