The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1907-09-27
STATE OFFICIAL
STAR WITNESS IN
The FORD TRIAL
r abroad Commissioner
Wilson Admits Crime
and Hangs Head
NO CAUSE. TO RESIGN
Tells of His Loyalty to
Abe Ruef by Taking
All Bribes
OTHERS ARE HEARD
Former Supervisors Confess
Being Paid to Vote for
Trolley Franchise
OTHERS ARE HEARD

Andrew M. Wilson, prince of
boodlers, railroad commissioner
by the grace of William F. Herrin
and former member of the board
of supervisors, furnished the SEN
sation yesterday at the trial of
TREY L. Ford. AS though he had
been drilled in the part he broke
away from Assistant District At
torney Heney as soon as he had
taken the witness stand and
launched forth into a long state
rnent in which he denied that he
had assisted in the trolley deal
and concluded with the remark
able assertion that although he
had taken all the money offered
to him by the corporations, he
considered that his hands were
clean. Aroused by the astound-
ing declarations of the witness,
Heney shouted at him: who
gave. you your nomination as rail-
road commissioner? ?.
"Ruef.9 answered Wilson.
I'm conjunction With Herrins' retort-
ed Henex.
NO, sir. Herrin wanted Eddie
Wolfe replied Wilson.
why don't you resign. thundcrcd
Heney.
There is no reason why I should
resign, was Wilson's answer.
In a few minutes Heney forced the
witness to confess that he had taken
money from two telephone companies.
that he had grated on every corpora
tion measure that had come along. but
still Wilson, all his sense OF morality
wiped out by his career of crime. in
sisted that he had done no wrong.
HANGS HEAD IN SHAME
wilson's bolt. with perjury standing
out in nearly every phrase, sent thrill
through the courtroom Earl Rogers
and the ten other attorneys for the
defense broke into broad smiles, but
as soon q Heney's snger subsided he
gave the witness another reel of rope
and Wilson promptly proceeded to
hang himself
What guided you IN your actions
as = member Of the board of super
yisors?" asked Heney.
My sense of loyalty to Mr.. Rusf."
answered Wilson.
still you took 5000 from the Pa
cihc States telephone company and
then $4,000 from the Home telephone
company. and voted for the Home be-
cause the administration wanted you
to, didn't your
Yes, sir nneekiy answered the
witness.
And that was your sense of loyalty
to Mr.. Ruef7" continued Heney.
Yes" murmured Wilson. and he
hung his head out of lingering sense
of shame.
OON - mAmLOCh
Former Supervisor Mamlock, who fol-
lowed Wilson on the stand, promptly
contradicted the railroad commission
er's testimony. Wilson had main
tanned that he had never spoken to any
OF the supervisors is regard to money
in the trolley matter. Mamlock said
he had learned from Wilson that
there would be something in it,
Eleven members of the old board re-
peated the story of their sins to the
jury yesterday. all confessing that
they had received money for their
votes on the trolley franchise. All said
that they would have voted for the
without the coin. but most Of
them admitted that they knew some
thing was coming through and that
they readily pocketed 1t after 1t did ar
rive.
In an attempt to turn to his own ad-
vantage the testimony of former Su-
pervisor Coleman. who had lauded the
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