The San Francisco call., 1909-05-06
NEW EVIDENCE
MAKES CALHOUN
LAWYERS JUMP
Former Supervisor Wilson Tells
of Conference With Ruef at
Time Nicholas Complained
Testimony of Witness Causes
the Attorneys for Defense
Great Uneasiness
By w. RUSSELL COLE

New testimony, connecting Abe Ruef
directly with the former board of SUI
pervisors in connection with the
United Railroads trolley deal, was the
feature Of the cross examination of
former Supervisor Andrew NJ. Wilson
yesterday in the Calhoun case. Wilson
told for the first time of a meeting
with Ruef in house which the former
boss had rented for the purpose OF
holding caucuses with the other mem
bers of the board, and by so doing
caused slight furore in the ranks of
the defense.
SARCASM AND INSULT
Stanley Moore attacked Wilson yes
terday morning without mercy
Was the trolley permit ever dis
cussed at any Of these meetings held
in the house of which you spoke"
asked Stanley Moore.
1T was the basis of one conversa-
tion at which Ruef was present" an
swered Wilson. Nicholas was there
at the time and told Ruef he had heard
that an inside combination was being
formed on the board and asked Ruef
if all the members were not to be
treated the same. Ruef told him that
there would be no inside combinations
and that he would personally see to it
that all the members of the board were
treated alike"
Moore asked the witness why he had
never mentioned this conversation in
his testimony at any former trial, and
continued to dwell upon this line of in
quiry until Heney stated that it was
new to the prosecution as well as to
the defense.
Isn't it a fact that you made this
story out of whole cloth, with the in
tention of currying favor with the
prosecution and escaping punishment
on the indictments which have been
brought against you?" asked Moore.
WILSON MAKES SPIRITED REPLY
Wilson answered by half rising from
his seat and shaking his finger at his
interrogator:
IF you could establish such charge
with the prosecution 1 wouldn't be
here now was his response. L don't
think the members of the prosecution
are that kind of men. l believe that I
would be prosecuted just as quickly
for lying in favor of the prosecution
as I would for lying in favor of a de-
fendant.
O'Gara took up the same line of in
quiry on redirect examination, asking
the witness what his own understand
ing was regarding 'the reason for his
Indictment
L believed that the prosecution was
doing its duty" was the answer 1T
was protecting the public. l remem-
Der that Mr.. Heney told me before the
first Ford trial that it was a painful
duty to cut out cancer, but that it
sometimes had TO be done just the
same. 1t was my own fault I contra
dicted myself in giving testimony and
the prosecution found fit to indict me"
Wilson declared that the reason he
did not expect that the indictments
would be pressed against him was that
he had told the truth to the prosecution
and hought it would be understood that
he was laboring under the results of a
severe illness when he testified in the
Ford trial.
MONEY FROM THE MINT
Wilson was the last member of the
old board of supervisors called TO the
witness stand. The rest of the day was
taken up with the examination of wit
nesses who testified concerning the
actual payment of the United Railroads
trolley bribe to Tirey L. Ford William
K. Cole, former cashier of the branch
United States mint corroborated testi-
mony formerly given regarding the
payment OF the SzDO,UOO poodle fund TO
Ford. Eugene Hawkins, chief clerk of
the mint, also told of the payment Of
this money to Ford and described the
making up of the packages of currency
which the general counsel of the United
Railroads carried away with him.
H n. StorrS, book keeper of the Cali
fornia safe deposit and trust company
identified Wilson's deposit checks at the
bank where he deposited the bulk of
his share of the bribe fund. William
NJ. Abbott, member of Calhoun's own
counsel. was the last witness called
He admitted having prepared the troll
ley permit which was passed by the
board of supervisors and told of turn
ing it over to Abe Ruef. He also de-
scribed how he and Ford visited the
mint to secure payment of the money
sent from the east on Calhouns order
and how they carried IT to Ford's office
in the Oak and Broderick streets car
barn.
Abbott was still on the stand under
direct examination when adjournment
was taken yesterday afternoon, and the
inquiry directed to him by the prosecu-
ton will be resumed this morning.