The San Francisco call., 1909-03-30
CALHOUN JURY
BOX OCCUPIED
BY THIRTEEN
Day Is Passed Without Any
Reference to the Graft
Sensations
Man Who Approached Juror
Blender Is Cited to Appear
pear in Court

If there was any one place in the city
where all reference TO the graft sensa-
tions of the two preceding days was
carefully refrained from yesterday it
was in Judge LawIor's court. where the
Calhoun bribery trial is in progress.
the incidents of Saturday and Sunday
occurred during the examination of
Talesman August II. Heitmeier. The
juror answered questions with Pc
culiar hesitancy which made it almost
impossible to ascertain the exact state
of his mind, and when Stanley Moore
of the defense finally succeeded, by an
adrot method, in securing the desired
information, he made a passing refer
ence that touched close to the subject
of which every one was thinking.
That's what l wanted" he said. "and
got it without the aid of a search
warrant
JUROR APPROACHED
Another potential jury tampering
sensation developed yesterday morning
when Juror Charles K. Blender of 114
Castro street. who was passed for cause
last week, reported to the court that
cause by a man in Billy Harrington's
saloon at Eighteenth and Diamond
streets1 Blender told Judge Lawlor that
he had dropped into the saloon for
drink Saturday afternoon between
and o'clock and that some man behind
the bar had stepped up TO him and
asked, Are you going to hang Pat
Calhoun"
Blender declared that he at once told
his questioner that he did not wish to
discuss the case as he was under the
orders of the court. and the matter
ended at once. Blender described the
man who had spoken to him and said
he would be able TO identify him with
out trouble. but did not know his name.
Judge Lawlor referred the matter to
the attorneys for each side at noon
and during the afternoon an affidavit
covering the incident was drawn under
the direction of Assistant District At
torney Benjamin l. Bloch. Blender
signed the affidavit after adjournment
of court in the afternoon. and John
Doe citation was issued. ordering the
man who spoke to Blender TO appear
in court at o'clock this morning and
show cause why he should not be pun
ished for contempt Of court.
GILLESPIE is PASSED
One more taIesrnan was temporarily
passed yesterday, though his examina-
tion is open to further inquiry this
morning. This was George @. Giles
pie. builder living at 22041S Devisa-
dero street. who was a member of the
jury sworn to try Theodore V Halsey
of the Pacific telephone and telegraph
company on a bribery charge. The
Halsey jury was excused before hear
ing any evidence on account of the
illness of the defendant, and Gillespie
declared yesterday that he had formed
no settled opinions regarding the graft
cases and felt that he could be fair
minded and impartial TO both the prose-
cution and the defense.
Gillespie made the twelfth juror
actually passed to the box for the time
being. but instead of calling for the
completion Of pending examinations or
the exercising of peremptory challenges
at once. the court ordered the examina-
tions of other talesmen to proceed.
THIRTEEN IN JURY BOX
William II. Hildebrandt of 10 BeIve-
dere street, the last talesnan examined.
was also passed by the defense with
the privilege reserved to ask further
questions today. Clarence Grange of
2315 Broadway, a banker. was passed
last week in much the same way as
was Gillespie yesterday so, in fact
there are 13 men in the jury box at
present. with another one on the way
Only six of these 13 have been finally
sworn, however, and there is every
likelihood that one or two of the others
will be excused before peremptory chaI-
lenges are called for.
Other talesmen who were examined
yesterday and excused were: Harry E.
Hargrave. Joseph W. Hooker, Adolph
Helke, August III. Heitmeier. Martin
Hester. Bernard Heiltron, Herbert +.
HeIlwig, David W. Henderson Harry
Hill, James l.. Hicks, Melville w Her
zog and Herman D. Hogrefe. A new
special jury venire of so was ordered
summoned into court for tomorrow
morning.