The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-05-24
SIXTH MONTH OF
CALHOUN TRIAL
Series of Sensations to Be Fol-
lowed by More Startling
Testimony.
PLOTS AND COUNTER PLOTS
RECORD READS LIKE AN OLD
TIME DETECTIVE STORY.

San Francisco. May 23-Revelations o
| alleged conspirscies in the San Francisco
bribery-grsft cases, plots and counter
plots. double-deaIing and "diamond-cut
diamond methods of opposing detectives
! in the obtaining of evidence that reaC
/ Ike page from "Old Sleuth' or "Nici
/ Carter accusations of perjury by st
| torneys for the defense. counter-charge!
! that efforts were made to bride wit
] nesses, reference to the dynamiting OF
| the home of the prosecutions star wit
/ ness and dramatic situations when hall
a dozen belligerent lawyers were on theil
| feet at the same time, and spectators
/ held their breath with expectancy, which
! formed a sensational chapter last week
/ in the trial of Patrick Calhoun. president
/ Of the United Railroads, charged Will
/ bribery, give promise of still further SEN
/ satiOns when the case Is resumed to-
morrow
Record Criminal Trial.
The trial. which is nearing the sixth
month Of its progress, has been productive
| OF more sensational testimony than any
| OF the bribery-graft cases tried since the
expose Of municipal corruption in San
Francisco in the fall of 1906, and prom
ises to become the longest criminal trial
| In the west. perhaps the longest ever held
in the United States. With practically
unlimited financial backing behind the
prosecution and defense the case has
been bitterly fought. not only since Janu-
airy y, the date when the work of i'm
paneling jury began, but. according to
testimony given last week, detectives for
the two sides began to match wits in
preparation as far back as the spring of
1897, when John Helms. the former
United States secret service agent. so he
declared, under direction of the defend
ant, organized a flying squadron of
detectives on motorcycles to shadow VIII
liam J. Burns, head of the secret service
forces Of the prosecution.
important Decision Today.
When the trial is resumed tomorrow.
Judge William e. Lawlor will be called
upon to decide whether or not he has
authority in defiance of two restraining
orders Of other courts of similar juris-
diction, to break the seals on a package
alleged to contain documents stolen from
Burns office and found in the safe Of
William Abbott, general attorney for the
United Railroads in a raid under a search
warrant in the legal offices of the street
railway corporation.
These documents. it is alleged by the
prosecution, were given by one of Burns
agents, who had access to them, and who,
according to Helms testimony, was iii the
pay of the United Railroads, to Helms,
who said he turned them over to Alb
bolt.
Helms to Tell Story.
Helms who, according to his own tes-
and for a time was receiving 500 q
month from the United Railroads and SO
a day and expenses from the prosecution,
will be recalled to the stand to identify
the documents, should Judge Lawlor hold
that he can lawfully disregard the enjoin-
ing orders of two other superior judges,
and place the papers in evidence. Helms
will be followed by other detectives. who
he testified, were present when efforts
we're made to dissuade him from appear
ing as a witness in the case for the
prosecution. Foundation also was laid by
Francis J. Heney. the prose utor. to make
inquiry into the dynamiting last spring
of the home of James L. Gallagher the
star witness for the prosecution in all
the bribery graft cases.
With the new turn in the case il is
doubtful whether argument will be
reached before some time next week, even
if the defense should not offer any evil
dence.
So crowded has been the court room the
past week that the six biuecOats and
dozen detectives and bodyguards on duty
will be increased by still stronger de
tail of police in uniforms and plain
clothes.