Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-04-30
CLAUS SPRECKLES ON RUFF
Sugar King 1urnlthing Coin fer PrVsSou-
hon Predicts Doom Of araitsuL
WANTS NINE HUNDRED YEARS FOR ABE
says san Francisco win He BETTER
Than Ever-Fears No Trouble
with the Japanese on
.t.... Coast.

ABE Ruef ought to get 900 years In the
penitentiary. l think there can be no
doubt Of his conviction"
Such was the remark of Claus Spreckles,
the world-fRmed sugar king and father OF
]. D. spreckles, who put up the coin for
the prosecution OF Ruef, SchmitG and other
San, francisco grafters. Mr.. spreckles, ST.,
had all plans laid for a modern sub
ground power street railway system when
the cataclysm Of April IS, 1906, befell the
city by the bay.
Mr. spreckles. with Mrs spreckles and
companion, Miss Jollffe, arrived in Omaha
Monday evening on the Overland Limited
from San Francisco enroute to Europe,
where they will spend the summer. The
party travels in Mr.. spreckles private car
and proceeded in it via the Northwestern
to New York. They will sail May IA for
Europe.
Il am just on the trip for my health"
said Mr.. Spreckles. Il am getting pretty
well along in years; l will be 20 years old
June 8. l have been suffering with rheu-
matte troubles In my lower limbs for about
two years and think the trip abroad will
do me good. Still, l do not like to think
Of loafing even the time it will take us
for our visit. l want to be doing some
| thing, not that l want the money, but I
have been pretty busy man and It wor-
ries me to be idle
City Rapidly Recovering.
San Francisco is rapidly recovering from
the disaster of a year ago. The earth
quake did not hurt us much It was the
fire. The city is rebuilding rapidly, but
we are much handicapped for want Of
material We cannot get It as fast as we
need IT, What We most need is structural
iron, lime and such building material, and
that we have to get from the east San
Francisco has not lost any OF It's CONNER
cial supremacy by the disaster only de-
| layed little. But then the San Francisco
| people are builders. The city has suf-
fered many great fires and comes out bet
ter after each one. The new San Fran
cisco will be better and more beautiful
than ever. Our people are full OF impa-
tient energy. But that's the way with
! California.
| They had not secured the entire jury
/ for Abe Ruefs trial when we left it's
slow work getting that jury. But they
/ will get one and I do not think there will
be any doubt Of his conviction. He ought
to get 800 years. He has been a great draw
back to San Francisco. We do not need
such men there. Public sentiment is very
strong against him, and that is the din
Guilty in getting a jury to try him But
they will get one.
Fears Nothing from Japs.
THE Japanese question is much over
drawn in San Francisco. 1 do not antici-
pate any trouble from japanese immigra-
ton; neither do l think they are going
/ to be so much of a menace to the Sand
witch islands. OF course, they are, coming
In there pretty thick. The Chinese are
better workers than the Japs; the Chinese
will work, but the Japs have little OF
the bighead. l not looking for any
trouble with them. We are pretty well
able to take care Of ourselves apd / guess
We can handle the japanese question with
out any war l have not been to the
Sandwich islands since last summer, and ]
did not notice then that the Japs were
coming in in any very threatening num-
bers.
'I arrived in San Francisco first in 1854
and was there during the vigilance COM
mittee days Those were thrilling days
l was a member OF the vigilance commit
tee. That committee had to be organized
for the safety of the city. l saw Corey and
Casey hanged from a window on sacra.
mento street They murdered James King
William, the editor of the San Francisco
A<Ntlllib bulltAllls MI NlilldIl nau eN-
cited the anger of the thugs and he was
shot down on the street like a dog by
Corey and Casey. That was the start OF
the vigilance committee. and the commit
tee did good work in Kidding the coast Of
the gamblers, murderers and thieves. TIL,
spirit OF the old vigilantes still prevails II
California"
Abiding Faith I'm Golden West.
Mr.. Spreckles bears his years with tn,
vigor Of a man thirty years his Junior HI
has an abiding faith in California and II
eloquent in its praise and hope for it's fu
ture He is a man of rather small stature
ruddy-faced and wears a full gray beard
He speaks with a decided German accen
and is willing TO talk freely upon alrros
any subject. Mrs. Spreckles is a fine look
ing, motherly woman OF a distinct German
cast and Is intensely devoted to her hus
band. They refer to each other as mammt
and papa and are simple, plain folk. cor
dial and pleasing in their conversation.
Mrs. Spreckles said;
Il want papa to get away from bushes
and quit work and take a rest. But Their
is one thing he cannot do very we'll an,
that Is to rest. He thinks he must b
working all the time. I expect, though,
is his constant activity that keeps him Il
such general good health and know thi
trip is going TO do him much good"