The San Francisco call., 1909-03-11
CALHOUN NOW
GETS CITIZENS
ALLIANCE AID
Evidence Unearthed in Court
Points to Deal With Anti
Union Order
Former Members, Drawn for
Jury Duty, Get Anonymous
Missives by Mail
By w. Russell Cole

Fresh disclosures made yesterday IN
the trial OF the Calhoun case concern
ing renewed efforts that are being
used outside the courtroom to preju-
dice the minds OF possible jurors in
favor Of the defendant brought in their
train a somewhat startling result.
They opened the way for suspicion,
which investigation practically con-
hrmed. that the president OF the United
Railroads has made use of the senti-
ment aroused by his recent battle with
the Garments union to effect combina-
ton of interests with the Citizens al
lance.
This time, if the drift of circum-
stantial evidence is to be relied upon.
the anti-union organization of some
what noisome fame and unpleasant
record has not offered itself to labor
fight, but to the furtherance of Cal
houn's personal cause in endeavoring
to escape conviction on felony charge.
That the Citizens alliance has pledged
itself to Calhoun and begun an active,
though secret, campaign in his behalf
was made evident by the exposure of
a second instance of the existence of
an active outside influence
GETS ANONYMOUS LETTER
Charles z. Benedict. one of the tales
men called for examination, told OF
having received last Thursday from
an anonymous source an envelope con-
tanning a marked copy of a page of
the Globe on which were printed sew
eral articles having a direct bearing
on the Calhoun trial. Incidentally the
talesman made the statement that he
was formerly a member of the Citizens
alliance, but had never attended its
meetings and had later dropped his
membership. The subject was not pur-
sued at any length, but Heney
dropped broad hint when he asked
Benedict If it would make any diff
ference TO him as a juror in the event
that ii should become apparent that
the Citizens alliance was taking an
active interest In the defendants be-
half
That this very thing is actually the
case was developed before the day was
over Benedict was the second tales
man who has testified within the last
three days that such means of fnfu-
encing him had been attempted Daniel
J. Barr of 378 Oak street. who was
called on the jury venire examined
Monday, also told the court OF hav
ing received an envelope with similar
contents and exhibited the marked
page TO Judge Lawlor. In both in
stances the pages exhibited were heay
ily blue penciled to call attention to
editorial articles derogatory to the
prosecution and highly euIogistic of
the defendant. and were slammed in
manner to call attention to both
sides Of the sheet
II was only after Benedict made his
statement yesterday that the prosecu-
/ tion learned of two other men r-bo
nave not been summoned as jurors. bv
whom Identical communications have
been received. Each Of these men was
at one time a member of the Citizens
4 alliance, and each of them mentioned
/ this fact IN reporting the receipt of
the marked papers. 1t was surmised at
once that the connection with the Citi-
Zens alliance was more than a cofnct-
dence, and the suspicion was borne ont
when inquiry developed that Barr. too
had at one time enrolled as a member
OF the organization.
EVIDENCE SHOWS AGREEMENT
Thus circumstantial evidence points
! beyond any doubt to the fact that the
membership rolls of the Citizens AL
lance nave either been turned over to
Calhoun. for any use to which he and
his advisers may see fit to put them.
or that the management of the Cfti-
zens alliance has undertaken the task
of doing certain work for him. The
exposure of this connection between
| the defendant and the antf-union or
4 ganization recalls the recent visit Of
I Captain McKinery. manager of the Citi
zens alliance, to Judge Lawlor's court
room. Mckinney was suspected Of
being armed on that occasion, and his
suspicious actions caused him TO he
taken into the hallway of the building
and searched.
Charles L. Benedict, who was the
last talesman to exploit the cainnaien
Of outside influence, said that he had
read OF the Barr incident, which hap
pened Monday, recognized the clipping
which he had received as another OF
1 the same kind and paid no attention
4 to it. Benedict's examination was be-
gun Tuesday afternoon and lasted un-
! til almost the epd of the morning ses-
sion Of court yesterday He told of
certain political affiliations with John
DAILY in the thirty-fifth district and of
a number of conventions he had at
tended at which Frank French always
cast his vote for him.
Benedict declared that he had been
! strongly in sympathy with Calhoun
during the carmen's strike, and that
as result of this feeling might be
inclined to give him "a little the best
of it" in the consideration of evidence
If he was accepted as a Juror. The
prosecution challenged Benedict, but
the challenge was resisted by Earl
Rogers of the defense on the ground
that the sympathy expressed related
| only to the car strike. O'Gara called
attention to the fact that the prosecu-
| ton had always acquiesced in a chaI-
lenge interposed by the defense on the
ground that a talesman was a union
| sympathizer and suggested that the
rule should apply both ways. Rogers
persisted, however. until the challenge
was allowed by Judge Lawlor over his
! objection.
TWENTY TALESMEN EXAMINED
Twenty talesmen in all were exam
ined yesterday, but the trial went back
TO its old tediousness, and none was
4 passed to fill any of the vacancies ex-
listing in the jury box. A new special
/ venire of SO was examined at the
morning session and another venire OF
the same size was ordered for FRIDAY
morning The half dozen jurors al
ready sworn and under the custody
of deputy sheriffs at the st. Francis