Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-11
Jury WrangIed Over Verdict
for TWenty-Four Hours.
Crowds in San Francisco Street Cheer
Announcement.
HENEY AGAIN IN COURT
Prosecution Had Despaired Of Agree.
ment-Appeal Will Be Taken
| by Boodler.

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal. December II.
Just when all indications pointed to
a mistrial in the cases of Abraham
Ruef. the political boss charged with
offering to bride John J. Furey. a men,
ors. to vote for a trolley franchise for
the United railroads. the jury returned
a verdict of guilty yesterday.
The conviction came as a great sur
prise to the community by reason Of
the fact that the jury had been delib-
Grating since Wednesday afternoon and
was reported to stand nine for convic-
tion to three for acquittal.
When it finally became known that
the boss" had been found guilty gen
eral satisfaction was to be noted
throughout the city.
The jury retired to deliberate We'd
nesday afternoon at twenty-five min
utes to 4. and brought in its verdict al
four yesterday afternoon. The ver-
dict was received with the utmost quiet
Ruef Unperturbed.
Notwithstanding this new blow. Ruef
was apparently unmoved. His father,
who sat beside him. was visibly af-
fected and all but broke down under
the weight of his sons disgrace.
When the jurors left the courtroom
an immense crowd cheered them long
and loud. Ruef sat in the courtroom
for about fifteen minutes after the
room had been cleared and then left in
the sheriff's van for the county jail His
attorneys announce that they will APP
peal Immediately for a new trial.
During the afternoon Special Prose-
cutor Francis J. Heney. who has just
recovered from the effects of the shoot
ing that laid him low, entered the
courtroom and took his seat at the
an ovation by the crowd in the court
room.
Mr.. Heney expressed himself as elat.
ed over the conviction Of Ruef. Dis
trict Attorney Langdon and Rudolph
Spreckles are also greatly pleased at
the outcome Of the long-drawn-out trial.
Out Of the trials have sprung other is
sues of no less import to the community
and no less dramatic In their phases.
Two of the lawyers Of Ruef. Frank ].
indicted under charges Of attempting to
bride a prospective Ruef Juror to vote for
acquittal Of the former boss.
Murphy at present Is under trial on the
charge. E. A. 8. Blake, a former con-
tractor. who has testified that he was
the agent Of Murphy and Newburgh. has
been tried. convicted and has confessed
his share in the plot to District Attorney
Langdon.
Ruef Ruled Entire City.
Although Abraham Ruef became boss
Of San Francisco in 1901, 1t was not until
March. 1907, that indictments were voted
against him. On that day he was the
subject of fifty-seven indictments. all Of
which charged bribery
He waited till May Is. 1907, before he
confessed. BY the time Ruef made this
confession District Attorney Langdon
and Francis j. Heney, special district
attorney. had gone back over the Ruef
track as far as 1901 and had discovered
and substantiated the evidence on which
he was later brought to trial.
Ruef came into power In 1901, following
the election as mayor of Eugene +.
Schmitz. who had led the orchestra in
the Columbia Theater for $40 a week.
Through Ruers political ability Schmitz
After Rudolph Spreckels had pledged
100000 to fight graft in San Francisco.
and after Mr.. Heney had been sent TO
that city, Ruef declared that no guilt
could be traced to his door. When the
prosecution proved that through Ruef
supervisors had been paid $3.50 each to
vote for eighty-fve-cent gas instead or
seventy-hve-cent gas, and after the 1act
had been established that the Home Tele-
phone Company had paid eight super
visors $500 each to vote In favor OF It's
franchise after ten supervisors, including
all of the eight, had accepted 5000 to
vote against that franchise. Ruef's at
torney's fee'' defense began to crumbae.
Tony Blanco. proprietor of the Poodle
Dog Restaurant, testified he had paid
$500 for protection, and then saloon
keepers, proprietors of gambling houses
and other resorts and other victims or
small graft began to tell their stories
against Ruef.
Ruef said he had confessed because OF
his solicitude for his aged mother. His
affection for her has been the bright spot
in his career.
Men back Of the prosecutions in San
Francisco have said the conviction OF
Ruef would be the most desirable thing
that could happen in the cause of reform
in that city.