Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-26

A special grand jury of nineteen men
was selected yesterday morning by
Judge BordWell in the superior court to
probe the explosion and fire that on
October 1 destroyed the building OF
the Los Angeles Times. Charles
Wier, president of Charles Wier &
Co, wholesale lumber dealers, was
named by the presiding judge as
foreman Of the jury and j. L. Math-
ews, a newspaper man of Covina, was
agreed upon by the jurors as secre-
tary.
Present at the selection of the grand
jury were District Attorney Freder-
icks, Deputy c. c. McComas, Deputy
w. j. Ford and Earl Rogers, the four
part in shaping the evidence to be in
troduced before that body.
Immediately after being sworn and
organizing, the inquisitorial body adj
journed until tomorrow morning to
await the serving of subpoenas on WITT
nesses, both in this city and north
ern California. The scope of the in
vestigation to be taken up tomorrow
was briefly summarized in the judges
instructions to the grand jury as fol-
lows:
You will not assume that it (the
Times explosion) was the work of
human agency but you will de-
termine that question from such
evidence as is obtainable. And if
from such evidence you conclude
that any person or persons inten-
tionally placed explosives in or ad-
jacent to said building and caused
the same to be exploded for the
purpose of and which resulted in,
such destruction of said building,
then such act constitutes the crime
of murder. and also the crime of
arson. And you will direct your eff
forts to the ascertainment and iden-
tity of all persons concerned in
said crime, whether as principals
or as accessories. And if the evil
dence which may be presented to
you, unexplained or uncontradict-
ed would, in your judgment, war
rant conviction by trial jury of any
person or persons of such crime,
then it is your duty to find indict-
ments against them.
LAW REGARDING CONSPIRACY
All persons concerned in the COM
mission of a crime, whether they
directly commit it, or aid and abet
in it's commission, or, not being
present, have advised and encour-
aged it's commission, are principals 3
in any crime so committed.
All persons who, after full knowl-
edge that a felony has been COM
mitted, conceal it from the magis-
trate, or harbor and protect the
person charged with it or convicted
thereof, are accessories.
Almost before the grand jurors had
left the building, following adjourn
ment, the district attorney appeared
before Judge Frank r. Willis and
made application for the issuance of
twenty blank, foreign subpoenas. These
subpoenas were issued with the names
left blank to be filled in by the dis
trict attorney. Immediately upon Sc
curing the blank subpoenas District At
torney Fredericks and his deputies
went into secret conference with At
torney Earl Rogers and the subpoenas
We're filled out.
Rogers was sworn in as a special
deputy sheriff and took last nights
Owl train for San Francisco to sub
poena the men whose names went in
on the foreign subpoenas. There is
little doubt but that included in this
list of witnesses are o. A. Tveitmoe
Anton Johannsen and two or three
other men prominently identified with
labor unionism on the coast, whom
Rogers desires to have questioned be-
fore the grand jury Rogers denied
yesterday afternoon that he would be
sworn in as a deputy district attorney
to appear before the grand jury.
A number of John Doe subpoenas, is
sued by Coroner Hartwell, also will be
used to bring witnesses to Los Angeles
to attend the inquest. and later these
witnesses viii be subpoenaed by the
district attorney to appear before the
grand jury.
In calling together the inquisitorial
body yesterday Judge Bordwell made
a brief statement particularly enjoin-
ing the members to absolute secrecy
anything that transpired In
the jury room. Referring to their
duties and powers he directtd them TO
Continued on Page TwOl