The San Francisco call., 1909-02-18
20 TALESMEN
DISQUALIFIED IN
CALHOUN TRIAL
Many Are Excused for Having
Fixed Opinions Regarding
Bribery Charges
Examination of Score of Venire-
men Fails to Increase Num=
Der in the Jury Box
Courtroom Unusually Crowded,
but Sessions Prove Tech-
nicaI and Dull
By w. Russell Cole

=. Twenty taIesmen We're put through
the grind Of examination in the Cal
houn trial yesterday, but there were
no additions 10 the list of prospective
jurors passed subject to challenge. Aft
er the two days Of skirmishing. which
reduced the number in the box to 10,
the trial quickly fell back into state
Of apathy and the sessions yesterday
were productive neither Of results nor
excitement.
The early hours OF the morning ses-
sion were given over to the preliminary
examination by the court of the so
members Of the twelfth special jury
venire, but excuses were plentiful, and
only Is Of those on the panel were re-
tained for examination by the attor-
neys. The courtroom was unusually
crowded. but If a renewal Of hostilities
was expected the throng was disap-
pointed. Superior Judge John L. Childs
OF Del Norte county was a courtroom
visitor during the afternoon, occupying
a chair by the side of Judge Lawlor
en- the bench.
COFFEY VERDICT NO SURPRISE
There was little stir during the morn
ing. even when news of the convic-
ton of former Supervisor Mike Coney
on a charge Of accepting a bribe in the
trolley case was whispered to the at
torneys. Assistant District Attorneys
Haney and O'Gara had been confident
Of the outcome Of the Cofey trial
and merely smiled when they were told
Of the decision, while Calhoun's at
torneys had no comment to make con-
6erning the verdict which reflects so
strongly on the guilt Of their own
client.
.Heney bore the brunt Of the work
eff the morning session, for it fell to
his lot TO disQualify a talesman who
not only was desirable from the stand
point OF the defendants counsel, but
who seemed determined TO qualify for
service if possible. George X. Porter
or 1888 Howard street an electrical en-
gineer. was the talesman in question
and after a perfunctory examination
BY Stanley Moore he was passed by
the defense. SO persistent did Porter
prove in combating every effort made
by Heney to get at his exact state
Qf mind that the latter on one occasion
charged him with clear and deliberate
evasion"
%" Porter was called as a taIesman in
the first Ford case, qualified on exam
ination and was the first man chaI-
lenged peremptorily by the prosecution.
de admitted yesterday that he was
= Iad that Ford was acquitted and later
expressed a personal friendship for
:lhim. 1t also developed that Porter
was well acquainted with several men
employed by the United Railroads 10
= fnt cstigate jurors in the present case.
that he visited the Offices Of the cor
.poraUon several times recently and
that he was personal friend Of
George Ford
- Despite all this Porter insisted that
he had no opinion or bias and would
make a fair juror. Heney asked him
II he had not even gone 50 far as 10
give some Of his United Railroads
friends information about talesmen
summoned in the Calhoun case, and
fter denying this at first he changed
his testimony and said he might have
mentioned some persons He said that
lie had not argued the merits of the
present case with any of the United
Railroads employees, however.
There wasn't any room for argu-
':you probably all agreed"
TkLEsMAN Is CHALLENGED
Pinned down at last to a direct an
sWer concerning his state of mind
after having reiterated several times
that he had no opinion. Porter admit
ted that, after all, he possibly had some
opinion With this opening Heney
fotced him to declare himself in a min
ute He said he believed that money
had passed in the trolley bribery matter
and that IL probably had come from
the United Railroads. He also had read
the transcript Of a portion Of the testi-
inony given by the former supervisors
before the grand jury, and on the
strength Of these statements Heney in
ferposed a challenge, which was al
lowed over the objections of the de-
fense.
The examinations of the other tales
men called during the day were uni
formly brief and there were no con-
rests over the challenges. Those ex-
amined and excused were Fred II. Pier
son of 3691 Clay street. William F.
jackson Of 1895 Geary street, Walter
II. Pearce of 33S Deyisadero street,
William r. Jack OF l925.Fourth avenue,
William r Phillips, Frederick w. Pitts.
Frank A. Phelps, Jonathan Hague of
22zB Grove street Milton R. Hall of 212
AslburN street 0ndLles H. 5OunSOn OF
$500 Broadway. Alfred ". Pye OF SO
Sixth avenue. Fred c. Patison of 247
PAGE street. Rollie r. Parks Of 957
I4ayes street. John Pera of 1902 Eddy
street. Walter r. Quick Of 2335 Pacific
avenue. Roy J. Somers, George E. Price
OF l6O Shotwell street, Charles f. Hag-
man OF "a Pearl street and Hans Iver-
son Of 1872 Twenty-second street.
Ferdinand A Haber. a retired wine
examination when adjournment was
taken. He was passed by the defense
and the inquiry viii be taken up this
morning by the prosecution. Haber
was one OF the jurors sworn to try the
Ruef eNtortion case and was in the
jury box at the time Ruef confessed.
Citrus Fair-CIOverdaIe
Tickets at So sold Saturday Sunday
afee,,r.rr fKEa%binRfou'S birf hdaK-l l.