Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-05-02
FIND FLAWS IN
BRIBERY CASES
LAWYERS FOR BR0ADHEAD AND
SCHENCK TAKE HOPE
DISCOVER LOCK OF GRAND JURY
BOX WAS BROKEN
ALLEGED That Delivery of Records to
County Clerk by Deputy Dis
trict Attorney Was
Irregular

ATTORNEYS representing Thomas II.
Broadhead, former chief of police, ana
Samuel Schenck, former police commis-
sioner. indicted by the special grand
Jury on bribery charges, have had thelr
suspicious aroused that something IT.
regular, has occurred by the discovery
that the grand jury box, in which was
placed the minute book of the jury $
proceedings, together with large num-
Der of exhibits was delivered to the
county clerk with the lock broken
after the jury was discharged April ~
The attorneys also believe the man
ner in which the box was given into
the county clerks hands was irregular
and, it is surmised, they will make
the most of these discoveries when they
resume their efforts to quash the in
dictments in Judge Davis court next
Wednesday.
The Jury box was placed in the hands
of c. G. Keyes, county clerk, by w. j.
Ford, deputy district attorney, shortly
after the last session of the jury was
held. Mr.. Keyes' receipt for the box
reads as follows:
Says Lock Pulled Out
"Received from w. J. Ford grand
jury box with lock broken with his
statement that it pulled out when he
was bringing said box to this office"
Then follows a tabulated list of the
articles found in the box, including the
grand jury minute book, exhibits l to
%. a bundle of ten subpoenas, trans
cripts of the testimony of Joseph Du-
rand A. Boisserance, w l.. Fetter and
John Foil; checks and a bank book
belonging to William Lawrence and a
statement of A. C. Harper and another
oil Broadhead to Edwin II. Earl.
Attorney Appel, representing Broad
head, is expected to insist that every
scrap of paper coming to the attention
of the grand jury shall be furnished
to him, either in its original form or
by certified copy, to aid him in pre-
pairing his defense. If anything is
missing special stress will be laid upon
the condition of the grand jury box.
The fact that the box was turned
over by Mr. Ford instead of by the sec
rotary of the grand jury will, it is be-
lieved, also be taken advantage of by
attorneys for the two indicted men,
both in the preliminary stages of the
proceedings and later should the case
go to trial.
Other Evidence Gone
Custom, if not the law, it is said,
provides that all documents received
or prepared by the grand jury shall be
given to the secretary of that body
and by him turned over for safe keep
ing to the clerk of the court where
the jury makes its final report or to
the county clerk.
The jury box with it's contents is now
held in the bureau of criminal records,
where it will remain until ordered
brought into court by Judge Davis. A
search of the bureau yesterday by At
torneys Appel and Schenck failed to
reveal the presence of the testimony
before the special grand jury leading
to the two indictments against Nick
Oswald and this is regarded by the at
torneys as another point in their favor.
The transcripts of this testimony are
said to be still in the hands of the
district attorney.