The San Francisco call., 1907-03-19
Expect Confession
From Curly Boss
If Ruef Weakens Mil
lionaires Will Don
Prison Stripes

Strangely enough. the hopes of the
prosecution TO bag a covey Of million
aires, who are known to have been
criminally mixed in this tremendous
game OF graft and corruption, lie large
ly with the discredited- dishonored, pitt
ful figure Of the dethroned boss, Ruef.
That he will confess is the opinion of
the men whose work for a clean city
has uncovered this rottenness. He has
no defense; he is stripped of the last
rag of pretense and is revealed as the
traducer of his city, the corruptor Of
its morals and the betrayer of the
confidence of an army Of toilers. He
knows st; and he knows his pursuers
know IL. He knows they have the eyi-
dence to convict him. He has known
they were gathering II ever since Su-
pervisor Lonergan's miserable tumble
Of the $500 bribe taken by that easily
bought Official in the very presence of
Detective Burns. Then the fabric OF
Ruefs city -betraying scheme fell to
pieces and Ruef was not long in finding
out how Lonergan had blundered.
But to catch the millionaires in the
net may require Rpers evidence. To
place them behind the bars in depart
mGnL OF 0bu A4GulAn AdDClSA
lionaires' Row" may require that Ruef
tell what the Supervisors do not know.
They were satisfied to accept meekly
the crumbs that fell from the table at
which Schmitz and Ruef gorged them
selves.
The prosecuting forces believe Ruef
will not stand the strain and that he
will not consent to wear his life away
behind forbidding bars without assur-
~ - 1-c f1r ~
company as his millionaire followers in
crime can provide Ruef has little Of
the martyr in his system and he will
not suffer alone.
According TO the evidence obtained
by Burns and presented to the Grand
Jury, there are enough proved offenses
to keep Ruef in State prison for life,
though he should achieve the age Of
Methuselah.
1t is believed that the only chance
the corporation officials responsible for
the debauching OF public officers have
to keep Ruefs mouth sealed is TO per-
suade him that they will obtain par
don for him after he is convicted. They
may be able to convince the skeptical
ex-boss that their combined power is
equal TO wedging a pardon between
the bars of his cell That they could
never deliver the goods" is a GER
that they could never persuade Ruef
TO the contrary. So the prosecution be-
lieves that from Ruefs faltering lips
will come a story which will weave
stripes around a score of men who now
parade as leading citizens of high
finance
When he comes through" the pal
pable iniouity OF the Bay Cities water
right steal will be revealed 1t will
- ut< ~ % al
persuasion the Supervisors agreed to
accept out OF the thirteen propositions
presented that of the Bay Cities, which
has little TO sell and wants &10,5O0, 900
for that little. 1t will be shown that
five Of the companies put UP $4,000
just for the privilege of a hearing, and
w. S. Tevis will have been caught.
and Burns and Heney are not oppressed
with the fear OF criminal, though he
may be of the multi-millionaire stripe.
Testimony taken before the Grand
Jury is TO the effect that Tevis came
through" strong and that, in his effort
to get the s1o,5o0,000 proposition of the
Bay Cities Water Company before the
public he did not hesitate to spend
a part OF the expected gain which his
thieving proposition entailed. The tes-
timony shows, however, that the Super
visors got nothing but promises. re-
deemable when the scheme was put
through Ruef and Schmitz were not
content with empty promises, for Ruef
had taught his pupil that promises
bought nothing.
The further expectation of the prose-
cutors is that Ruef will tell of scores
OF other fniquities that have smeared
Schmitzs entire career as a public Of
fetal Ruef watched Schmitz closely.
AS a student OF the Ruef philosophy
Schmitz, the curly boss knew, needed
wetching. Schmftz was caught once
or twice holding out on his teacher,
but. being shrewder, Ruef blocked such
games, and perhaps was proud Of his
pupils skill.
Burns and Heney are close UP to the
head of the United Railroads. They
are after Calhoun himself. and will get
him. They have obtained evidence
against Mutually and they believe the
latter viii tell more than he told last
night. Like Ruef. Mutually will not be
submerged alone II he can grapple
Calhoun In his dounoering.
Then there is the scandal OF the
Union-street railway franchise, where
81 assessment on every share of stock
immediately preceded the procuring of
the coveted franchise. George A New
hall is the man Burns and Heney are
after for an explanation Of this deal
Evidence has been adduced already i'm
plicating him IN the graft that has
ooubly hurt q crippled city.
w. B. Bourne, formerly OF the San
francisco Gas and Electric Company,