The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-04-16
Jury FOR CALHOUN
FINALLY COMPLETE
Three Months of Work i'm Ex-
amining Talesmen Makes the
Case Unique.
OPENING STATEMENT
OF PROSECUTION MADE
Real Task of Trying Accused
President of United Rail
roads Now Begins.

SAN FRANCISCO, April l5.-Aftcr
three months spent In completing r
jury, the trial Of Patrick Calhoun,
president of the United Railroads, to-
day attained the stage where the TAX
ing OF testimony was commenced, and
when court adjourned for the day Fer
d1nand Nicholas. the former supervisor,
VINO is accused Of accepting a bribc
paid through Abraham Ruef. had been
ordered to answer the first vital ques.
!, non IN the case. The final acceptance
OF Michael Murphy, n retired police
sergeant, as thirteenth .;lror. prepared
fne way Tor Ict;ial Inauguration Of the
Ir1aI. and Assistant District Attorney
Francis j.. Heney, after outlining to
the jury the case he expects to prove,
gave way TO the first witness.
Although neither side expended its
fuil quota of peremptory challenges,
the case is already destined to occupy
place unique in the records of west
: ern criminal litigation, because of the
time. and effort expended in completing
the jury. To this task siXty-five court
days were devoted, and since January
II. when the trial was commenced over
2400 citizens have been summoned as
possible candidates FOR a place in the
box.
Statement Of Prosecution.
Mr.. Heney's statement to the Jury
was confined strictly 10 narration of
what the prosecution expected to prove,
and although the defense at one point
jntimated that he was attempting to
argue the issue. he was not interrupted
by. Judge Lawlor.
Mr., Heney statement contained lit
lie that has not previously developed
graft prosecution. He promised to prove
the passage of money to various super
visors through Abraham Ruef and
James J.. Gallagher. chairman of the
board, and from his written synopsis
of the statement, charged that agents
and officers of the United Railroads
had received and disburscd tho sum of
S200.000 as a blanket bribe for the pas
sage of an ordinance giving the cor
poration the right TO install the over
head trolley system on several Of its
lines operated by cable before the
earthquake and fire of April IS, 1906.
Plenty of Attorneys.
There was little more than the usual
stir in the courtroom when the taking
of testimony was commenced. When
the defendant returned for the after
noon session he was surrounded by SIX
attorneys. OF this number. Alexander
D hlngs OF Atlanta, Ia. and John j.
Barrett made their initial appearance
during the pending trial. A score of
women, who wore buttons showing men,
Abership in the Citizens League of Jus
tice, an organization formed after the
shooting of F. j. Heney last November,
occupied seats in the front row of spec
tators.
The prosecution scored the first
point wheu, after a lengthy wranglc
between the attorneys, tho court over
ruled the objection of the defense and
said that former Supervisor Nicholas
could be interrogated regarding couver.
sation about the ordinance with James
l.. Gallagher, who is alleged to have
paid the bribe money on behalf of Abe
Ruef. the latter, according to the the.
ory of the prosecution. having been au-
thorized by the officials of the United
Railroads.