The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-07
LANGDON MAKES
IT UNPLEASANT
FOR OPPONENTS
District Attorney Gives CAL
hOun's Lawyers Rough
Half Hour
Barrett Butts in With Imperti=
nence and Is Promptly Called
TO an Accounting

After passing through 10 days of an
almost uneventful session. the trial of
Patrick Calhoun broke out yesterday
morning in q prolonged clash between
ire numerous defense attorneys and
District Attorney William II. Langdon,
and al the end OF the battle the shipper
USUALLY creasing the faces OF the troll
ley maEnate's legal aids was less as
su-ed than generally Langdon gave
the assembled attorneys rough half
hour.
The occasion for the outburst was
Inc statement Of Charles N Depew.
general contractor residing at sos san
Jose avenue. who gave utterance TO
rambling statement in which he de-
cia~ed that he did not approve of the
special features of the graft prose
cution. meaning that he considered that
there was no need TO finance the prose
-ution with any more money than the
sum allotted TO that Office for the pay
ment OF its regular staff. Depew did
not consider the graft prosecution a
large enough case to require the en-
gagement OF any but the force at work
on the routine matters which always
engage the attention of the district
attorneys staff.
BYINGTON BEGINS BATTLE
Attorney Lewis Byington began the
battle by denying Lsngdons statement
that the board Of supervisors exercised
control over the additional sum asked
by the district attorney TO aid in prose-
cutting the grafters and with the dis
trict attorneys whitening retOrt Bar
rett sprang TO the aid of his discom-
fted coueagu
He struggled UP to the surface, how
ever. with an unfortunate remarkable
purring statement that Langdon need
90 money on the side" and the district
attorney whirled on the astonished
lawyer with the ultimatum that he
allowed no man to say that he needed
that sort Of money.
Barrett hastened TO assure Langdon
that he only meant that the Office of
the district attorney was in need of
extra money TO carry on the prosecu-
tion. but the explanation hardly ap-
peased the anger of The district at
torney
Then Langdon turned his attention 10
Depew. and in a series of queries
brought out the fact that the talesman,
evidently. had been fed on the mis-
leading arguments of the defense. prob
2 bly, through one of their boughten
newsp pers. He was firing question
after question at the talesman, when
Judge Lawlor interposed with a re-
mark that time did not permit of fur
Their questioning, and the stormy ses-
sion ended.
CHILLING EXAMINATION
Another Of the seemingly inexhaust-
IDLE supply Of prospective jurors. that
Nos rrrlr ne
animation with satisfaction to the at
torneNs Tor both sides. and then trip
on some. final question. appeared yes
terday in the form of John j. Binet
a designer and builder with an office
at 80 Dearborn street. His examina-
lion was not finished yesterday, and
viii be continued Monday. but until he
was excused the talesman had passed
every query put to him with success
Binet alarmed the defense by stating
that he had attended a meeting of
the good citizens league, which was
translated TO mean the good govern
ment league. but lulled their fears by
adding that he went merely because
q friend had asked him to go along
as company. The builder stated that
he was in the rear Of the hall, anyway.
and could not hear very much
The contractor was NOT at ali nosted
concerning civic affairs of this or pre-
Vious years. He was certain that Ruef
had been convicted, but remembered
gallagher and Furey only as names.
and did not know what positions they
had held. He had never expressed
an opinion upon the graft cases.
though he had heard much talk Of the
matter. he had never been interested
in the cases and did not care how
they came out.
Hans NJ c. Mangels. a retired grocer
now living at 1911 Eleventh avenue.
declared that he had a fixed opinion.
He stated that he had been demo-
cratic candidate for the assembly in
1905. but had been defeated by union
labor opponent