The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1907-03-28

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 a 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 at $40.
900 for each indictment, or a total OF
$640,00O for Ruef and 100000 for Hal
sey.
In the overhead trolley deal, Ruef,
according to Burns, was given $4S5, 900
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 a fund
of $4,000 was said to have been col
lected for Rnef.
Handed to City Fathers.
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, Rusf
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 supervi-
sors are alleged to have also taken
$4,000 each from Halsey to prevent
the granting of the franchise to tho
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 "high 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 1t 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.
ing on was in furtherance of an organ.
lied attempt to seize the municipal
government, and asserted that it was
government by indictment" instead Of
government by injunction"
The sixty-five charges of bribery
against Ruef we're. yesterday assigned
by Presiding Judge Coffey to Judge
DUNES department of the superior
court. They will be placed on the cal
endar to-day and arraignment set for
some day early next week.
Many Secret Indictments.
1t was stated yesterday at the pros
ecuting attorneys Office that Patrick
Calhoun, president of the United Rail-
ways company, would upon his arrival
here from New York be given an op-
portunty to appear before the grand
jury in connection with that body's
investigation of the alleged bribery Of
the board of supervisors in the matter
of an overhead trolley franchise grant
ed the United Railways company last
May.
From the same source it was also
learned that a number OF secret in
dictments which have not even been
trusted to the secret file for fear that
their contents might leak out, are not
all against one person, but are said to