The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-05-16
RUFF PLEADS
GUILTY TO THE
CRIME cHA8GED
San Francisco Politician ,,
Trial For Extortion Causes
a Sensation
BY CHANGING HIS
PLEA TO "GUILTY"
Accused Completely Broken
Down in Health Court
Defers Sentence.
BY CHANGING HIS
PLEA TO "GUILTY"
THE SPECIFIC CHARGE,

A0o0C10Ee0 tIe00 TO V00 kcVe0lDk vIme0>
sss* &c = = *&* =
San Francisco, May 16.-The- =
specific charge to which Abraham
Ruef today pleaded guilty was =
that of the extortion of $1,175
from the proprietors OF the Del
monico French restaurant, the
amount paid to secure renewal
OF their liquor license, which had
been revoked because they serve
drinks in private rooms. The case
was based on only one of many
other indictments against Ruef,
each charging similar offense.
Ruef claimed that the money was
given him voluntarily as an at
torney fee, but this was denied by =
the proprietors of the various es-
adjustments interested, who tes-
tilted before the grand jury that
they could not secure license
without yielding to Ruef's de-
mands. !"
e The trial of Mayor Schmitz on
the first of the charges of extor-
ton against him is set for next
Monday in Judge Dunne's court.
= as =
San Francisco, May 16.-Abraham
Ruef, better known as Abe Ruef, the
acknowledged adviser of Mayor
Schmitz and once the recognized dicta-
tor of municipal affairs in San Fran
cisco pleaded guilty to the charge of
extortion in Judge Dunes department
of the superior court late yesterday.
Sentence will be pronounced upon
him two weeks hence.
After private conference with his
four attorneys in Judge DUNES
chambers this afternoon, and after
they had withdrawn from his case be-
cause Of the resolution he had taken
to change his plea and avoid trial,
Ruef. to the utter astonishment of the
prosecution, arose in court and an
nounced in dramatic address that
after long and earnest consideration,
he has determined to withdraw his
plea of not guilty and enter a plea of
guilty. He asked that the jury be dis
missed and the trial lbe abandoned.
Ruef read his statement from a
manuscript that he had prepared In
the presence of his attorneys a few
moments before Judge DUNES cham
bers opened. He showed in his voice,
in the expression on his face, in his
quiet and gestureless attitude, and by
the tears that again and again over
flowed his eyes, the great emotion and
utter humiliation that he suffered.
The pathos of the scene was COM
municated to the crowd that thronged
the court room. Tears sprang to the
eyes of veteran newspaper men who
have been lifelong acquaintances of
Ruef, and whose papers have conduct
ed against him and his political asso-
ciates q long and bitter campaign for
the purification of municipal affairs.
The accused man was several times
all but overcome by emotion. When
he reached the final words of his ad-
dress-"I desire to withdraw my plea
of not guilty and enter the contrary
plea"-his voice was sunk to wflis-
per. But so intense was the silence
that It reached to the far corners of
the room. -.
Though Abraham Ruef has formally
declared himself to be guilty, of the
charge on which he was about to he
tried, he nevertheless proclaims his
innocence. He confesses that he is
guilty of having connived in the cor
ruption in municipal affairs, but he
denies that he Is guilty of the crime OF
extortion charged against him. He
declares that his sole motive in ac-
cusing himself in open court was to
save the lives of those who are dearest
to him, his aged father and mother,
his rnaiflx,n sister and a niece