The San Francisco call., 1909-04-06
HIRED ATTORNEY
TO Defend BLAKE
Newburgh and Murphy, Ruef's
Lawyers, Sought to Save
jury Fixer From Prison
Damaging Evidence Brought to
Light by Effective Work OF
District Attorney LangdOn

Deeper inquiry into the mysterious
hiring of William H. Schooler, the at
torney who assisted in the defense OF
E. A. S. Blake, the convicted jury
briber before he turned states witness,
was conducted yesterday by District
Attorney Langdon at the trial OF
Adolph S. Newburgh before Judge Con-
ley.
AS a result of this extended investi-
cation Schooler testified that Murphy
and Newburgh retained him to defend
Blake: but that occurred before Blake
confessed and while Murphy and New
burgh were feting the states chief
witness
Since his confession and the supse-
quent trials of Murphy and Newburgh
the two attorneys have made numer-
Gus attempts to clear their skirts OF
Blake and have referred to him as
perjurer and "conscienceless crook.
WHY HE WENT TO BLAKE
Why did you go to see Blake at the
city prison?" asked Langdon OF
Schooler. but an objection made py
Schlesinger prevented an answer. Re-
framing the question in order to con-
form with the courts ruling, Lang
don compelled the witness to answer,
and for the first time he declared that
he had been directed to interview Blake
by Murphy and Newburgh and that ne
was acting in their behalf because OF
close friendship. In some respects
Schooler's testimony differed from that
given at previous trials and his memory
was refreshed by the district attorney.
With his neck swathed in bandages
and generally showing the effects of
weeks serious illness, E. A. ). Blake
was called to the stand in the morning
and for two hours testified as to the
offer that he made to- John Martin
Kelly, the prospective juror in the Ruef
case. He gave the same testimony
that was adduced in former trials.
which was very damaging to New
burgh.
BLAKE Is A SICK MAN
In the afternoon Blake did not put in
an appearance, as his condition had
taken a turn for the worse. During
the morning session, the defense at
torneys requested that Blake be asked
whether he was in a fit condition to
undergo examination He declared that
he would do his best, and the court
ordered that the examination proceed.
Blake withstood the direct examination
without any noticeable difficulty.
Roy j. Kelly added an important bit
of evidence to the prosecutions mass
of discriminating circumstances. Kelly
is a special agent of the district attor-
ney's Office and was detailed to watch
the movements of Blake, Newburgh
and Murphy while Special Agent Burns
was making an investigation.
He told of how the three men came
together at frequent intervals. He
had seen Blake and others enter the
Office of Henry Ach. in the Kohl build
ing, and had overheard bits of con-
versation between the principals in the
jury bribery matter, all of which he
stated to the jury yesterday.
SENSATION FALLS FLAT
The defense discovered during the
day that John Martin Kelly had been
employed by District Attorney Langdon
for special work, and Schlesinger at
tempted to spring a sensat ton during
the afternoon, but the effort failed dis
mally- The defense attorneys init
mated that because of his employment
by the district attorney. Kelly would
alter his testimony to suit the occasion.
The imputation was Indignantly de-
MED by District Attorney Langdon. who
asked the defense attorneys whether a
detective employed on important city
work should be placarded and his occu-
patton advertised so that the big crooks
might know him.