The San Francisco call., 1910-02-20
Jury FIXING HINTfD
AT IN TONG TRIAL
Talesman in Gee Gong Murder
Case Says Strange Pair APP
preached Him
Special Prosecutor H0ff Cook
Points Accusing Finger at
j. Brachmann

Direct charges of attempted jury
bribing. which promise to lead to sew
eral arrests, were made in Judge
Dunne's court by George V. Draeger,
a hardware dealer and talesman in
the murder trial of Gee Gong, On Yick
tengman, yesterday morning Draeger
declared that he had been approached
by two men and offered 500 to bring
in vote of mot guilty in the case
against the Chinese on trial for hav-
ing slain Yee Yut Wo in Stockton
street last November during the tong
war.
The startling assertion came out as
a result of contempt proceedings
brought against John Doe and Rich
ard Roe" by William Hoff Cook, who
acted as special prosecutor in the
murder case. Cook summoned Drae-
ger to the stand and by questioning
brought out the fact that the former
juror had been visited by two mys-
terious men and offered the money
}. BRAKEMAN ON THE RACK
After the testimony had been intro
duced Attorney Cook summoned Jo-
seph Brachmann to the stand and ques-
toned him closely concerning his
movements during the progress of the,
Gee Gong trial. Brachntann. who ac-
qulred considerable notoriety during
the search for Abe Ruef at the time
the former political boss was in hiding
by being called before Judge Dunno to
explain his knowledge of the fugitive's
whereabouts, declared that he was in
the courtroom during the course of the
trial on but one occasion.
Do you know Frank j. Murphy"
Hoff Cook queried.
Brachmann stated that he knew Muir
ply, but did not know where his Of
fee was The witness maintained. un-
der the severest questioning. that he
had not had any talks with Murphy
about the Gee Gong case.
Il viii show, when this contempt case
comes up again next Saturday" Hoff
Cook said, that Brachmann on one
occasion during the course of the Gee
Gong trial went directly from >the
courtroom, where he had been an in
terested listener to the offices of Frank
j. Murphy
Il repeat that I do not even know
where Mr.. Murphy's office is situated"
Brachmann reiterated.
ILLNESS BREAKS Up JURY
Though the Gee Gong jury was dis
charged because of the illness of one
of its members, P. Herleman. yet it
had heard the whole case and spent
several hours in deliberation before
Herleman became so i'll that Judge
Dunno found it necessary to discharge
the jury During the deliberations it
became very plain that 10 of the men
were for conviction Two, David Baker
and Louis Schloh, declared that they
would vote mot guilty" until the end
of time. were the jury to remain out
that long.
Draeger, the man who makes charges
of advances made to him, was ex-
eused at his own request before the
trial proper started. though he was
chosen as juror and sworn in. He
declared that he had a good reason for
wanting to be excused, and, after
consultation, the attorneys for each
side agreed to let him go.
The reason / wanted to get off"
Draeger said yesterday, was because
these advances had been made to me,
and | felt that the jury was fixed. AS
] did not want to serve on such a jury
l asked to be excused"
HINTS At GRAVER CHARGE
J. r. Alexander and James NJ Hanley,
former assistant district attorney, de-
Tended Gee Gong. Attorney Grant Car
penter appeared in the examination of
the defendant before the coroner, but
before the trial proper started he with
drew.
q will bring a contempt proceeding
againt Brachmann next Saturday,
when this comes up again. Hoff Cook
said yesterday, 'or perhaps the charge
will be even more serious