Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-06-15
HISTORY OF FAMOUS
CALHOUN GRAFT TRIAL

three luSldklMoutS ny ,r-OEu, VIII pIc'
scented orders signed by Calhoun,
. 1t was alleged by the prosecution
that within a few days after each
of Ford's visits to the mint, he re-
ceived call from Ruef. Following
this assertion, James L. Gallagher,
chairman of the supervisors. testi'
fed that 1.uef had paid him over
$4,000 in July an equal amount in
the following month. Gallagher said
he had reained $15,IUO for himself,
had paid $4,000 to Andrew w. Will
son, one of his leutenants and had
given $4,000, to each of the super
visors. It was affirmed by the pros.
ecution that Ruef and Schmitz d.
vided the balance Of the fund, about
$115 900.
The specific Indictment upon which
Calhoun was tried was the offer of
bride of $4,000 to Supervisor Fred
P. Nicholas, to influence his action
upon the trolley permit. Nicholas
admitted acceptance of the money
for that purpose. - 80 -
, Since the trial began, many new
issues, more or less important, have
been presented for the jury's consi.
deratfon. .-.. 80.
In March, when the trial was
nearly two months old, warrants
were issued for the arrest of sew
eral men charged with stealing doc
uments from the office of William J.
Burns, special agent OF the district
attorneys Office. The list Of defend
ants, headed by M. M. Abbott and
Luther G.. Brown, included Rex. Ham
lin, secretary to Burns, and i, three
other of Burns assistants, who con-
fessed that they had given private
reports, letters and kilograms to
John H. Helms and the agents of
the .nited Railroads.
On Saturday and Sunday, March
26 and 81, the Offices of Abbott,
Brown, Calhoun and Mullaly were
raided by the police upon search
warrant secured by, Burns, who
professed to have information that
the men were in possession Of his
stolen papers. Safes and desks
were forcibly opened in the pres
ence of protesting attorneys and off,
Gals, and 1000 documents were
seized and delivered into the GUS
tody of the police Judge who granted
the warrant. Before the raiders had
completed their task, attorneys for
the United Railroads secured an in
junction forbidding further search.
Another order was secured to for
bid the police judge opening the
sealed packages, and after days Of
argument, Superior Judge F. J. Mu-
rasky took under advisement an ap-
plication for an order adjudging AS
sistant District. Attorney Ell. Heney
and two detectives, who participated
IN the raids, guilty of contempt Of
court. ~
No; end Of complication has been
created through the activity Of pri-
vate detectives, several of whom are
admitted to have been privately in
the employ of one side while secretly
furnishing information to tn other.
A fortnight was added to the
length Eof the proceedings by the
testimony of John III. Helms, once
n detective Of the United Railroads,
who was later secretly added to the
force Of Burns to obtain evidence Of
alleged illegal activity by United
Railroad agents. ~ ''54+' = -.
Helms testified he had paid Plat
and other Burns men to secure pa
pers and had turned them over to
Abbott. Prior to his appearance as
q witness, he charged, several at
tempt we're made to prevent his tes-
[tify1ng before the prosecutions.
Another Burns agent produced In
court sums aggregating $3.50, which
he alleged had been paid him by
Luther. G. Brown to betray secrets
of the district attorneys ONCE.
"A witness called during the trial
was Rudolph Spreckels, president of
/ the First National bank. who insti.
tuted the graft prosecution. It de-