Mexico Missouri message., 1907-03-28
GRAND JURY
INDICTS RUFF
MUNICIPAL GRAFT iNvEsTi0A-
TIiN CREATES SENSATION ~
SAN FRANCISCO.
"THE BEGINNING OF THE END"
After an Extended Dsllberstlon, Jury
Gives lite Report--Ten Counts
Against Y. v. Halsey-More
indictments Expected.

San FrancIsco-The long looked.for
Indictments In the municipal graft
cases were returned last night Short.
ly after o'clock the grand jury iiled
with Presiding Judge Coffey Of tbs
superior court 70 indictments charging.
bribery, which were found upon evil
ience presented to the grand jury aft
sr six months probing into the mu-
nicipal affairs OF this city by Assist
ant District Attorney Francis J.
Heney and Secret Service Agent VIII
liam J. Burns, and which reveal an
amazing story of alleged graft and
corruption that surpasses the doodle
cases of St. Louis. ranks with the
Minneapolis expose and Is only
eolipsed in the amount Of money
passed. but not it's ramiacations and
organization, by the fauleu'. .~-oSd
ring OF New York.
sixty.Flve Counts Against Rue
OF the indictments returned, sixty.
five are against Abraham Ruef, for
years the political boss of San Fran
cisco, charging him with bribing the
board Of supervisors TO grant fraI,
chises to the United Railroads, the
Home Telephone CO.. the San Francis
CO Gas and Electric Co. and the So
called ''prize.ight trust" Ten are,
against T. V. Halsey, former general
agent of the Pacific States Telephone
and Telegraph CO.. who is charged
with having brIbed the supervisors not
to grant a franchise to a rival com.
pany. One indictment against Ruef
and four more against Halsey which,
II Is understood, were also returned,
were not filed in open court Several
more indictments, the exact number
and against what person Heney and
Burns refuse TO divulge until the &C
cused persons have been arrested,
were returned by the grand jury, Jut
not filed, Heney and Burns not even
trusting the secret file.
One Franchise Worth $1,000, COO.
OF the sixty.five counts OF bribery
| against Ruef. seventeen are In connec--
ton with the granting OF the overhead
trolley franchise to the United Rail-
road Co. Immediately after the dis
aster of last April Seventeen are
based upon the money alleged TO nave.
been spent by the gas company To Sc
cure an s5c gas rate. as against 75s.
rate; thirteen refer to the passing Of
the money by the Home Telephone Co.
to obtain a franchise for a bid of
$4,000 and which II had been de-,
clared was worth at least 81 900. 600.
and eighteen indictments are based
upon the alleged bribing OF super
visors by Ruet to grant prlze.fight per-
Inits only to the so-called eight trust
of this city, which is composed OF
Eddie Graney, Morris Levey, James
Coffroth and Willis Britt.
The money in all these cases is al
legged to have been handled by Ruef.
who. according to heney and Burns,
was the agent and broker between
the public service corporations and
board OF supervisors and a sort OF
, general distributing agent for all who
desired privileges from the super
yisors.
Haisey Fought Rival Company.
The indictments against Halsey
charge the agent of the Pacific States
: Telephone and Telegraph Co. with
) having bribed fourteen members OF
, the board Of supervisors to refuse the
rival company n franchise.
Judge Coffey fixed the bail at $40
900 on each indictment, or a total OF
100000 for Rnef and 100000 foI
Halsey. The latter Is brother-in
I. law Of the late joint. Sabin. former
!. ly president OF the Pacific states Tele
. phone and Telegraph Co, later al
. the head OF the telephone system IN
Chicago. and brother-In.law OF Louis
Glass. president OF the Philippine Tele
phone Co. Halsey has been in Manils
installing a telephone system.
The Beginning of the End.
In this connection II Is noteworth,
that fourteen of the supervisors ar,
!. alleged to have also taken $1,000 eacl
from Halsey to prevent the granting
Of the franchise to the Home com
!. pany and It is understood that OF
n these counts fourteen Indictment
!. were returned against Halsey, onl,
y ten Of which we're filed Tuesday.
M Assistant Attorney Heney state
that yesterdays indictments -wer
IA the beginning OF the end OF Ruar'-
4 the beginning OF the work OF exposln
4. the municipal corruption 10 San Fran
cisco and the prosecution OF thos
high "" who are responsible 10
such conditions In this city.