Beck

The defendants were convicted of conspiracy and prosecute this appeal from the judgment of conviction and the order denying their motion for a new trial. The indictment charges that the defendants conspired to bribe one of the supervisors of El Dorado County to influence his vote upon the question of adopting a prohibition; ordinance, and that they, “in pursuance of said conspiracy and to effect the object thereof, did each contribute . . . the sum of twenty dollars . . . and did solicit money from one E. J. Barrett and from other persons to the grand jury unknown; and . . . did collect and receive . . . the sum of twenty dollars . . . from one John Zugnoni.”

The defendant Beck was the proprietor of a hotel and the defendant Calvert of the Klub Cafe in Placerville. Barrett and Zugnoni were in business in Camino, a few miles above Placerville, and Seymour Hill, a witness at the trial, conducted a business at El Dorado, a few miles below. It is to be inferred from the evidence that these five persons sold soft drinks at their respective places of business. In November, 1921, the board of supervisors had under consideration the adoption of an ordinance prohibiting the unlawful…