Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1907-03-28

FHOBING Or SAN r HANClSCO wi "
NlclPAL AFFAIRS INVOLVES
MANY.
San Francisco March 22-The long
looked-for indictments in the munich
pal graft cases were returned last
night Seventy-five indictments charg
ing bribery were brought in. These
were found on evidence presented to
the grand jury after SIX months prob
ing into the municipal affairs of this
city by Assistant District Attorney
Heney and Secret Service Agent
Burns.
Sixty-five Against Reuf.
OF the indictments, sixty-ive are
against Abraham Ruef charging him
with bribing the board of supervisors
roads, the Home Telephone company,
the San Francisco Gas and Electric
company and the so-called prize fight
trust" Ten are against T. V. Halsey,
former general agent of the Pacific
States Telephone and Telegraph COM
pany, who is charged with having
bribed the supervisors not to grant a
franchise to rival company
| Ruef the Distributor
| The money in all these cases is al
legged to have been handled by Ruef.
| Judge Coffey fixed the bail al $10,-
900 for each Indictment, or a total OF
$780, 900 for Ruef and 100000 for Hal
sey.
In the overhead trolley deal, Ruef,
according to Burns, was given s4S5,0o0
by the United Railroads, of which the
political boss is alleged to have divid-
ed $4,000.
In the restriction of boxing permits
| to the big -Four" the indictments
charge that $500 was given to each of
eighteen supervisors, although fund
of $4,000 was said to have been col
lected for Ruef.
| HANDED TO City atnerS.
In the alleged deal by which the gas
company was given an S5-cent rate,
$4,000, it is charged, was divided
among sixteen supervisors Besides
the $4,000 bid for the franchise, Ru #
Is charged with having divided among
thirteen Of the city fathers $4,000 re-
ceived from the Home Telephone COM
pany for the granting Of the franchise
to it. In this connection it is note
worthy that fourteen of the supevi-
sors are alleged to have also taken
$4,000 each from Halsey to prevent
the granting of the franchise to the
Home company.
Merely the Beginning.
Heney stated yesterdays indict-
ments are the beginning of the end OF
Ruef," but merely the beginning of the
work of exposing the municipal cor.
ruption in San Francisco and the pros
ecution of those thigh up" who are re
sponsible for such conditions in this
city.
Big Sensations Promised.
San Francisco, March 24-Abraham
Ruef said yesterday that he is consid
: ering the proposition to issue state
!: ment to the public and he declared
that when he tells his story it will
contain sensations equal to the disclo
sures made by the alleged confessions
of the supervisors. He expressed the
opinion that the investigation now go
~ ;,,f ,,,. Of ~
lied attempt to seize the municipal
} government and asserted that it wa:
} government by indictment" instead O
: government by Injunction
The sixty-five charges of briber!
l against Ruef were yesterday assigned
, by Presiding Judge Coffey to Judge
2 DUNES department of the superio,
A court They will be placed on the cal
1 endar to-day and arraignment set TO
, some day early next week.
5 Many Secret Indictments.
1t was stated yesterday at the pros
ecuting attorneys office that Patricl
Calhoun, president of the United Rail
ways company, would upon his arriva
here from New York be given an or
|portunty to appear before the CRANE
e Jury in connection with that body
Investigation Of the alleged bribery Q
g the board of supervisors in the matte
Of an overhead trolley franchise grant
ed the United Railways company las
g May.
u From the same source it was ais
learned that number of secret II
dictments which have not even bee
trusted to the secret file for fear tina
their contents might leak out, are no
0 all against one person, but are said !
contain the names of several.