Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-05-22
[By Associated Press. J

- journment of court tonight ended
~ the most important week in the
long drawn out trial of Patrick Cal
houn, president OF the United Rail
roads, now we'll in the fifth month of
proceedings.
Judge and jury, attorneys and prin-
cipals, indicated their relief at tenn
porary escape from the strain of the
past few days, when every step for
ward has been characterized by sklr-
mishes, legal and personal, that hourly
increased in bitterness.
Tempers on both sides were worked
To thin edges while Rudolph SpreckeIS
and John Helms alternated on the wit
ness stand today, and it was evident
from the intense interest displayed by
rival counsel that crisis in the case
has been reached but not passed.
Interest was sustained until a late
hour in the afternoon, when Assistant
District Attorney Heney. ignoring two
restraining orders issued by court
of similar Jurisdiction, announced that
he would ask Judge Lawlors permis-
sion to open sealed packages seized in
the raids upon the office of William M.
Abbott and alleged to contain docu-
ments stolen from the office of William
]. Burns.
Adjournment Deferred
Argument on this issue was deferred
until Monday, when the prosecution,
according to announcement made to-
day, will attempt to support the
charges made by Detective Helms
against Mr.. Abbott, under whose direc-
ton he claims to have operated.
one of the lines of probable inquiry
was indicated today when Helms, who
for several months was in the en-
ploy of both sides at the same time,
after testifying that he knew Luther
Brown, former partner of Earl Rogers,
said:
"Abbott and Brown met me at the
steamer landing on the day I left the
city. after quitting the service of the
United Railroads Abbott asked me
what knew about the dynamiting."
e"What dynamiting?" inquired Mr..
Heney.
"The dynamiting of Gallaghers
home" said the witness.
The defense objected to this line of
inquiry and it was not pursued further.
Another opening wedge was inserted
when Helms declared that several eff
forts had been made to prevent his ap-
pearance as a witness in the Calhoun
trial.
Mention was made of two men who
went to his home in Trinity county
several Weeks dSo. ana I1eIlnS tUd1Reu
that since his arrival in this city plot
had been laid in the office of w. H.
Metzen, a prominent attorney of this
city, to trap him in a conversation over
the telephone.
Phonograph Records 1t
The testimony followed an inquiry
by Mr.. Rogers, who asked the witness
if he knew that a photograph had been
attached to the telephone while he was
speaking from the other end of the
line
1t was while Helms was on the stand
that the most dramatic Outburst of the
day occurred. Helms charged Abbott
had once expressed to him a wish that
"some one ought to shoot Heney," and
that Stanley Moore had congratulated
him on his performance in following
Burns.
Usually deliberate in his manner,
Stanley Moore arose in his place at the
counsel table, and in a voice trembling
with passion, told Helms that he "was
lying like a dog" and perjuring him
self
The face of the witness paled at the
insult and he stepped in front of Judge
Lawlor, with his arm extended in a
threatening gesture, as he defied the
young attorney to make good his
charge
CnArleS w. tODD, law partner OIL MT.
Heney. who was credited with a pay
ment of $4,000 by Rudolph Spreckes
for services in the prosecution, was the
third witness of the day
Heney's Evident Object
Mr.. Heney's purpose, evident from
the questions and replies, was to sup
port his claims that he had engaged
In the work of the prosecution without
compensation and at great personal
sacrifice.
The inquiry had not proceeded far
when Alexander King of Georgia OBJ
iected on the ground that it served no
purpose save the laudation of the in
terrogator.
The court permitted Mr. Heney to
continue, however, and Mr. Cobb said
he knew that his associate had thrown
up his representation of the govern
ment in the Hyde Benson land fraud
cases. and the Binger Hermann case,
and that he had refused President
Roosevelt's offer to direct the prosecu-
ton of Senator Borah of Idaho.
Mr. Cobb affirmed that Mr.. Heney
had lost his law practice since enter
ing upon his duties as a municipal
prosecutor.
The remainder of the day was de-
voted to loose ends of the prosecutions
case, including the reading to the jury
of a report recommending the under
around conduit system of a electric
railway as compared with their opera
tion by the overhead trolley.