The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-05-16
'COhFESSES GUILT
. BEFORE THE COURT
Abraham Ruef Breaks Down
and Makes an Admission
of Charge Against Him.
POLITICAL BOSS WEEPS
SCENE PRESENTED AT SAN FRAN
CISCO WAS AN UNUSUAL ONE
PRISONER MAKES EMOTIONAL
ADDRESS.

San Francisco, Cal, May 16.-Abra-
ham Ruef, once the supreme power
in this city, has confessed his crimes
He has pleaded guilty in open court
He has promised TO become a prose
cutor. In order TO save his own soul
and once more re-estabiish the honor
of his name his whole strength, with
all the dark things he knows, will be
turned to the conviction of those who
have controlled the city with their
millions
1t means that this city will be
cleaned as though by great winds II
means that what the devoted band of
prosecutors set out to accomplish in
the face of public ridicuie and corpor-
ate scorn has been accomplished.
The scene when Ruef faced the
bench of justice and acknowledged
himself felon was one of tremen-
dous import and gigantic significance
The situation was as dramatic as any
ever conceived for the stage, and a
thousand times more moving than the
most quivering tragedy.
Ruef was wrung with agony. He
struggled to his feet from dead faint
in the judges chambers, and walked
into the court room. One by one his
attorneys renounced and left him. He
consented to this as though he scarce
ly knew what was happening or as
though it were merely part of his
punishment
A wave of suspense or forboding for
the thing that was about to follow
passed over the crowded courtroom
Those who sat directly around the
judges table braced themselves in
their chairs, but everyone else by
common consent rose to his feet.
Necks craned forward and eager lips
parted in expectancy.
Attorneys Quit Courtroom.
By this time all of Ruefs lawyers,
save Frank Murphy, had passed from
the courtroom. Ruef sat practically
alone. Then he arose Despite his
trembling and his pallor there was
the suggestion of poise about him.
His face was ashen. His lips were dry
and he moistened them with his ton
que. He started to speak, but the
words choked up and he could not
go on. He paused, then struggled
along, until he came to refer to his
mother. Here his knees weakened
and his shoulders hunched forward.
He stopped and seized a glass of wat
er, gulped it down in huge, painful
swallows.
He told of what he had done; how
the temptations came upon him and
how he succumbed. He pleaded for
a chance to rehabilitate himself in
the eyes of his friends and the world
He declared in shaking tones that he
intended to enlist himself with the
forces of good citizenship. He begged
for a chance to show that he was not
all bad. He declared that he would
lend all his efforts toward clearing
the city wallowed. His last words
were barely whispered. They We're:
Il withdraw my plea of not guilty
and enter plea of guilty
As he ceased speaking he swayed as
though he was about to faint. The
clerk asked him to repeat the plea
and he murmured, guilty" His eye
lids lowered and quivered as he turn
ed his face upward. Then he sank
into his chair and remained there
huddled up, almost allowing his chin
to drop on his breast.
The court waited a moment and
then said without comment:
Case continued for two weeks for
sentence.