The Washington herald., 1907-03-22
MORE GRAFT FOUND
Evidence Shows San Fran
cisco Corporations Guilty.
RUEF AND sCHMIrz WATCHED
Detectives Doubled on RumOr of
Planned FEght-Telephone Agent
Arrested in Manila Valves Extra
dftiOn-street Car, Telephone Com
panies, and Fight Trust the Bribers

San Francisco. March M.-The Grand
jury spent the entire day delving into
the mass OF political corruption which
the confessions of the traffic boodlers
opened up to Assistant District Attorney
Heney.
Although all the books OF the telephone
company were burned in the April fire.
and none Of the records OF The big pay
ments are available. il was established to-
day that large sums were converted from
the company stockholders for political
purposes. This, on its face, is a crime
under the California laws.
Heney will make an attempt TO indict
the magnates on this charge should he
fail to make the graft charges stick
Heney said to-day he feels that he viii
eventually secure evidence to indiet all
the members of the board of directors.
schmitE and Ruef Guarded.
Developments, following the confession
of Supervisors Lonergan and Boxton.
came thick and fast resulting in sixty
five indictments against Boss Ruef and
ten against former Manager Halsey. Of
the Pacific States Telephone Company.
Tonight Mayor Schmitz himself Is un-
der surveillance. and the detective guard
has been doubled for Boss Ruef. both of
whom are said tG have planned fight.
Halsey, who was arrested In Manila, has
waived extradition and says he wiz re-
turn Immediately to San Francisco.
OF the sixty-fve counts of bribery
against Ruef. fourteen are in connection
with the granting OF the overhead trolley
franchise to the United Railroads Com
pany Immediately after the earthquake
and fire of last APRIL Seventeen are
based upon the money alleged to have
been spent by the gas company TO procure
an Scent rate as against a 75-cent rate;
thirteen refer TO the alleged passing of
money by the Home Telephone Company
to obtain a franchise for a bid OF 81, 900,
and which it has been declared was worth
at least S1.000,0o0 and eighteen indict-
ments are based upon the alleged bribing
of the supervisors by Ruef to grant fight
permits only to the so-called fight trust
Of this city, which is composed. of ed
die" Graney, Morris Levy, James Cof-
froth, and Willis Britt.
Where the Money Went.
The money in all these cases is alleged
to have been handled by Ruef, who. ac-
vi eAAAt1 ~ -A~4ttB anu 0NtitSs WIS the
agent and broker between the public
service corporations and the board OF SUI
pervisors, and a sort OF general distribut-
ing agent for all who desired privileges
fresn the supervisors.
In the overhead trolley deal, Ruef, ac-
cording 10 Burns, got S4S5, 600 from the
United Railroads, of which Ruef is al
legged to have divided s9l. 900. OF this
amount $1,000 is said to have been given
to each Of fourteen supervisors; two re-
ceived $4,000 each. and one $4,000
In the restricting of boxing permits to
the fight trust, the indictments charge
that $500 was given to each Of eighteen
supervisors, or a total of 5000. although
a fund Of $4,000 was said to have been
collected for Ruef
In the alleged deal by which the gas
company got an S5-eent rate, $4,000
it is charged. was divided among six
teen of the supervisors in sums of $50
each, but the amount supposed to have
been received by Supervisor Gallagher is
not known. Besides the $4,000 bid for its
franchise, Ruef is charged with having
divided among thirteen OF the supervisors
$4,000 received from the Home TeIephone
Company for the granting of a franchise
to install their system in this CITY.