Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-18
lurymen Greet Ruef
as a Long Lost
Brother
Parkside Deal Explained
and Grafters Are
Trembling
When Asked If He Would Give Back
Money Received In Bribes,
Abe CIeverIy Dodges
the Issue
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
j. SAN FRANCISCO, May IT, j
i. Abe Ruef is receiving hundreds +
i of letters and kilograms from per- 4
+ sons all over the country relative +
i to the stand he recently took in !.
!. admitting his guilt. +
+ One writer from an eastern city \
i. makes the statement that Jacob +
\ Riis, the celebrated civic reform 4.
4. er and philanthropist, at one time i
+ had an eye on Ruef The letter =
j. Is in part as follows: =
+ Just mere I want to recall an 4
+ earnest conversation / had last +
j. winter With that great, humble I.
j. citizen, Riis, and how he said of i
i you that you had possibilities of I.
j. becoming a leader on the side he i
j. represented in this country If once +
j. you were made to realize that i
+ there was nothing to it on the i
+ other side; that in this way you !.
i. could not only accomplish more \
4 for yourself in every way to graf i
!. ify lawful ambition, but it would i.
!. be a lasting victory. Well, you've +
+ got your chance now, one that 4.
J. does not come to many men. 4
j. realize with you that most of the i
!. real fight is ahead, but with your i
!. eyes on the new hope which you +
4 expressed so we'll in court the +
j. other morning 1t will all come +
+ true in time If you work for it, =
j. + i !. 4 i I. j i 4 - i. 4 j. j. !. i i i
By Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 17.-Abraham
Ruef today in his second appearance
before the grand jury testified regarding
the Parkside Traction company deal by
which, according to the line of attack
laid down by the prosecution, the direc-
torate of the Parkside corporation paid
to Ruef the sum of 100000 to secure a
street railway franchise to enhance
enormously the value of the lots COM
posing the Parkside real estate tract.
The information in the possession Of
the prosecution is that of this sum $1,000
was to be paid to each of the eighteen
for voting the franchise and
that the remainder, $4,000, was to be
shared evenly by Ruef and Schmitz.
Among the directors and stockhold-
ers of the Parkside Traction company
were w. H. Crocker, one of the fore
most capitalists of San Francisco:
Charles e. Green, manager of the vast
Crocker estate and an official OF the
Crocker- -Woolworth bank; G. H. Umb-
sen, wealthy real estate man; Doug
las Watson, the same; F. w. Tillman,
wholesale grocer; Wellington Gregg, an
officer of the Crocker-Woolworth bank,
and Joseph Green. capitalist, who was
president of the corporation. All of
these men were called before the grand
jury today. The fact that several of
them were in the inquisitorial chamber
but few minutes gave rise to the re-
port that they had refused to testify.
This was not confirmed.
Bribe Is Increased
A detail of the charge to be pursued
by the prosecution is that the original
bribe agreed upon by each of the
eighteen supervisors was $3.50, but that
when the Parkside corporation, short
ly after the great fire, decided that it
wanted a trolley instead of cable
franchise the price was raised to $1,000
each and that the raise was con-
sented to.
1t is further charged that the brib-
prosecution getting under
way at about this time, the effort to
have the franchise granted was post
poned indefinitely-and that Ruef re-
tained the $4,000 passed.
Ruef was asked tonight when he
Have you made any arrangements
to return to the men and corporations
against whom you will testify in court
the various sums of money paid by
them to you for corruption purposes,
or as fees in bribery deals?"
He replied: Il will have a statement
to make in that regard a little later.
When I stated in Judge Dunne's court
on Wednesday that 1t was my purpose
to henceforth lead a life of rectitude
and to atone in so far as I could for
whatever of wrong I had done in the
past l meant what / said. There was
not opportunity then, nor was that the
best occasion, to enter into details. But
| shall presently prepare statement
covering your question"
Jurymen Greet Ruef
When Ruef entered the grand jury
this evening it was $3.50 o'clock
and he had been waiting in an ante
room since shortly after 8. Several of
the grand jurors, following the exam
pie set by all of the the day before.
rose and grasped the fallen boss by
the hand and expressed cesire to help
him "in any way they could
Ruef was on the stand one hour, dur
ing nearly all of which time he gave
regarding the Parkside deal,
which, according to the prosecution
program, falls under the criminal cap
ton of attempt to bribe public Of
ficers."
The investigation of the alleged brib-
cry of the mayor and the supervisors
by the United Railroads, which formed