The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-04-17
BOOD[ER FORCED TO
CONFESS ON STAND
HumiIiating Ordeal of Man Who
Took Brides From Patrick
Calhoun.
DEFENSE NOT GENTLE
IN PROBING DETAILS
Chief Witness for Prosecution
Admits Committing Perjury,
but Expected Immunity.

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, April 7G-
Submitting with sullen resignation to an
ordeal that appears more disagree eaDle
with each repetition, Ferdinand p.
Nicholas, first of the procession of for
mer supervisors who composed the
"boodliRg board of the Schmitz adj
minlstration. gave TO the jury today his
account of the transaction in which he
is alleged TO have accepted $4,000 offered
by Patrick Calhoun, president OF the
United Railroads, as 4 bribc for per.
nit TO erect the overhead trolley on
certain cable lines owned by the cor.
poration. Throughout n long and tcdi-
Gus day, Nicholas occupied the stand,
passing from the interrogations of the
prosecution TO the less tender question.
ing Of the defense, with the people
again directing the examination when
the trial was adjourned to next Monday
Extended Inquiry.
Assistant District Attorney Francis
j. lIeney conducted the examination.
disclosing The relations of Nicholas
with James l.. Gallagher who accord
ing TO the testimony, paid bm $4,000
in two equal instalmcnts as a bribe for
his vote upon the trolley permit. Mr..
Heney, departing from the precedent
established In former cases, confined
his lnterrogations to the trolley case,
but when Nicholas was turned over to
Earl Rogers of the Calhoun staff for
cross. examination, the inquiry was en-
larged 10 include the allegations re-
gardinG TO payment of bribes by the
gas company. the prize fight trust. the
Home and Pacific States Telephone
companies and tho Parkside Realty
company.
Time and again Mr.. Rogers forced
Nicholas to admit that he knew he was
receiving a bribo when he took the
money from Gallagher; that he would
have voted for the trolley without any
underhand consideration If he had been
left to the dictates of his own con-
science and that lie confidently expected
to escape. the legal consequences of any
of the crimes he had contested
Perjury Confessed.
Mr.. Rogers drew from tho witness. the
open and definite admission that he
was guilty of bribery on two counts,
and that he had committed perjury.
Mr.. Rogers went far into the matter
of immunity granted the former super
visors, and Nicholas, after many evasivo
replies, said that his understanding of
the agreement was ''that Rudolph
Spreckels was handling tho matter of
immunity adding that he had once
interviewed Mr.. Spreckels after being
given Gallagher's assurance that the
contract would apply TO all members Of
the board who confessed.
Nicholas tried 10 give an account of
what he had done with the Sl3.125 he
admitted having received in all the
deals while member of the board.
but was unable TO account for more
than $4,000.
Clashes Of Attorneys.
Half dozen times during the day
the opposing attorneys engaged in long
wranglcs over points Of law, and upon
these occasions Alexander $. King of
Georgia and A, \. Moore of the de-
fense alternated IN presenting their side
of the issues TO the court,
Judge William Z. Lawlor once warned
A. A. Moore that he must refrain from
asking any questions that appeared in
sulting; but upon the whole the session
was orderly by comparison with the
opening Of preceding trials.
Mr.. Heney created something of n
stir by addressing the court at the end
of the day and declaring that he had
been advised by his physician not To en-
gage in the trial. He registered an
objection TO prolonged sessions Of court
and Judge Lawlor stated that it was
not his present intention 10 sit beyond
the usual hour.
Mr.. Ueney was attended during tho
day by two bodvguards. and the squad
of police on duty at Carpenter S hall
was increased by six officers in plain
clothes, who were seated among the at.
torneys and the spectators.