The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1908-11-19
WOUNDED IN COURT ROOM
SAN FRANCISCO'S ASSISTANT
DISTRICT ATTORNEY SHOT.


Prosecutors Life Attempted by Mer-
ris Hass, Whom He Had Proved
to be all Ex-Convict.
San Francisco, Nov. 13.-Francis
]. Heney, leading figure in the pros
ecutlon of municipal corruption in
san Francisco, was shot and serious
ly wounded at 4 o'clock to-day in
Judge Lawlors court room by Morris
Haas, a Jewish saloon keeper, who
had been accepted as juror in pre-
vious trial of Abraham Ruef and af-
terwards removed, it having been
shown in court by Heney that Haas
was an ex-convict, fact not brought
out in his examination as venire-
man.
The shooting of Heney occurred in
the presence of many persons in the
court room during recess in the
trial of Abraham Ruef, on trial for
the third time on the charge of bri-
berry. At 6 o'clock tonight Mr.. Hen
ey, who has regained consciousness
and will probably recover, said:
II will live to prosecute Haas and
Ruef."
The physicians in attendance on
Heney expressed the opinion that the
assistant district attorney would live.
It was ascertained that the bullet,
which had entered the right cheek,
had lodged under the left ear and
had not entered his brain or severed
any important arteries or nerves.
Mr.. Heney was taken to the Lane
hospital, where he is under the care
of skilled surgeons. Haas is mar
ried man and has four children.
The Shooting.
The court had taken recess for
10 minutes and the jury had left the
room. Heney and Reuf's attorneys,
Ach and Dozier, had just returned
from Judge Lawlor's chambers, where
they had been summoned by the
Judge for a conference. After the
conference Ach and Dozier returned
T. to the court room and Heney return
ed to his customary seat. He was
talking with Former Supervisor Gal
lagher, who had just previously un-
dergone severe cross-examination
by Ruef's attorneys, when Haas rush
ed up out of the audience. Haas ap-
preached Heney, placed a revolver
against the prosecutors right cheek
and fired. Heney fell over on the
desk, blood streaming from the
wound. Haas was Immediately seiz-
ed by bystanders and thrown into the
empty jury box, where he was held
on his back till the police came.
s. Haas, while a venireman in the
second Ruef bribery trial, was put
to a severe examination by Heney
when he was examined for jury duty.
He asserts that the information
brought out by Heney in his questions
resulted in the ruin of his business,
that of a saloon keeper.
Haas, in the second Ruef trial, had
been passed as juror. Then one
day in court Heney dramatically pro-
duced a photograph of Haas, taken
at San Quentin penitentiary, in con-
vict garb and with cropped head and
his number across his breast. Haas
collapsed in court, admitting he had
been a convict. He was Immediately
removed from the jury.
Large Crowd Gathers.
News of the shooting spread rapid
ly and an immense crowd gathered
in the corridors of the court building.
A large force of police, headed by
Chief Biggy, surrounded the building
and kept the crowd back. A number
of men who were suspected of being
there to create trouble were arrested.
Heney was rushed to the emer-
gency hospital
Haas, in a statement after the
shooting said:
81 am the wronged man. 1 do not
care what becomes of me now. II
have sacrificed myself not for my own
honor but for the honor of those who
are situated like myself. I would not
have brought my four children into
the world to bear such brand if l
had known the fact that I was a
former convict would become known.
Heney ruined me. That is why II
shot him.
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