The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-16

Ruef read his statement from Il manu-
script which he had prepared in the
presence of his attorneys few mo-
ments before Judge Dunne's S chambers
opened He showed in his voice, in the
expression of his face, in his quiet and
gestureless attitude, and by the tears
that again and again overfowed his
ewes, the great emotion and the utter
humiliation he suffered. The pathos of
the scene was communicated to the
crowd that thronged the courtroom
Tears sprang to the eyes of veteran
newspaper men who have been life
long acquaintances and whose papers
have conducted against him and his
political associates a long and bitter
campaign for the publication of muni-
icpal affairs The accused man was sew
eral times all but overcome by emotion.
When he reached the final words OF his
address-''I desire 20 withdraw my
plea of not guilty and enter the con
trary plea his voice was sunk to
whisper. But 80 intense was the silence
that it reached the furthest corners of
the room.
Still Proclalms Innocence,
Though Abraham Ruef has formally
declared himself to be guilty OF the
charge on which he was about TO be
tried, he nevertheless proclaims his IN
noccncc. He confesses that lie is guilty
of having connived in the corruption IN
municipal officials, but he denies, with
all the emphasis n man IN his unhappy
position can command, that he is guilt
less OF the crime of eXtortion charged
against him. He declares that his sole
motive in accusing himself in open court
was to save the lives Of those who are
nearest and dearest to him, his aged
father and mother, his maiden sister
and niece.
In the course of a long and frank
conversation this afternoon with rep
resentative of the Associated Press, IN
a room at the house at No. 2S49 Fill
more street, which for the last month or
more has been his prison, Ruef said;
II changed my plea to guilty IN
court today. yes; but l pledge you my
solemn word that / am as innocent as
YOU are I have been guilty of CON
niving at the corruption of municipal
officials by corporations. but In these
French restaurants cases am not
guilty. Since my action of this morn.
ing [ can have no motive IN mlslead-
ing you on this point. shall not
mislead vou Never, never in the wide
world could l have been convicted on
this charge. No one knew this as well
as myself.
Why Did He Plead Guilty?
"Then why. you ask. did L plead
gulty7 pleaded guilty to save the
lives of those who are nearest and
dearest 10 me on earth. | am not over,
stating the truth when | tell you that
if my father, my mother and my sister
had been compelled TO endure the strain
OF my trial, lasting at least two
months. and possibly longer, it would
have cost their lives.
Ruef's eyes werc filed with tears
when he said this He turned, and
for full moment gazed ont of the
window unseeiugly. When he had
mastered himself he turned, and with
wet eyes but steady voice, went on:
"You don 7 know what they havo
suffered in these last few months. and
| would not tell YOU if | could.
Why, night after night-~every night
my father and my sister have come up
here into my room and sat for an hour,
saying nothing, seeing nothing, | could
not stand it any longer. Again
the tears, and the choking, and the