Omaha daily bee., 1907-05-18

the so-called committee of seven. l have
not resigned, nor yielded my prerogatve
to anybody and any statement to the
contrary is a malicious falsehood. There
is no reason why 1 should pass over the
reins Of government to other people
"As for Ruefs charges, / will say he
has never paid me any bribe money and
he knows it. II he says he paid bribe
money to me he simply lies. only know
that he has made such charges from what
1 am told and from the newspaper re-
ports."
SAN FRANCISCO. May 1.-THE Call to-
day says:
From this time forward Eugene schmitz
VIII he the mayor of San Francisco in
name only He has relinquished the reins
OF government to q committee of seven,
representing the FIVE great commercial or
saniEations Of the city. Beginning with
men whom they selected to admin
demanded by the public The exploitation
OF the mayor is complete. He has trans
| ferred In writing his authority, tanta-
mount to a power of attorney, to the fol
lowing citizens:
F. b Anderson, F. w. Dohrmann, Percy
RF;ose,nfeid, c. H. Bentley and Charles w,
on the committee Of seven is a repre-
sentative from each OF the following COM
mGserclsl bodies; Merchants exchange,
Chamber OF Commerce, Board Of Trade
Merchants association and Manufacturers
| and Producers association.
Today the details Of the plans of the
Guys new custodians will be made public.
| DR., Joseph Pohrm, a former police COM
missioner Of this city has it is said, fur
nished Detective William ]. Burns details
I OF Mayor Schmitzs action In compelling
| him to vote on the matter of the French
restaurant licenses in order that Abraham
! Ruef could extort from the proprietors Of
! these resorts fee Of thousands Of dollars
to insure their protection.
Detective Burns relies upon this remark
able confession of DR.. Pohrm to secure the
conviction Of Schmitz on the charge OF
extortion.
Mayor Schmitz was at his office this
morning as usual, but declined to see any
one In relation to the confession made by
Abraham Ruef that he had given the
mayor $4,000 as his share of the money
alleged to have been paid by the United
Railroads company to secure trolley fran
chises.
Ruef before Grand Jury.
SAN FRANCISCO. May IS,-Abraham
Ruef today made good his declaration of
yesterday that he would, following his
change Of plea to guilty in the extortion
case against him, turn states evidence
and assist the bribery graft prosecution
In It's campaign against municipal corrup-
ton. Ruef, ,obeying a subpoena Of the
grand jury served on him at the Fillmore
street house shortly before 3 o'clock, went
in the charge Of Special Agent Burns,
Blizor Biggy and another guard to the
grand jury room in Native Sons hall.
where he took the witness stand and sub
| mitted 10 baf ad
800 o'clock until after p. m.
When the ordeal was over he called the
newspaper men around him and said that
he had promised the grand jury to d.
vulge nothing. District Attorney Langdon
and Assistant District Attorney Heney re-
fused to make any statement whatever.
From Special Agent Burns it was learned
that the only matter in which Reuf was
questioned, was the alleged bribing OF
Mayor Schmitz ana eighteen supervisors by
the United Railroads to grant to that cor.
poration change In its franchise allowing
the electrifying OF its $50 miles of street
railway system ir this city.
Outline of Trolley Deal.
If Burns understanding OF Ruef's testi
mony is correct, the fallen boss told the
grand jury that President Patrick Calhoun
assistant TO the president, Thornwell Mul.
lally; Chief Counsel TREY L. Ford and
Counsel William NJ. Abbott of the United
Railways paid or caused to be paid the
sum Of 100000 for the privilege named
that $4,000 OF this amount was Ruef'.
fee" that $4,000 went into the pocket OF
Mayor Schmitz. and that the remaining
5000 was handed to the eighteen super.
visors. sixteen Of them receiving 1900 each
another demanding and getting $4,000 and
Chairman Gallagher OF the finance com.
nittee being paid t16OOo for acting as go.
between.
After the examination of Ruef was coIs
oludsd the grand jury remained in exeou
tive session until $50 O'Clock. Subsequently
the statement was made, but not offcially
confirmed. that indictments had been voted
against four high ofhcials of the Unitet
Railroads aud sohmItz, as predicted by
Oficsr Of the prosecution two weeks ago.
Statement by Ruef
Seen In the prison room tonight, Rue
said. regarding the ordeal through which
he had passed.
"I was received and treated by the grant
jury with a consideration that touched m
deeply. When I entered the room ever,
one OF the seventeen Jurors present aros
and took me by the hand. When finished
my testimony every one Of them got III
and bads me good night, with heart,
} handclasp No disposition was displaye,
: 10 grill me- The trying task had vol
UNFAIRLY SGT for myself was made as cas-,
by kindness as could have hoped. d.
not know when shall be again called L
testify. Perhaps tomorrow. shall b
: ready.
'"rhs report published locally today tina
. it is my intention 10 tell everything, / know
no matter who may be dragged down int
shame and disgrace. is untrue and unwar
rsnted. l stand by the statement mad
yesterday that my purpose Is TO expose onl,