The San Francisco call., 1909-05-05
TRACING THE
BRIBERY FUND
TOTS SOURCE
Weaving Net That EnmesheS
Calhoun in the Corruption
of Supervisors
Vital Point Reached in the Trial
of the United Railroads
President
By w. RUSSELL COLE

By w. RUSSELL COLE
The last stage OF preliminary testi-
mony i'm the Calhoun trial was all but
passed yesterday, and with the be-
ginning OF the seventeenth week OF
the trial the point has been reached
where evidence pointing directly to
CaIhoun's part in the United Railroads
bribery deal viii begin to pile up.
Andrew NJ Wilson who is now on the
stand, viii probably be the last mem
Der OF the former board OF SUPER
visors to be called as a witness, and
from now on the trial viii turn on
evidence relating to the channel
through which the bribe fund reached
the hands OF James L. Gallagher. Abe
Ruefs lieutenant on the Schmitz
board.
HINTS OF NEW EVIDENCE
No hint has been dropped by the
prosecuting attorney as TO whether
there viii be any departure in the
present case from the methods fol-
lowed in the introduction of circum
stantisl evidence sn the trials of Tirey
i Ford, but there have been persist
ent hints that some startling new tes-
timony viii be developed as the big
feature of the trial
The trend Of cross examination in
the case of all the supervisors who
have been called as witnesses has
made plain the fact that the defense
intends 10 argue that an overhead
trolley system was absolutely neces-
ssry after the fire in order 10 re-
establish service on the company's
lines within 2 reasonable time. This
fits in well with the theory. of which
so much has been made that the de-
fendsnt anG his associates were the
victims Of q holdup perpetrated by
the members of the Ruef-Sehmitz
board of supervisors. The hoidup
theory has been knocked in the head
through the medium OF testimony al
ready introduced by the prosecution,
and the effort TO show that the old
cable system could nave been put in
operation within as short a time as
a trolley system viii in all likelihood
follow.
NAMLOCN AND WILSON
Max Mamlock and Andrew NJ y ilsou
were the TWO former supervisors called
as witnesses yesterday. and probably
viii be the last examined. The story
of the division Of the bribery spofls
stands complete except that former
supervisor Rea may possibly be put
upon the stand. Rea did not receive
his share Of the trolley Doodle from
Gala gher direct. but from Abe Ruef
through the hands OF the latters sis
ter. Mrs Henrietta Sittenfeld- Heney
has announced that he viii put Mrs
Sitteufela upon the stand TO account
for the Rea payment, but il is possible
that Rea himself may be called TO
corroborate her testimony
Mamlock's examination by both the
prosecution and the defense was of
the most routine character. The wit
ness told the story of the promise and
payment TO him Of $4,000 for his vote
In favor of the overhead trolley per-
nit and was questioned along the
same lines that have been followed
with all the other witnesses.
$4,000 FOR HIS VOTE
wilson's direct testimony had an i'm
portant bearing on the case, for the
reason that II afforded a second con-
Meeting link between Ruef and the
other members Of the board, as Wilson
himself had several talks with Ruef
concerning bribery matters and cor
roborsted much Of Gallaghers testi-
mony in this respect After he had
talked several times with Ruef the lat
ter told him, he said, that he did not
care 10 discuss matters Of policy with
him for the reason that he talked
them over with Gala CHER and saw
no use ia going over the same ground
twice Wilson's testimony also differed
from that Of the other supervisors in
that he received $1,000 for his vote
IN the trolley matter instead of merely
$4,000.
stanley Moore replaced Earl Rogers
on the firing line for the defense when
the cross examination OF Wilson was
begun. and directed his principal at
tack TO the point that Wilson was in
dicted on three counts and his i'm
munity contract with the prosecution
was declared forfeited because he
changed his testimony IN the first Ford
trial materially from the testimony he
had previously given. Wilson was
forced to 90 through the long explana-
tion concerning the illness, which he
declares was responsible for his failure
10 reply correctly 10 questions put to
him on that occasion. Moore treated
MIN sarcs stically, and at times even
brutality, in addressing questions to
him. He was several times interrupted
BY the prosecuting attorneys, and was
soundly reprimanded by Judge LawIor
on one occasion for his impropriety.
SOUNDED THE MEMBERS
Gallagher asked me to sound mem
bers Of the board concerning the posi-
bility Of passing the trolley franchise,
and ! did So" testified Wilson Il re-
ported TO him that it could be passed
and he said there would be $4,000 or
more in ii for me. Gallagher later
paid me the money in two iastallments
He handed me the first 5000 in the
ruins OF the city hall and the second