Los Angeles herald., 1909-04-23
TELLS HOW he
ANDASSOClATES
ESCAPE PENALTY
STAR WITNESS IN CALHOUN
CASE is EXAMINED
FORMER SUPERVISOR GALA
CHER CHILLED FOR HOURS
Man Who Has Gone Through Ten Ina
qusitions Loses compIacency
Under Fire of Questions of
Defense's Counsel
fBy Associated Press.l


SAN FRANCISCO. April 22.-Picking
his way carefully between the pitfalls
of gruelling INSTRUMENTATION
James L. Gallagher, chief witness for
the prosecution in TIE trial of Patrick
Calhoun, finished the second day of his
trying ordeal with a circumstantial
narration of the arrangements where
bv he and sixteen other supervisors of
the Schmitz board of supervisors es-
capped punishment for accepting the
brides paid them by Abraham Ruef.
Gallagher displayed more emotion
than has been noted in any of the ten
inquistions previously held, and 1t was
evident the questions of A. A. Moore,
who is conducting the -eXamina-
ton on behalf of the defense, had Sc
riously disturbed the complacency
with which he has heretofore guarded
himself in his appearances on the wit
ness stand
The subject of immunity granted the
former supervisors-always a topic
productive of trouble-was under dis
cussion and Gallagher was being asked
to describe the conditions that pre-
ceded his interview with Rudolph
Spreckes in the Preside military res
ervation where as chairman of the
he ODldlHtu lilG eioobi anu ~
and his colleagues should escape pun
1shment.
you surely did not go there on
mere suggestion with the intent to
confess your participation in multi
plication of crimes?" asked Mr.. Moore.
Denies He Confessed
81 confessed to no crimes at that
time" replied Gallagher. MY action
was based on my own knowledge OF
the facts and the disclosures made by
the supervisors who had already been
trapped. 1 had reason to believe Su-
pervisors Lonergan and Walsh already
had made confessions and that Boxton
had done So or was about to confess.
H. M. owens. who represented myself
and other members of the board, told
me that BoXton was certain to be con-
victed of bribery unless he made
statement"
Il went to the Preside voluntarily,
but unwilling" was another declara
ton of the witness. II feared they
would be convicted and they would
convict me- but Mrs. Spreckels made
no such bald statement to me"
"Why did you select the Preside as
a place of meeting?" asked Mr.. Moore.
"Was it suggested the reservation, be-
ing government property and no part
of the state, was the place to COM
pound a felony?"
1--WE did not think of that in making
the selection" was Gallagher's reply.
You made no confession to Mr..
Spreckels?"
Il made no confession"
what crimes did Mr. Spreckels &C
cuse you OFF"
None whatever"
Moore Becomes Sarcastic
did Mr.. Spreckels tell you that he
Ill IhnaV in
this civic righteousness all his life, and
that they were actuated by the love of
municipal purity or the love of God, as
it were?" asked Mr. Moore.
At this point Mr.. Heney arose to OBJ
ject, saying: Il do not think that any
case of this serious character, wherein
a man is being tried to establish
whether or not he is above the law,
calls for buffoonery of this character
Mr.. Moore's sole purpose is to cast ridi-
Guile upon these men, who felt called
upon to save their city from the cor
ruption that every citizen knows was
rampant"
by the court for propounding such a
question, and the examination pro-
coded
The greater part of the day was de-
voted to comparison of the testimony
given by Gallagher on direct eXamina-
ton with his statements IN previous
trials. The defense contended. at every
disputed point. they We're able to show
serious and vital discrepancies in his
accounts of how the various members
of the Schmitz board were bribed and
particularly as to the conversations
that Gallag CHER is alleged to have had
with former Supervisor Ferdinand P.
Nicholas prior to payment of the bride
money in the alleged trolley deal
Gallagher admitted that his accounts
of the matter were at variance, but eX
planned that his memory was at fault
when he testified in the trials to which
counsel made reference.