The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-07-23
RUFF WHISKY on
NO. LICENSE.
Saloon Men Say Admin
iStration Forced Hill
bert Liquor on Them

From former saloon men OF the ten
derloin, freed, they declare. from the
grasp of the administration because
they are no longer in business, comes
additional evidence showing the close
afflliation between the Ruef- Schmitz
combine and the Hilbert Mercantile
Company for the purpose Of selling
whisky.
These men declare that when they
did not buy the Hilbert goods in suffi-
cient quantities to please the admins
the Board Of Police Commissioners un
til they bought the larger bill or proved
to the whisky agents that they were
buying as much as they could sell.
The method employed by the admin
istration was they claim. effective and
at the same time comparatively safe.
II the saloon men failed 10 buy the
Hilbert goods, they claim, at the meet
ing Of the Board of Police Commits
sioners when the quarterly licenses
were granted for the sale of liquor,
their applications for renewal had not
been approved. A few days later, they
claim. when they were beginning to
worry lest they would be forced to
close their places of business an agent
Of the Hilbert Mercantile Company
would call to sell them goods. He
would assure them that he could fix
it, so that their licenses would not be
held back if they bought the Hilbert
whisky. They would buy, they say.
and presto! at the next meeting Of the
Police Commissioners their licenses
would be granted without question.
SAY sCHMITZ SENT WORD.
Even members of the Board of Po-
lice Commissioners recently dismissed
by Mayor Schmitz say openly that word
came TO them to hold up certain IL
censes that were later voted upon and
charge is also made by former Com
missioner Reagan in his first public
letter to Mayor Schmitz. pointing an
example to Leonhardt's notorious re-
sort.
Former members of the Board of
Police Commissioners claim that most
Of the work of holding up licenses was
done by DR.. Goheim Vho seems to have
been the closest friend of the admin
istration on the board until shortly
before his dismissal. Old members. de-
clare that under Poheim's presidency
the beard was under a one-han rule
and that the wish of the administra-
ton was expressed through Poheim
alone.
MYRTLE Cert. secretary of the present
Grand Jury. denied that he had ever
used Ruefs name to help him sell the
Hilbert Mercantile Company whisky
He says that he worked for salary
of 5000 a month and that he had no
connection with the administration He
admits that Ruef has been his friend
for several years and says that un-
doubtedly the fact tat Ruefs name
appeared on the Hilbert Mercantile
Company's cards influenced some Of
the tenderloin saloon men TO purchase
the Hilbert goods
Cert left the employ of the Hilberts
after their Market street fire. but he
is said by the saloon men TO have been
looked upon by them even after his
taking his seat with the present Grand
Jury. a word from him, declare the
saloon men. was as good as a word
from Ruef or Schmitz.
BREAK OVER VOTE.
1t is known now that the origin of
the split between Reagan and Drink
house of the old Board of Police Com
was caused by their refusal