The San Francisco call., 1909-05-23
Developments of This Week
May Eclipse in Importance
All of Past Testimony
Attempts to Bribe Helms Not to
Take the Stand to Be Brought
Out in Court
By RUSSELL COLE

veIopments of the coming week prom
ise to eclipse in Importance and sen
sational features anything that has
been laid before the jury since the be-
ginning Of the case
The prosecuting attorneys are close
moUthed concerning their intentions
and viii give no hint of the lengths to
which the testimony still to be taken
may 20. However. the very presence
in the courtroom of certain witnesses
under subpoena and the fact that much
OF the testimony OF John Helms, former
director of the detective activities of
the defense, was left unfinished on his
first examination, makes it evident
that the most stirring event OF the
trial is yet 10 be reached.
FOUNDATION Is NEEDED
Owing 10 the state of the court rec
ORD, the prosecution was unable last
week TO inquire OF Helms regarding
the details of the conversations had
by him with the agents of the defense,
10 whom was allotted the duty OF pre-
venting him, If possible, from taking
the witness stand. That such converse
tions were had has already been testi-
fed to, but what promises were made
and what methods were resorted TO by
the men who approached Helms is still
10 be told. Helms has already made
an exhaustive statement 10 the prose-
cutiOn in the form of a sworn afi-
davit and il simply remains now for
~1-
OF which these facts can be presented
for the consideration of the jury
Helms is not the only important wit
ness who viii be called 10 the stand.
and with the fact assured that several
surprises are still in store ii is more
Than probable that the conclusion of
The trial is Yet matter of weeks in
stead Of days.
Wingfeld s. Lamb of Rohnerville.
Humboldt county, and a J. Monroe Of
Eureka have been present in the court
room under subpoena ever since Helms
first took the stand. They are two of
the men whom Helms has accused Of
having approached him since it became
known that he was to be cane das
witness by the prosecution and both
are TO be put on the stand to corrob-
crate Helms statements regarding Of
fers made to him while he was still at
his home in Trinity county
Assemblyman John Mcclellan Of
BridgeviIle, who was also mentioned. by
Helms / nthe course OF his testimony
has not appeared in court and may not
be summoned. Whether the other wit
nesses viii tell candidlv Of their visits
10 Helms and give the names Of those
b. whom these visits were inspired is
4 matter OF conjecture. In any event.
the checking UP process viii continue,
for Policeman Charles Goff Of the local
force and H J. Lorentzen Of Special
Agent Burns staff were witnesses to all
the conversations which have been held
aDd vii lbe called to substantiate the
testimony given by Helms.
The story Of the attempts made to
reach Helms and prevent him from tes-
tifying is so far as it has already been
made public. a recital of the most dra-
matte character. Not alone was the
power OF welth and personal inuence
resorted to in the endeavor to protect
the black secrets Of the defense, but
Helms was appealed to on the strength
OF frsternal Affiliations and efforts were
made 10 exact from him the most abso-
lutte pledges OF secrecy before the orig
inal proners were made.
ABBOTT Is IMPLICATED
Helms has already implicated Will
liam IL Abbott directly in several of
the most heinous plots Of the United
Railroads TO defeat justice and has
given a partial account or the personal
interest taken by Patrick Calhoun in
the various schemes He has told Of
made by Calhoun for the
shadOwing OF William J. Burns during
the latter's Investigations OF the dyna
hitting Outrsges but il is understood
that he is still TO tell of numerous per-
soaal conversations held with Calhoun
regarding this very matter in the Of
fees Of Garret ". McEneTney, the at
t0rney who while keeping his name
entirely out OF sight in the case, has
been the actual director of the entire
plan OF defense.
In his position as chief OF the Cal
houn detective bureau Helms was
necessarily conversant with nearly
every scheme Matched against the
What he has already told
shows that 10 important step was
ken without the authorization OF Will
liam NJ Abbott and that plans involv-
ing the expenditure OF any considerable
amount of money had to be laid be-
fore Calhoun himself for sanction be-
fore they were adopted.
THEFT PLAY THROUGH HELMS
1t was through Helms that the ar
rangernents were made by Abbott for
The theft OF jury report& and official
from the office OF William
J. Burns. and aht Calhoun had personal
knowledge of this arrangement is the
conclusion drawn from Helms state
lnent that Calhoun himself inspected
many Of the stolen reports which were
handed to the attorneys for the de-
fense during the impeachment of the
juries in the three Ford trials. Earl
Rogers and Stanley Moore of Calhoun's
counsel are also said to have known
Just what was going on and to have
had . number of conversations with
Helms concerning the matter
Helms has declared that when he
first entered the service of the United
Railroads Abbott told him he was par
ticulsrly desirous of establishing
source OF information in Burns Office
and believed that Rex Hamlin, Burns
secretary, WAS the best man for the
purpose He is said to have told
Iielms that Bamlin's services would be
worth thousands OF dollars TO the de-
fense. Helms did not reach Hamlin.
however. but made his arrangements
with Eugene A. Plat. one OF Burns
employees. After Helms had left the
employ Of the United Railroads. I'm
August. sos. Platt reported direct TO
Abbott for time. but in October was
dismissed from Burns employ