Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-30
RUEF's FOE Is UPHELD.
Grave Situation in Regard to an Of
fee FIGHT

A dispatch from San Francisco says: Dis
trict Attorney w. H. Langdon was recog-
niZed by Judge Graham in the superior
court Yesterday as the rightful Incumbent
of his office. Abraham Ruef was last week
appointed to it by Acting Mayor Gallagher,
supposedly to balk the effort to inquire into
corruption in the city administration. The
seriousness of the situation was increased
by a movement of the administration to OPP
pose organized opposition to those who are
making the inquiry. The supervisors have
called on city employees and their friends to
form a body of 24,G03 men for this purpose.
Two members of the grand jury chosen
last week were discharged today because
of failure to qualify and seven others are
to be examined tomorrow to determine
whether they are qualified to sit in judg-
me.lt on the charges OF malfeasance ana
corruption IN office to be submitted by Dis
trict Attorney Langdon and Francis j.
Heney, his assistant.
On behalf of Ruefs faction S. NJ. Short
ridge made an effort before Judge Graham
to obtain postponement of further proceed
ings involving the examination of the grand
jury until after next Friday, when Ruef,
Acting Mayor Gallagher. and the members
of the board Of supervisors are ordered to
show cause why they should not be perma-
nently enjoined from asserting any claim to
the Office of district attorney. Judge Ora
ham, however. decided without hearing ar
gument that there was no adequate reason
for delay, and ordered the examination OF
the jury to proceed.
In examining the jurors, Assistant District
Attorney Heney confined himself to inter-
rogations dealing with constitutional quail
fications only making no effort to estab
lish whether any of the members were pos
sessed of bias prejudice, such as he init
mated existed.
Although the court room was crowded at
both sessions of the hearing there was no
;fec q nj disorder A
large detail of police patrolled the building
and adjacent streets.
The brief character of the morning pro-
ceedings surprised and bewildered many of
those in the court room. The fact that
District ATTORNEY Langdon had been rec
ognized by Judge Graham was not generally
known until the policemen began 70 clear
the court rooU.
Assistant District Attorney Heney said:
ut must still be determined whether or not
we have the right to examine members of
the grand jury for bias or prejudice But
Judge Graham did right-perfectly right"
The movement to line up the city en-
ployes was taken at secret meeting of
the board of supervisors last night. 1t was
decided to form an organization TO cham
pion the cause Of justice and fair play, re-
flute the ISLANDERS of corporations and mil
ionaires" and resist attacks on the union
labor administration. Four thousand city
Wednesday afternoon and bring five friends
EACH making the total strength of the Or
ganizaton about 24,CC0 men.
President Benjamin Ide Wheeler of the
University of California has issued this
signed statement:
1.-The situation in San Francisco is one
calculated to give every true citizen great
apprehension. but L have not recommended
illegal procedure In dealing with it."
President Wheeler supplemented the state
ment by saying that he has not at any time
expressed the opinion that there should be
lynching
Il do not believe in such methods, and do
not wish to be reported as recommending
them. The situation is serious but Illegal
measures should not lie resorted to-" he
said.