The San Francisco call., 1909-02-18

- ONVICTED yesterday morning Of
bribe taking by jury, which had
~ deliberated only 35 minutes
Michael ". Coffey. former super
visor under the Ruef- -Schmitz regime
occupied a felon's cell at the county
. jsil last night. where he Joined his
.fellew boodler and former political
boss, Abe Ruef. Five minutes after
p o'clock yesterday noon the jury,
. which has listened for two weeks to
the evidence in Coney's trial, returned
to- the courtroom. and Foreman c. w.
Pope read the verdict An hour later
tire. convicted ex-supervisor found him
self in jail. In his loneliness Coffey
:. sobbed as he had done after the YER
dict had been read TO the court.
p During their short deIiberation there
was no question in the mind of any
Suror as TO the guilt of Coffey on the
charge Of agreeing TO receive bribe
6f $4,000 to vote favorably upon the
=. United Railroads overhead trolley
franchise. Three ballots were taken
first and second ballots having re
suited in the disclosure that J. II. Olt-
man. a juror. stood against conviction
.He had taken this attitude for the sole
purpose OF opening discussion Of the
= evidence. He said after leaving court
that the evidence against Coffey was
overwhelming, and that he had only
voted against conviction because he de-
sired 10 open an argument in the jury
: room. on the final ballot every juror
voted for conviction. The jury re-
: tired at 1885 o'clock and returned their
verdict at 1905 o'clock.
COffey Not Surprised
- Coney did not display signs of sur
prise at the verdict. Learning that the
fury had reached decision, Coffey.
who was waiting in the corridor. rushed
into court and dropped into a seat be-
eide his lawyers. No member Of Cof-
fey's family was present at the time.
Judge Dunno. following customary
court procedure. asked the jurors
whether they had reached a verdict. c.
w. Pope, who had been chosen fore
man, arose and read the verdict:
we the jury find the defendant,
Michael ". CofeN guilty as charged in
the Indictment
- Robert Ferral, one OF Cofey's at
torneys. asked for poll of the vote,
which was taken. During this pro-
*.cedure Coffey sat stolidly peering at
: the jurors. The lines of his face were
rot altered. but his attorneys evinced
signs OF chagrin and Carroll Cook,
who had entered into the case to de-
\ 6end Coney, did not linger long in the
courtroom after the verdict had been
read.
Judge Dunno announced that sentence
would be pronounced February 27. At
that time the defense will make the
Usual motions and apply for writ of
probable cause. They pin great faith
upon an appeal to the higher courts,
which they hope viii result in the over
turning Of yesterdays verdict. coney
was confident that new trial would be
granted.
COffey Breaks Down
The apparent indifference which had
marked Coney during the trial and
while the verdict was being read sud
denly left him. He unfolded a hand
kerchief and wept softly. while the
jurors filed into the corridor. His
son. who had just Joined him, sobbed.
too-and to add to the intensity OF the
situation, a petty criminal in the pris-
oners' dock tangled his handouts.
For few moments Coffey fingered
around the courtroom guarded by a
deputy sheriff. In company with an
officer he was the last to leave the
courtroom. At 2 o'clock he found him
self in a cell at the county jail-a
felon.
The reading Of instructions by Judge
Dunno occupied about an hour and a
half Of the morning. The court pointed
out that James L. Gallagher. the
states chief witness. was not. in the
meaning Of the law, an accomplice
with CoTey. because the latter had
been indicted for agreeing to receive
a bribe, while Gallagher was guilty of
q. different offense.
Coney arraigned himself with the
4 igher ups and other boodlers when he
refused TO give full and truthful
statement of his bribery by the United
Railroads and other boodling corpora