The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-30
He HAS The CASH
Rudolph Spreckels Talks of
Bride Investigation.
will Try to Land Men "Higher
Up" Behind Bars.
LET LITTLE ONES GO.
They May Be Given immunity
for Evidence.
Guards Of Ruef Are Instructed
to Use Guns.

San Francisco. Cal, March 30
Rudolph Spreckels, who, by packing
the prosecution in the graft investi-
cation with his fortune, made the pres
ent investigation possible, gave to the
! Associated Press a statement in which
he said:
contributions from citizens to the
fund of 100000, guaranteed by me
before the commencement of the brlb-
ery-graft investigation, are coming in
steadily though slowly. They are in
amounts ranging from $50 to $1,000
and MORE
I'm the event the ultimate total OF
subscriptions falls short of the 500, OOO
guaranteed, will you make up the def
| ciu?" Mr.. Spreckels was asked.
! He replied: 81 certainly will And
| if it costs more than 500, 900 to COM
plete this prosecution, that will make
no difference Those engaged in its
furtherance will never be hampered by
lack of funds, no matter what the Dill
may be.
be suspended until every bit of rot
tenness has been fully exposed. We
fully expect to land behind the bars or
the penitentiary every gfver OF brioes,
and the higher up the offender the
more vigorous will be his pursuit
| eve do not, however, expect to send
every bribe-taker to prison Some or
| the miserable men who sold themselves
to the corporations must be granted
| immunity for their testimony, which
! is worth a great deal more to us, as
evidence of the guilt of high corpora
ton officials, than their own incarcera-
| ton would be-
In conclusion Mr.. Spreckels said:
EVERY department of the city and
county government will be thoroughly
exanlinadginto before the investigation
is com pleted-the police department
along with the others. No one viii be
neglected, no set of officials will be
overlooked"
More Talk of Rucf Rescue.
Since the capture and arrest of Abb
ra ham Ruef at the Trocadero month
ago rumors have been rife that an at
tempt would be made to rescue him by
force from Effsor Buggy and his guards
I'eftlier- during a session of court or
while Ruef was being taken to or from
court from his prison chamber in the
ST. Francis hotel.
An officer prominent in bribery
graft investigation was asked today If
it is not true that every person 1dentl-
fed with the prosecution is going
armed, and was questioned about the
significance of this. He said:
Though I think the matter should
not be exploited it is a fact that every
man openly identified with the prose-
cution of the bribery charges and
grafters is going healed and that
some of the more prominent of them
are employing body guards. Though
it may sound nsational to those not
familiar with the local situation, 1t IS
a fact that for a month we have been
keeping a special lookout for an at
tempted rescue. of Ruef and we shall
be happily surprised If these investi-
cations and impending prosecutions
end without gun play.
Several times when Ruef has been
in Judge DUNES court on one or an
other of the preliminaries that precede
his trial, sudden movement toward
the prisoner of men, some of whom
we know to be reckless of personal
consequences, has been checked
quickly and quietly by the interposi-
ton of officers and deputies in the
employment of the prosecution.
I'VE know that should Ruef be res
cued-a~ seemingly impossible feat
it would not be a difficult thing to
hide him so securely right here in San
Francisco, that to find him again
would be practically an impossibility.
The prosecution knows it, the elisor
knows it and neither is taking any
chances.
''It is stating literal fact to say
that each one of Biggy's seven guards
are instructed in the event of a serious
attempt at rescue by force, either in
court or elsewhere, to shoot Ruef first
and then turn their attention to his
would-be liberators afterwards. Reuf
was made acquainted with these or
to consent to any plan of escape
through force it is only his rough and
reckless friends on the outside who
would attempt to devise such a coup
Ruef might try to regain his liberty bv
strategy, but not otherwise
cant Prove It." Says Ruef.
Abraham Ruef made 1t plain this
morning that his defense on the charges
against him made as a result of the
confessions of the supervisors will be
!. - IT,. l.,
confessing supervisors stands without
confederation. He will seek refuge in
the code provision that the testimony
of an accomplice in crime is not suffi-
cient for conviction.
This came out in the course of an
interview in which Ruef was asked
what course he intended to pursue
with regard to the story told to the
grand jury by Supervisor Gallagher that
he had received all the bride money
from Ruef and had acted as his go
between in disbursing the sums to the
supervisors.
II can't say anything at this time"
said Ruef. "but of course, you under
stand that Gallagher's testimony is
he has no one to
swear that he saw the money pass
from me to Gallagher. I am not wor-
ried about Gallagher's testimony"
Ruef's incarceration has prevented
him from ascertaining whether or not
Heney and Burns have testimony that /
passing of the bride money, so there |
is no means at hand for him to know
whether or not his reliance upon the |
code provision will afford him all the |
relief he looks forward to.
That Telephone Graft.
When investigation of alleged brib- |
er and graft by the administration Of |
f1cials was resumed this afternoon the |
grand jury took up transactions by