New-York tribune., 1907-11-28
FOE OF SCHMITZ HERE
L4NGDON ON THE FIGHT.
San Francisco Official Says Amy
City Can Be Cleaned.

Francisco. who led the fight against business
and political graft in that city and put Mayor
Schmitz and Abraham Ruef. the political boss be-
hind the bars. and who has Patrick Cal
houn. president of the United Railways Com
pany. on the rack, arrived here last night from
san Francisco
He comes here to speak before the Civic Fo-
rum Graft and Democracy" on the evening
Of December II. at Carnegie Hall
At the Hotel Astor he talked freely last night
Of the situation in San Francisco. giving much
Of the credit of the work of running down the
grafters to Rudolph Spreckels. who advanced
The money that made the prosecution possible.
He told briefly of his first meeting with Spreck-
els and said that all the talk that the latter was
ambitious for political power and public fran
chises was without foundation He called ex-
Mayor Schnitz the cleverest. most magnetic and
fascinating criminal that ever city produced
and bringing his fist down on the arm Of his
chair said that there was not chance in the
world Of saving Patrick Calhoun from the peni-
tentiary.
We have a clear case against Calhoun" said
Mr.. Langdon, ''and nothing-absolutely nothing
can himI"
TRIBUTE TO Mr.. SPRECKELS.
Asked if Mr. spreckels was out for political
power the District Attorney said
Mr. Spreckels is one of the cleanest cut men
in the city Of San Francisco. He is wealthy and
IS content TO handle his own business and keep
out Of politics. When I first met Mr.. Spreckels
and told that he wanted TO put up the
money for the prosecution I asked him If he
willing that the prosecution should 60 tho
limit even though il led TO high places. He
said, Tangdon, think you are the man that
will it through TO the end, regardless of
whom It sn1irches, and want you to go ahead
= so15 &E,-kT IL a.
corners to which It reached and he agreed add
ing that even If it led into the Sprsckels family
Fl must go That was our agreement, and
the strange part Of it all that the investiga-
tion lid Lead into the Spreckels family by the
indictment OF Thornwell MullaIy. Calhoun's as
sstant, who was engaged to marry Mr.. Spreck-
els's sister-in-law. Mr.. Spreckels told me that
his heart in San Francisco. that he In
tended to live there all his life and bring up
his family in his native city, and that he would
gladly give up any sum that would clean out
business and political grating If he thought
such thing were possible.
TT was a hard fight against a strong naunic-
ipal fortress protected on all sides by the
grafters' machine. It took time and patience
10 produce evidence in court that would aonvict.
but we got it eventually, and II will he "a year
before all the cases are disposed Of The dec
laration of holidays by the Governor TO aid the
banks in this money stringency has been mis-
fortune TO the prosecution. For example. We
have had jury locked up in the Fairmount
Hotel since November ! because Of the fire.
quency Of holidays. But the Governor has called
a special session Of the Legislature TO provide
for the continuance Of the courts all holi-
days that may be declared to assist the banks"
EASY TO PURGE CITY.
Asked If any other city could be purged and
put on q good foundation as was done with
San Francisco, the District Attorney said:
There IS no doubt that any municipality
could be cleansed politically and the grating
politicians sent TO the penientiary If it followed
along the lines Of the prosecution in San Fran
cisco. There are far more honest people in
every community than there are bad, and the
majority of citizens want Justice and honesty.
If il can be shown by evidence that viii stand
in court that corruption exists. and the facts
and testimony are there to convict, the conf
dence Of the public is bound to come and back
,Ip 10 the last measure the prosecutors who
anxious to fight IT. Il
The great trouble we had to contend with
IN San Francisco was the continual concealment
on the part of the bribing business interests.
who denied TO the bitter end that they had
paid tribute TO Caesar RUef- We called many
guilty. business men before us and told them
enough facts 10 show that we knew Of their
bribng but they simply laughed and protested
their innocence. In the case Of the S2OO,0OO
bribe of the United Railways we even told them
the amount and offered to help them if they
would confess. but they made fat denials and
we had 70 go on and fight them with the bribe
takers We wanted TO help the business men
and protect them from giving up their money
for franchises and privileges and see that they
got legitimate rights TO carry on their business.
hut they preferred to keep quiet and continue TO
give bribes"
District Attorney Langdon said that. although
Ruef had been promised immunity, he was not
sure that he would not have to work out his
own salvation as TO whether or not he serves
sentence in state prison.
.'Ruef of course. turned states evidence"
said Mr.. Langdon, "but he is not telling and
has not told all he knows agreed to tell.
When we call his attention 10 certain evidence
he usually declares that he has forgotten that
particular incident. If he comes through with
everything we know he knows he may get off
lightly. but there must be some semblance Of
honesty"
LOOKS DARK FOR SCHMITZ.
Asked what would be done with ex- Mayor
gchmitz, Mr. Langdon smiled and remarked
that he most likely would spend some fourteen
years in the penitentiary
We have convicted him Of extortion and he
was sentenced TO five years, and is await
ing decision from the Court of Appeals If
we tried him on all the charges of extortion he
would have to serve a term equal to several
life sentences"
he Attorney said that