Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-05-21
RUDOLPH SPRECKELS WIT
NESS IN NORTHERN COURT
ARGUMENT OF LAWYERS BRINGS
REBUKE FROM JUDGE
Detective Reviews Many of the
Charges He Preferred Against
President Calhoun of the
United Railways
CONTINUED from Page One,

/ Mr.. Heney declared the defense had
/ attacked the motives of Mr.. Spreck-
/ els; had attempted in every way to
discredit his testimony and had
charged him with completely in a con-
spiracy to convict the defendant and
acquire the United Railroads.
1T is a sad state of affairs, indeed"
he continued, IF this man, accused of
crimes which, if true, are far worse
than those committed by the defen-
dant, be not allowed to disprove the
vile insinuations of these attorneys.
1t would be enough in itself to dis
courage any other public spirited citi-
zen from going ahead with such a
work. however needful.'
Court Rebukes Lawyer
A. A. Moore of the defense COM
planned somewhat later that Judge
Lawlor had interrupted him in re-
view of evidence and charged that Mr..
Heney had misrepresented portions of
the testimony. For this he was re-
buked by Judge Lawlor, who said;
1.-The witness is entitled to fair ana
full explanation of his motives, which
have been attacked. This Is an effort
by the defense to prevent the people
spreading the truth before the jury
Let there be no more of 1t.
When the court had concluded Mr..
Spreckels. who had attempted several
times to speak, obtained PERMISSION TO
make an explanation and sala' -.
LAS far as I am concerned the oars
are down and they may ask anything
they please. I am perfectly wiling 10
let the people of the community Judge
of my motives. ....,o.oa tho
Did the fact that you opposeu tne
overhead trolley have anything TO 40
with your taking up these proseou-
tions?" asked Mr.. Heney. -.
Nothing whatever" SAID the VII
"Did you ever express a desire that
Puaf should have immunity II ne
would testify against Mr., Caihouh
why did you employ bodyguards
to attend Mr.. Heney? o.a
"Recause I noticed the sneers ana
insults offered him and other lleI.I
here of the prosecution in the court
rooyo and because l feared ne Woulu
he assa ssinated Mr.. Heney ala not
request me to hire them.
''Why did you engage in thls WoIh
of prosecution and spend THESE la 90
sums of money! IL, o,,af
had convinced me that there was cor
ruption in the city government anu
because 7 believed it my duty 10 wipe
ont that corruption and place the
cor,nunity on a better and cleaner
basis"
Attack on Testimony
This concluded Mr.. Heneys exam
nation and Mr.. Rogers was given uIeti
tor,7orrow to decide whether or not ne
,To,,Id again interrogate the witness.
THE cross examination of witness
I4elTns vas completed during the day'
Mr. Rogers attacking all the vital por-
tions OF his testimony, particulars
those relating to his conversations
with Mr.. Calhoun and Mr. Appotl.
Mr. Heney brought into the recoIu
the names of several men VINO are a.
legged to have interviewed Helms Pc
fore his arrival in this city 10 TESTIFY
ana +he prosecution admitted thal VII
Tesses would be called in an attempt
10 show that several attempts were
made to prevent Helms te4Ahg "Na'
he knew. ..,.,o &c bead
% a detective bureau last August, VII /
ness Helms, according to his own state
roen+ has been living on his ranch at
Rutb Tehama county. and came 10 inns
ci+v under escort of two agents OF the
district attorneys office several Gays
ago. 49,, A.. -,rosoo,,-
ton stated today that Helms teslll5onv
given yesterday was but an lntrouuC-
lion 10 most sensational revelations TO I
the graft prosecution. Helms testlhed
that he had been directly authorized
nv the president of the United Kall-
WAYS to follow William j. Burns, head
of the prosecutions secret service De
partment In addition he charged WI
liam NJ Abbott of the United Rallroaus
legal department made an arrangement
with e. A. Platt, then a Burns agent
whereby Plat, in consideration Of S2OO
per month, furnished the witness with
comics of many private and official pa
pers from Burns office,
Judge William P. Lawlor's court room
was filled to its seating capacity when
Helms resumed the stand today. AS
sistant District Attorney Francis j.
Henev asked the witness to relate the
arrangements made by him to SHADOW
Burns.
ecutor asked
II summoned him from the district |
attorneys office by telephone" said |
Helms, land we generally met in sa-
looms, where I paid him in money. |
Platt was known to Abbott and myself
as No 20
Payment by Railroad
II received $40 day and expenses
from the United Railroads. engaged
an automobile, for which l paid $1,000
a month, ana gave VOUCHERS " AoDott'
At first l had four men to man the
machine. had orders to follow Burns
day and night"
Helms testified that William M. Abb
bott told him that the prosecution was
trying to get Platt to go before the
grand Jury and that he wanted him
(Helms) to induce Platt to sign an af
fidavit to the effect that he (PlatD had
ceased to work for the United Rail-
roads before the Office of Burns became
officially attached to the district at
torney's office.
II saw Plat in a hotel at Twenty
fifth and Mission Streets" said Helms,
land he agreed to sign such an afti-
davit. Abbott had laid out the plan
of an affidavit for me to typewrite in
which Plat was to declare he had never
accepted money from the United Rail-
roads after the date in July specified.
PLAT signed the affidavit, but some
time later said the district attorneys
Office was going to bring him before the
jury and decided he must leave town.
Accordingly I accompanied him across
the bay and gave him 5000 which was
given me for that purpose. Platt went
to Willis, near my home In the noun
tains. The next day I met Platt's wife
at her fathers home and escorted her
as far as Uklah, where we met Platt.
went as far as Willis with them, and
then returned to San Francisco. Platt
and his wife reached Laytonville. where