The San Francisco call., 1909-03-17


not present in the courtroom to witness
the skirmish. Judge Lawlor has been
lenlent in demanding the attendance of
these jurors on the court during the
long drawn out impanelment proceed
tngs, and they We're away yesterday on
q pleasure junket. The effect was not
lost however, on the talesmen who are
members Of the special venire last
summoned, and it IS possible that the
incidents OF yesterday afternoon may
make this venire less fruitful than the
average.
Impeachment proceedings were di-
rected at DUchein because Of his very
evident desire 70 qualify as a juror and
the equally evident desire of the de-
fense to have him do so. Heney strug-
gled with the man for some time dur
Ing the morning session without max
ing any perceptible headway, but when
the examination was renewed at the
beginning Of the afternoon session he
was prepared. Raymond SCHNEIDER, a
special agent Of the district attorneys
office. was called TO the stand and tes-
tded 10 a conversation had with
DUchein last June, IN which the tales
man had shown the deepest bias
against the prosecution.
Defense Feels Shudder
Then the real surprise of tie day
was sprung. Nicholas Korngold. a de-
tective who was for a long time con-
nected with Calhoun's own bureau of
investigation" and who has figured
prominently in several graft sensa-
tions. was called as a witness. Heney's
FIRST question let down several barriers
ana sent a shudder of surprise through
the ranks Of the defense Korngold
was asked the nature Of his business
and replied quite calmly that he was
employed by William J. Burns.
The significance Of this statement
. was probably lost at first on a good
many Of those who were in the court
room. but to those directly identified
with the graft cases and to those who
have followed them closely this an
nouncement was q story in itself AS
matter Of enlightenment I may ex-
plain that korngold first came into
prominence in the role of an eastern
magazine writer and did a good bit of
personal Investigating about town be-
fore it was discovered that his char
acter was merely assumed and that he
was really working through the
Helms detective agency in behalf OF
Ruef. Calhoun or any other defendant
who was willing 10 contract through
fhe Helms agency for such service. He
always remained something of mys-
terry and was later known as the
Armenian" and was suspected Of being
Ruers right hand man. More recently
stiH X became known that the rela-
tlons with Helms had been severed
and Korngold was generally looked
upon IS "out Of a job"
Copied All Reports
So the witness announcement that
be was in the employ Of the district
attorneys Office caused several spasms
Of CONSERVATION. This grew when he
admitted that he had kept copies Of all
reports that he had made TO Helms
and that he occasionally referred to
these reports for Information that
might be of benefit TO the prosecution.
lie defended himself against personal
attack by refuting an implication that
Die had PLAYED a double game while
working for Helms, and declared that
he had never been employed by the
prosecution until in January of the
present wear He caused a laugh by
stating very frankly in answer to an
oiher question that he kept copies Of
the reports he made TO Burns, just as
he had done when employed on the
other side. Burns, who was sitting at
Tfeney's side. joined in the laugh as
heartily as any one in the room
Korugold's testimony was a replica
Of that given by SCHNEIDER in contradic-
tiou Of Duchein's sworn statements, but
it was In his references to his former
employment that the deepest interest
centered. and IL was this that the de-
fense fought bitterly TO prevent. Moore
achieved a partial success in this re-
spect boy keeping Heney from opening
up the entire subject, but even in this
there was a boomerang. for the infer
ences gained from what the witness
left untold were even more damaging
than the facts CLEANED from what he
said.