The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-04-26

San Francisco has just spent some
$4,000 and is still spending in
the neighborhood of $400 day to
carry one step further a demon
lstration, begun over two years ago,
of the power of many dollars to
keep dangerous criminals out of
Jail.
1t is a reasonable certainty such
a demonstration will be the net re-
suit of the trial, now in progress
here, of Patrick Calhoun, rich
street railway president, who is
charged with offering to bride city
officials in order to secure valu-
able franchises.
To find 10 men qualified to pass
on the guilt or innocence of this
rich man. approximately $4,000
was spent. Many times $4,000
San Francisco had already spent in
a fight to bring Calhoun and 9th
ers directly or indirectly associ-
ated with him in the dirty bust
ness of corrupting before bar of
justice. Before this $40, 900
jury renders its judgment many
thousands more will be spent.
For what? For convicting the
guilty?
Perhaps.
Hardly.
Rake San Francisco over and
you might find 10 men who real
|ly believe that Calhount will
eventually go to Jail.
Professional gamblers are offer
ing 10 to 1, with no takers, that
Calhoun will not even be con-
victed.
Because of lack of evidence?
Not at all. The evidence is con-
elusive, damning. The gamblers
know it as does everybody else
in San Francisco. But the gam
blers have seen just as damning
evidence accompanied by in
stances of crime. From jury tam
pering and dynamiting, down to
common burglary, brought against
other rich men, without convic-
lions. They figure 10 to 1 is a
safe bet. -,
OF course, every member of
this jury may be honest. Calhoun
may not be able to confuse the
Jurors by false issues. Heney
may be able to force home to-
their minds the one essential truth
that it is Calhoun on trial for Of
fering to bride, not Rudolph
Spreckels and other public-spirit-
ed men on trial for prosecuting,
through spite, gallant gentle
man."
There may be a conviction.
There have been convictions be-
fore. Schmitz, the boodling may
or, was convicted. Louis Glass, a.
bribing telephone magnate, was
convicted. Ruef, the political
boss, was convicted.
Schmitz is free. Glass is to have
another trial. Ruef will probably
be freed.
Convicted felOns, criminals of a
type most dangerous to American
institutions, set free through the
exercise of some fiImsy technical
lily of the law, some trifling error
|of form, which could not in any
way lead to a belief that there
had been a miscarriage of justice,
has been the history Of the San
francisco graft prosecutions.
The higher courts of California
have been charged with being sub
lservient to the republican ma
chine of the Southern Pacific Co.,
which has dominated California
politics for 80 years, and is con-
lnected in various ways with the
"higher-ups" in the San Francisco
lgraft cases.
Whether this is true or not, it
lis fact, proven cOnclusivcly and
repeatedly, that the higher courts
lof California have held the flimsi-
lest of technicalities, the most triv-
lial errors Of form above any 9TH
err consideration I'm reviewing the
cases Of rich men, known to be
criminals and convicted of crime.
It Is hardly within the realm of
possibility that trial such as this
lone Of Calhoun, q trial the rec
lord Of which already contains
more than 100000 words, can
lbe drawn to a close without some
errors Of form creeping In. Il r.