The San Francisco call., 1908-10-01

Rapid progress was made yesterday
in the selection Of a jury to try E. A.
s. Blake. charged with an attempt to
bribe John Martin Kelly, prospective
Juror in the Ruef case and when ad-
5ournment was taken last night in
Judge Dunn's court nine jurors had
been sworn. TO serve. There is every
prospect that the jury will be COM
pleted today and that Blake's fate will
be decided before the case with which
he is accused of meddling has actually
gone 10 trial. for Blake has not behind
him the powerful Influences or the well
organized machinery OF procrastination
which are being welded in Ruef's be-
half. Blake must face trial on the
merits OF the case. while the man in
whose interest he is charged with hav-
ing committed a crime is delaying his
own trial through juggleries of the
law.
WITNESS IGNORES ORDER
There was one indication yesterday
OF the adoption of Ruef tactics in the
Blake case, bat il was merely an Incl
dent Of the day and resulted in no well
defined sensation. Judge Dunno ordered
that all witpesses summoned in the
case be excluded from the courtroom
during the examination OF talesmen,
and the order was generally obeyed
without question. Ruefs Office boy,
Charles Haggerty, was the single eX-
ception. His name appears among the
witnesses summoned for the case, but
when he was asked to leave the court
room yesterday morning he refused to
do so and Bailin Thomas Kelly was
forced TO eject him.
The jury box was filed before noon
yesterday with talesmen temporarily
passed. but the number was reduced to
six on the first exercise of peremptory
challenges. Joseph Kahn and James 6.
Fyfe, who were temporarily passed
Tuesday, were excused by the court on
account Of personal business reasons.
De Forest Thrush of ia Seneca street,
q metal polish manufacturer, who had
never heard of William ]. Burns, but
thought that he was at one time a
United States marshal, was the first
talesman peremptorily challenged by
the prosecution. The prosecution also
challenged Thomas Blanchfield. con-
tractor. $50 Oak street. NJ A Brooks.
q real estate dealer, 1918 Laguna street;
Alexander Y. Watt, an insurance broker,
e3 Haight street; Charles Gildea, a real
estate dealer. 2403 Howard street. and
William Grasshon were peremptorily
dismissed by the defense.
+. W Polk, real estate dealer of
talesman called after the six jurors
finally passed had been sworn, was
passed temporarily and eventually ac-
cepted- Charles c. Kinsey of 14O First
avenue disqualified himself Immediately
by asserting that he knew Attorney
William II. SchOoler Of Blakes counsel
very well personally, and had nothing
but contempt for him. He said that he
had been in trouble with Schooler and
could not serve without bias in the
case because of his feeling toward him.
VISITED BY MYSTERIOUS MAN
Thomas J. Glynn and Christ Larsen
were also excused because of decided
opinions. Larsen told Of having been
visited in a mysterious manner on the
previous day by a man representing
himself to be the agent of some polit-
ical organization, whom he believed
4. was attempting TO sound him concern
ing his knowledge and beliefs as to the
jurors spoke Of having received calls
from unknown men some months ago,
but in no instance was a charge Of at
tempted jury tampering made. -
Samuel Kramer. a tailor of 1924
Cough street. was peremptorily dis
missed by the prosecution. Jacob A
Brutcher and William w. Prince were
peremptorily challenged by the defense
Three others were passed without chal-
lenge. leaving nine in the jury box
sworn to try the case