New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-19
FEARLESS PROSECUTOR.
Continued from second page.

cial agent of the General Land Office and a
number Of men who had annexed so much of the
public domain that they had come to he regarded
land kings" f..-
1t was the success of this work for the govern
ment that turned all eyes 10 him when the dis
closures Of municipal corruption showed the peo-
pie of San Francisco the need Of Folk a
Hughes or a jerome to push the prosecution of
the evildoers. The extent 10 which the city had
been looted by the gang of 'grafters' led by
Abe" Ruef and his plant tool. Mayor Schmitz.
at last aroused the people and District Attorney
William II. LangdOn denounced the Mayor and
Ruef as petty thieves. He obtained the support
of leading citizens and Rudolph Spreckes be-
came responsible for the sum of 100000 to con-
quot the prosecutions Then District Attorney
Langdon secured the appointment of Mr. Heney
as his assistant, and the latter called in the
Secret Service detective. Burns, TO assist in Sc
curing the evidence needed
The first move of the gang bold one.
They got up fake public meeting at which.
after some speeches of importance, Ruef
forced his way TO the platform and made
speech, in which he declared that the admins
tratiOn OF the affairs OF the city was most adj
mirable. and defied the officers of the law to
find any malfeasance Following this. when
grand jury had been secured which il was feared
might lndict. the acting Mayor, in the absence
of SchmtZ in Europe, induced to remove
District Attorney Langdon and appoint Ruef in
his place. The latter at once removed Heney
the man most feared. but the courts overrued
the removals and reinstated the legal prose-
cutors Meantime. no lack of evidence of the
municipal corruption appeared. 1t was found
that trolley franchises worth millions Of dollars
had been sold for 100000: liquor dealers were
held up for many thousands of dollars on threats
Of high license legislation: theatres were forced
to give up third of their profits: contractors
had to pay percentage TO the ring" and the
French restaurants forced TO turn over a
large share Of their profits TO their bust
ness from interference. The latter form of ex-
tortiOn was. in fact. the cause of the outbreak
against gang rule and lead to the kick which
disclosed the other forms of corruption
The entire fearlessness of Mr.. Heney is one Of
the characteristics of his personality. That he
carries q weapon is well known and that he has
not been afraid to use ii on occasion is also no
secret. When he was practising his profession
in Arizona he became counsel for woman who
sought divorce. Her husband had declared he
would shoot any lawyer who took her case
After the divorce had been granted the former
husband sought out Mr. Heney and found him
in the street in front cf his office As he made
rush at the lawyer he nut his hand toward his
pistol pocket. but Mr.. Heney fred first and the
bad man" did not survive The verdict was
that the shot was fred in self defence.
When Abe" Ruec called Mr. Heney muir
derer the latter stirred to more vigorous
action than he had before contemplated 20 bring
70 an end the work of the corruptionists in San
francisco. He found that while Ruef was tho
agent and leader of those who collected Illegal
ices, yet he cleverly concealed his methods
under toe COAX OF legality. r. FOR instance a
contractor sought to evade the building Ia KS
ana was told 10 see Ruef. the latter would tell
MIN 20 so 20 The Board of City Works There he
would Re tod nothing could he done against the