The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1907-04-04
ATTEMPT TO RESCUE
BOSS RUFF FEARED.
EVERY MAN OPENLY IDENTIFIED
WITH PROSECUTION GOES
ARMED.

"Gun Play" Is Expected-Guards
Ordered to Shoot Prisoner First If
Liberation Is Tried - S%preckels
Willingly Paying for Probe.
San Francisco, March 30.-Since the
capture and arrest Of Abraham Ruef
at the Trocadero, a month ago, rumors
have been rife that an attempt would
be made to rescue him by force from
Elisor Buggy and his guards, either
during a session of court OF while
Ruef was being taken to or from court,
from his prison chamber in the st.
Francis hotel.
An officer prominent in the bribery
graft Investigation was asked Friday
if it is not true that every person iden-
titled 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 nan openly identified with the
prosecution of the bribery charges
and grafters is going heeled' and that
some of the more prominent of them
are employing body guards. Though
it may sound sensational to those not
familiar with the local situation, it 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.
Started Several Times.
Several times when Ruef has been
in Judge DUNES court on one or 9TH
Ell of the preliminaries that precede a
trial a sudden movement toward the
prisoner of men, some of whom we
know to be reckless of personal con.
sequences, has been checked quickly
and quietly by the interposition of Of
ficers and deputies in the employment
Of the prosecution.
"We know that should Ruef be res
cued-a seemingly impossible f@eat--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 known this, the elisor
knows it, and neither is taking any
chances.
Told to Shoot Ruef First.
ut is stating "a literal fact to say
that each of Biggy's seven guards is
instructed, in the event of a serious
attempt at rescue by force, either in
court or elsewhere, to shoot Ruef and
turn their attention to his would-be lib.
orators afterward. Ruef has been &C.
quainted with these orders. AS he is
not the type of a man to consent to
any plan of escaping through force,
1t is only his rough and reckless
friends on the outside who would at
tempt to devise such a coup. Ruef
might try to regain his liberty by
strategy, but not otherwise
s%preckeIs Paying Willingly.
Rudolph spreckels, who by packing
the prosecution in the graft investiga.
tion with his fortune made the present
investigation possible, gave out a
statement Friday, in which he said:
Contributions from citizens to the
fund of $1,000 guaranteed by me be.
fore the commencement of the bribery
graft investigation are coming in
steadily, though slowly. They are in
amounts ranging from $40 to $1,000
and more"
I'm the event that the ultimate total
Of subscriptions falls short of the
500, 900 guaranteed, will you make
the deficit good?" MI. Spreckels was
asked.
He replied: IT certainly will, and if
it costs more than $780, 900 to com.
p1ete this prosecution, that will make
no difference. Those engaged in it's
furtherance will be hampered by
lack Of funds, no matter what the bill
may be.
Hope to Get High Officials.
"The work of investigating will not
be suspended until every bit of rot
tenness has been fully exposed. We
fully expect to land behind the bars
Of the ~penitentiary every giver Of
brides and the higher up the offender
the more vigorous will be his pursuit.
I'VE do not, however, expect to send
every bribe-taker to prison. Some of
the miserable men who sold them
selves to the corporations must be
granted immunity in return for their
testimony, which is worth a great deal
more to us as evidence Of the guilt
Of high corporation officials than their
W incarceration would be-"
In conclusion Mr.. Spreckles said:
every department of the city and
county government will be thoroughly
examined into before the investigation
is completed, the police department
along with the others. No one will be
neglected, nj set of officials will be
overlooked"
BREWERY WORKERS GO OUT.