The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-14
ABRAHAM RUFF, STORM CENTER
 OF SAN FRANCISCO'S POLITICS

voting machines was the cause of the straight sweep.
 The new board of supervisors at their first meeting showed themselves utterly incompetent for the business in hand. To have them carry out any semblance of efficiency Ruef had to drill them each week in their parts before they were permitted to appear in public. Ruef, not Schmtz, directed their secret meetings the boss. not the mayor, dictated their actions. The puppet show was complete with all strings in Ruefs hands.
 Before the new machine was in perfect working order, the earthquake and fire of twelve months ago momentarily changed the aspect of affairs and appar- ently disrupted the organization.
 But while the fire was still smoulderlng Schmitz's evil spirit was at work. The necessities of reconstruction were great Immediate action was necessary to re- store business While the city was lying prostrate from the terrible catastrophe that had befalen it, and money was being brought into it to help it's imme- diate needs, Ruef seized the moment to exact greater sums of blood money than he had ever collected before. The con fessions of San Francisco's boodling city fathers have shown that the Home Tele- phone company paid 100000 to Ruef-as fee for obtaining their franchise-while they raid only $25,000 for the franchise. Most Of the money that they had prom ised for San Francisco's relief fund went Into the hands of Ruef and Schmitz. The Pacific States Telephone and Telegraph company at the same time paid $5O0 to each of the venal supervisors to block the granting of franchise to their rival, the Home Telephone company. But the Home company saw" Ruef and he made the supervisors "come through"
 Hartman wanted spur track privileges for the Southern Pacific railroad. Harri- man kl ew of certain dividends to be de- clared on Southern Pacific stock, and Harriman's man." Herrin, generously told his friends. Ruef and Schmitz. of the matter anu put up sufficient margins for them to clear $16O,OOO, when the an- nouncement of the dividend sent the Southern Pacific stocks soaring.
 President Calhoun of the United Rail- roads of San Francisco took the cue. He wanted overhead trolley wires strung throughout the city of San Francisco. The citizens were opposed to the over head trolley system. They wanted un- derground conduits. But this would have eaten into Calhoun's profits. While San Francisco was still burning the United Railroads according to the confessions of the San Francisco supervisors 'came through" with private attorneys fee of $450,000 to Abraham Ruef. Of this 'fee' $50OO0 was distributed among the poodle board while Schmitz and Ruef took $200,G00 each.
 Now, at last, since Rudolph Spreckels, who was done out of a franchise conces- sion by Ruef, has been financing the cit izen's movement against the boodlers, Ruef and his puppet, Schmitz, find the jails of California yawning for them. If Ruef were convicted of all the charges on which he has been indicted, he would have to serve prison sentence of sev- eral hundred years.
 Ruef's attitude in attempting to evade trial has displayed the key note of his character-low cunning. As long as he could sit in security and weave his web the Curly Boss was braZen Once he was laid by the heels his monumental assur- ance degenerated into a weak bravado. His haggard looks now show that he knows his time has come.