The sun., 1909-06-22
The Calhoun Prosecution.

MI. ThANClS u. uENEr, VINO WaS en-
gagged by the District Attorney OF San
Francisco county to prosecute Presi-
dent PATRICK CALHOUN Of the United
Railroads for bribing Supervisor and
has failed to convict after trial lasting
five months, declares valiantly that he
will bring the defendant before the bar
again. Il will 60 ahead tomorrow il
necessary, says Mr.. HENEY with char
acteristic pugnacity. But public opin-
ion will hardly sustain him. Indeed,
it may be doubted whether a verdict
Of any kind could be obtained in the
case, even II the prosecutor offered new
evidence and scandal piled on scandal
We question whether it would be possi-
bic to fill the jury box again.
Mr.. HENEY entered upon the prose-
cution of PATRICK CALHOUN a hero In
the cause Of reform, for an attempt had
been made upon his life in the trial OF
ABRAHAM RUEr, the notorious go-be-
tween and oorruptionist, whose oonvic-
ton soon followed the shooting OF the
prosecutor by rejected juror. Tho
case dragged along for more than three
months before q jury was obtained.
This was tho first shock to public con-
fdence, and interest In the prooeedinss
naturally waned. Then came the charge
that important documents procured by
WILLIAM j. BURNS, the chief Of the
prosecutors detectives, had bean stolen
from his office. Warrants were issued
for the arrest Of several men suspected;
among them were four of BUANs's
assistants. who confessed that they had
given private reports, letters and tele-
grams to the other side. With search
warrant BURNS broke into the Offices OF
counsel for the defence, and forcibly
opening decks and safes seized papers
which he claimed. This proceeding waa
regarded as high handed even by ad-
mirers Of Mr.. HENEY, and a police
Judge intsrvened to forbid the opening
OF packages taken from the possession
OF the defendants lawyers.
The case seemed to be degeneratine
into a tug Of war over the evidence
when a charge still moro startling wa
made, that the reform fervor Of Mr..
RUDOLPH SPREcKELs was colored by
personal interest as q rival promoter
to President CALHOUN, and that Mr.,
HEYEY, the prosecutor. had been in
receipt Of large sums Of money to make
out a case against CALHOUN. An ex-
planation satisfactory TO the partisans
OF Mr.. HENEY and to the friends OF Mr.
SPBEcKELs was forthcoming, but pub
lie confidence in the genuineness OF the
reform movement had received another
rude shock. As the trial went on there
was less and less faith in the honesty OF
the witnesses called. 1t looked as II the
prosecution was bound to make out q
case; while, on the other hand, the fight
OF the defence was one OF desperation
its methods had been under suspicion
from the first. Finally Mr.. HENEY hurt
his case by closing address as theatri.
cal as it was virulent So violent q
diatribe is seldom heard in court Of
justice.
We do not know what the true factt
OF this remarkable criminal litigation
are--from the evidence as reported nc
one could form a satisfactory conclu.
sion; but it is clear that it has divided
San Francisco into hostile camps, thai
there has been a great deal Of perjury
that the prosecution has some OF thu
aspects OF a persecution, that the peo.
pie have no more faith in the professions
OF the Spreckels faction than in The
disinterestedness Of the Calhoun party
and that II Mr.. HENEY began with tht
purest zeal he is ending with a rathe,
ferocious desire to distinguish himself
by personal triumph. The community
seems TO have wearied OF the whole
sordid and sensational business.