The San Francisco call., 1909-02-25
PRIMANDS WOMAN !.
WITH HAzY MEMORY.
Prosecutor Cook Threatens to
Impeach Stenographer in
Bullock Trial

REDWOOD CITY. Feb. 94.-The elu-
sive memory of young woman stenog-
rapher while on the witness stand.
which brought the prosecxor to his
feet with a threat to imPeach her.
and the testimony OF the county clerk
who told of being requested TO fl;
up" the minutes OF a supervisors meet
ing to cover up the irregular letting OF
a contract, We're the features OF the
second day of tha trial II District At
torney ]. j. Bullock for malfeasance In
office.
All of the direct testimony that will
be offered by the Gefense and prosecu-
ton was submitted tcday. Although
the attorneys on both sides admitted
that their addresses will not take a
great deal of time. testimony in rebuilt
tai will be introduced that win pro-
long the trial
wOMAN's HAzY MEMORY
Miss Annie ellis, symphony in
brown. from hat to ties was the first
witness TO be called by William HOff
Cook. prosecuting attorney. AS stem
ographer for Bullock Miss Gillis was
asked TO identify the contract on which
the accusation was based and which
was drawn up in Bullock's Office. Miss
ellis testified that she had destroyed
her shorthand notes relating 10 the
contract, but her memory as to when
where and how they passed out OF ex-
istence was hazy.
County Clerk Joseph III. Nash. the
star witness of the day. was called and
spent three hours on the stand under
hot fire of questions. Nash identified
he original contract awarded to the
.OBrien construction company Septem-
Der 3, 1907. The minutes of the board
of supervisors for the meeting of May
II, 1SOS,. Were submitted in evidence
to show that changes offered for con-
sideration in the plans by Architect
Allen were disapproved.
WANTED MINUTES "FIxED UP.
Nash identified portion of the con-
tract as being in Bullock's handwrit-
ing. and also identified the signatures
of j. ]. O'Brien and ]. II. Coleman at
tached thereto, further saying that he
trst saw the contract some time in
the early part of December when 1T
was in the possession of his deputy.
AL Lowe.
Bullock later asked me to keep 1t
quiet and file IT back-as having taken
place In September, and fix mp the mIn-
utes accordingly. L told him that
would not be safe, and the grand jury
was In session, but said he would fix
that all right. testified Nash.
In a conference with Chairman Cole
man at San Mateo that supervisor Of
fered the suggestion to the county
clerk that Bullock got us into this
scrape, now let him get us out"
Along this line Bullock offered the
suggestion: I'll be in the grand jury
room and coach you along. All you
will have to do will be to swear that
you failed to put the contract in your
minutes" to which suggestion the
county clerk refused
NOT PROMPTED BY ANIMosTTY
Linforth attempted by a lengthy
cross examination to show that Nash
was actuated by strong animosity
against Bullock. but the strongest ad-
mission that the county clerk would
make was that he strongly disap-
proved of Bullocks public acts.
The defense then attempted to show,
through the testimony of the county
clerk. that a motion had been put at
the September meeting by Debenedetti
to have the contract carried, and intro
ducd the rough minutes for this pur-
pose, which showed that an action
along, those lines had been thought of,
but later had been dropped.
Former Supervisor MacBain, desig-
mated as Honest John the only MEM
Der of the old board not under aceu-
sation, stated that he had never voted
for the S2,991 contract at a meeting of
the supervisors, although a conference
had been held on the subject by the
supervisors at San Mateo and he had
agreed to the contract on condition
that Architect Allen should not have
charge of the work. Il thought he
was no good, and still think So" said
the witness In concluding
THREATENS TO IMPEACH WOMAN
Miss Gillis was again called to the
stand, but her memory concerning i'm
portant events proved so elusive that
Cook threatened to impeach her.
Miss Gillis said that when she took
the secret contract to the clerks of
fee she delivered a number of other
papers, and in handing them to Dep
uty Clerk Lowe asked that one of
them be not fled, but she was unable to
testify as to which paper it was.
Directly afterward Lowe was called
to the stand and testified that the Sc
cret contract was the paper which Miss
ellis said Bullock wished held back
from the files until he had seen Nash.
II remember this because previous to
the time that Mr.. Nash went TO the
hospital he told me to be very careful
regarding all courthouse contracts, as
he was afraid there was something
doing" said Lowe
p. H. McEvoy, present chairman of
the board, occupied the stand for a
few moments, but his testimony was
unimportant, and an adjournment was
taken to Thursday, when defense and
prosecution will commence their jury
addresses.