WAS CLARENCE DARROW A JURY TAMPERER?

WAS CLARENCE DARROW A JURY TAMPERER? John Farrell had an article in the Smithsonian (December 2011) which asked that question. Farrell has written a book which concludes that he did. Darrow was defending two unionists who were charged with setting off a bomb at the Los Angeles Times building in 1911. Twenty printers and newsmen were killed by the blast. Darrow’s chief investigator was arrested passing $4000 to a prospective juror; the investigator turned state’s evidence against Darrow. Darrow was charged with two separate counts of bribery which were tried separately. He was represented in both trials by Earl Rogers, a legendary defense attorney. Darrow was acquitted in one trial and the other resulted in a hung jury. Farrell has discovered a 1927 letter from Darrow to his son, Paul, instructing him to pay $4,500 to Fred Golding, a juror in Darrow’s first trial for bribing the juror in the bombing case. Farrell notes that $4500 would be equivalent to $55,000 today and asks: “Did Darrow bribe a juror while on trial for bribing jurors?” The Smithsonian article has a photo of Darrow’s letter to his son.