The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-20
CALHOUN CASE IS
in HANDS OF JURY
Continued from Page One

ny inc cdrtnquakr ana lire OF Aprll
is. 1906.
Calhoun and the other defendants
were accused of having paid Ruef,
Schmitz and the supervisors 100000
for their services in securing the per
nit for the company. and each indie t.
mcnt was based upon the money re.
ccivcd by ono of the supervisors.
TREY J.. Ford, general counsel for
the United Railroads. was one of the
officials. implicated by the indictments,
and during period of eight weeks was
tried three times.
In the first instance q disagreement
resulted. and in two subsequent trials
Ford was acquitted.
The Trial Of Ruef.
Rucf 5 trial upon the so.callcd troll
ley indictments was commenced August
~. 1908. There was an interruption of
several DAYS subsequent 20 November
IL. when Francis J. Ilcncy was shot
down in the courtroom by an ex-con-
vict. who subsequently committed sui
eide in the county Jail, and three Volnn-
tecr prosecutors took mp the case, which
ended December 10, 1905, when a Jury
returned verdict of guilty. On De
ccmber % Rucf was sentenced TO four
tiary. and since then has been confined
in The county Jail, awaiting action on
an appeal to a higher court.
The prosecution, during the several
trolley trials, has attempted TO prove
that Calhoun, on the day following the
final passage of the permit, sent from
New York to the mint IN tins CITY
5000 900. which he previously author
lied the mint officials to pay to Ilrey
l.. Ford, ,,
Tho money, as is admitted, was with
drawn in three installmcnts by Ford,
who presented orders signed by Cal
Eoun, 1t was alleged by the prosecu-
tion that within Il few days after each
of Ford s visits to the mint he received
n call from Ruef Following this the
orv, James j.. Gallagher, chairman of
the supervisors, testified that Ruef had
paid him over $4,000 IN July and an
equal amount the following month
Gallagher declared that he had retained
SIS 900 for himself, had paid Andrew
NJ. Wilson. one of his lieutenants, and
had given $4,000 TO each of the other
supervisors.
Prosecution Contention.
IT was affirmed by the prosecution
that Rucf and Schmitz divided the
balance of the fund. amounting to
about Sl15,000,
The specific Indictment upon which
Calhoun was tried was the offer Of a
bribc Of $4,000 to Supervisor Fred p.
Nicholas. to influence his action upon
the trolley permit Nicholas called
as the first witness, admitted ac-
ceptance of the money for that pur-
pose.
Since the trial commenced great
of new issues. more or less I'M
portant have been presented Tor tne
iury's consideration. In March, when
the trial was nearly two months old,
warrants were issued for the arrest OF.
several men charged with stealing
documents from the office of Will
liam j. Burns, special agent for the
district attorneys office,
The list of defendants. headed by
NJ. VI. Abbott and Luther G. Brown,
included Rex Hamlin. secretary TO
Burns, and three other of Burns s as,
sistants who confessed that they had
riyen private reports, letters and tcle-
grams 10 John II Helms and the
agents of the United Railroads.
On Saturday and Sunday, March 26
and d the offices of Abbott, Brown,
Calhoun and MuIlaly were raidcd by
the police upon 4 search warrant Sc
cured by Burns. who professed to have
that the men named were
in possession of his stolen papers:
safes and desks were forclbly opened
:
and officials. and documents 10 the
number OF 200O were seized and de-
livered into custody of the police Judge
who granted the warrant, Before the
raiders had completed their task, at
for the United Railroads Sc
cured and served IN injunction forbid
ding further search.
Nasty Complications.
Another order was secured to forbid
The police Judge opening the scaled
packages, and after days of argumenet
Judge F. j. Murasky took
under advlsement an application for
IN order adjudging Assistant District
+. j. Eleney and two detec-
ives. who participated IN the raids;
guilty of contempt Of court. No end
IF complication has been created
hi ough the activity of private dctec- !
ives. several of whom are admitted to
nave been privately III the employ OF
me side while secretly furnishing m-
formation 10 the other.
4 fortnight was added 10 the length
If She proceedings by the testimony of
John IT, Helms, once detective IN
the employ of the United Railroads,
and was later secretly added to the
rorce OF Burns TO obtain evidence Of
alleged illegal activity on the part of
United Railroad agents. Helms testi'
fled that he bad paid Platt and other
Burns men TO secure papers; and had
turned them over TO Abbott. Prior to
MS appearance rs witness, he charged,
several attempts were made TO pre-
,cnt his testifying for the prosecution.
Another Burns agent produced in court
sums aggregating $500, which he al
eyed had been paid him by Luther G.
Brown 10 bctray secrets OF the district
Ittornpy'S office,
One of the witnesses called during
.hc trial was Rudolph SpreckeIs. presi |
icnt Of the First National bank, who
the graft prosecution by un.
ler,aking 10 pay the expenses involved.
The testimony presented showed that
4 fund of S934, 600 had been raised and
expended. and Mr.. Sprecllels s ac-
voluntarily produced in court.
showed that he bad contributed APP
$4,000 of The total.
WEI Gil lITTU0U Ann