Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-13
PAT CALHOUN'S
TRIAL IS BEGUN
HENEY AND MOORE REVEAL
MUCH BITTERNESS
San Franciscans Show Lively Interest
in Proceedings-Five TaIesmen
Examined-Many Try
to Escape
IBy Associated Press.l

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 12.-Patrick
Calhoun, widely known as an
eastern fnancier before he sue
ceeded to the presidency of the United
Railroads, went to trial today upon the
first of seventeen indictments charging
him with the bribery of supervisors
who awarded to the corporation a per-
nit for an overhead trolley.
Unusual interest attended the
opening session of the trial, due in
part to the defendants prominence as
head of the street railway system, and
in part to the wide publicity given the
charges, which were formally entered
in the records of the court more than
year and a half ago.
The greater part Of the first day
was devoted to the examination of
$50 citizens summoned on the first panel
of talesmen.
Judge William p. Lawlor, who pre-
sides over the trial, disregarded the
custom providing for a noon recess,
and from 10 o'clock this morning until
o'clock this afternoon proceeded with
his personal examination of the pros
pective jurors.
AS a result, but forty-eight Of the
entire number survived to run the
gauntlet of examination hv ti-a
opposing attorneys.
During the period of two hours pre-
ceding the end of the days work, four
out of the five men who sat in the
jury box admitted having opinions as
to Calhoun's guilt or innocence that
could not be removed by testimony and
were excused after challenges for
cause. The questioning of the fifth will
proceed tomorrow.
Bitterness Apparent
The bitterness manifested in the year
and a half on previous trials famed
up on two occasions today, and there
were sharp verbal exchanges between
Assistant District Attorney Francis J..
Haney and A. A. Moore, who heads the
staff of five attorneys conducting the
defense.
The first was within ten minutes Of
the time when the examination of the
first talesman was begun.
Mr.. Heney objected to the form of
one of Mr.. Moore's questions having to
do with the reception accorded to the
prosecutor upon his return from the
east last night, and the alteration that
ensued quickly became personal in its
tenor
Mr.. Moore had asked the talesmen
the following question:
Did you ever hear Mr.. Heney in the
course Of speech say that he would
throw Mr.. Calhoun and tie him like a
Spanish cow?"
NO" was the reply.
Did you hear Mr.. Heney state at the
ferry last night that he was still strong
enough to send all the higher-ups to
jail?"
To this question the assistant dis
trict attorney made instant objection,
and when Mr.. Moore stated that he had
read the account of such a remark
in one of the papers Mr.. Heney said:
Heney's Distinction
eyes, 1 suppose that is as near as
you can get to it. Sending grafters to
jail and sending to Jail all those who
may be denominated as higher-ups are
to my mind two distinct things"
The discussion was closed by Judge
LawlOr who ordered that hereafter.
when newspapers were in question, the
exact language of publication must be
quoted in framing questions addressed
to jurors.
During the third examination of the
third talesman Mr.. Heney, interrupting
the answer, said to Mr.. Moore: rs 1t
your experience that jurors return a
verdict to oblige a friend?"
Are you addressing that question TO
me or the court?" asked the attorney
for the defense.
'The question is addressed to you,"
said Mr.. Heney, and Mr.. Moore, turn
ing to Judge LawlOr, remarked: .
This case is very young, but if it is
to degenerate into series of bicker-
ings between the attorneys 1 must ask
that the court interfere now
Mr.. Heney replied that he would well
come the interference of the court
whenever the remarks of opposing
counsel addressed to the jury became
improper, and Judge Lawlor directed
that the examination proceed.
They were carried down list of over
twenty individuals more or less directly
associated with the prosecution and its
officers; they were asked as to their
affiliatiOn with the League of Justice
and the Good Government league; as to
their political choice in the various
elections wherein District Attorney w
H. Langdon has been a candidate; as
to the newspapers for which they sub
scribed; as to their affiliation with labor
unions and their attitude in the street
car mems strikes which have occurre.
within the last few years. and as to t
extent of their discussion of I.4e
bribery-graft cases.
In the showing today it was evident
that many citizens were anxious to
escape service as jurors in what PROM
iSes to be a lengthy trial, and it was
admitted that no estimate of the period
necessary to complete the Jury could be