Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-11-15
CITY IS STIRRED BY CRIME
Attempt on Life Of Prosecutor Heney
Deliberate Act.
PROOF HAAS PLANNED THE DEED
Citizens I'm Mass Meeting Call Upon
the Public to Protect the Cause
of Justice-Victim May
Recover.

SAN fRANCISCO, NOV. li.-franclS j.
Heney. who was shot down in the court
room yesterday while conducting the prose-
cution Of Abraham Ruef, will recover from
the effects Of his injury unless the predio-
tions Of his physicians fail At the end
of an anxious night in the Lane hospital.
where his wife and several relatives awaited
the first news Of a change in his condition,
1t was reported that he had displayed
symptoms most favorable that he had slept
long and well. and that there had been no
recurrence of the nausea that last night
followed the shock and pain Of his wound.
His intimate associates united in the belief
! that the indomitable energy that has char
acterzed his work as a prosecutor in this
city and elsewhere would contribute toward
his recovery and in this the attending ply
sicians. while speaking guardedty. appeared
to concur. - tsf fA' !.
The gravest danger appears to be from
blood poisoning and today an effort will
be made to locate the bullet and the exact
course Of the wound. Mr. Heney was shot
in the right side of the head as he leaued
forward over table. The bullet entered
half an inch in front OF the right ear,
ranged downward and lodged in the mus
cles on the left side OF the neck. $50
Haas is in the county jail at ingleside.
Abraham Ruef is also in the Jail, having
been locked up In the fear that he might
be made the victim of some renewed vio-
lence.
| Morris Haas, the man who shoot Heney.
is native OF Wurtembnrg, Germany, and
resided here since 1876. He is As years old
and for nearly ten years. ever since
his release from the penitentisry. where
ne served a two-year sentence for embez-
element OF his employers funds. he has
been engaged in the retail liquor business.
Prior to his committal to San Quentin
prison in 1888 Haas was given employment
as travelling salesman by Schlesinger &
| Green, wholesale cigar dealers Of this city.
On his first trip he was given accounts
aggregating 5000 for collection, and the
testimony showed that he turned in two
fictitious orders. The collection Of s275 In
San Bernardino, Cal, for which no ac-
counting was ever made, led to a warrant
for his arrest on charge of embezzlement.
Haas had disappeared before the embez-
element became known and was arrested
nearly a year later In Philadelphia. While
he at first contended that he was entitled
to the use of his collections in order to
cover expenses, he pleaded guilty in the
| superior court and sentenced to two
years In the penltentiary.
In the course of a lengthy statement
| made to the police after his arrest the
prisoner declared:
"Heney pronounced his own death SEN
tence the moment he denounced me in the
court"
This, as far as appears from the facts
now made public, appears to be the atti-
tude of Haas. He alludes constantly to the
shame and disgrace he has experienced
since Heney, several weeks ago. con-
fronted him as he sat in the jury box be-
fore a crowded court room with a photo
graph OF himself in convict stripes He has
! expressed a desire TO be shot or hanged
for what he has done; he has accounted
for his movements of yesterday in a more
or less straightforward manner and he has
steadfastly declared that one except
himself knew of his preconceived deter
mination 10 slay the man who had exposed
his sins OF the past. No effort was made
in the statement as made public TO ssso-
ciate any other person with Hass' attempt,
but 1t is believed the prisoner in the seclu-
sion of the county jail was during the early
hours of the morning, subjected to more
rigorous examination.
Prominent citizens and attorneys OF the
city gathered last night at meeting where
spirited addresses were delivered. calling
upon the public to protect the cause OF
justice The outcome was call for a
mass meeting to be held tonight in Dream
land pavilion. The call is as follows:
TO the Citizens OF San Francisco;
Francis j. heney has fallen by the hand
OF an assassin. shot from behind while
fighting at his post In the cause OF justice
for the people of this city. He would be
the first man to appeal TO the calm reason
| OF the citizens TO preserve order and
, proceed only by the process OF law. TO look
not for vengeance. but TO demand swift
justice through the courts. We make the
same appeal.
The prosecution will proceed. We are as
sured that the trial OF Abraham Ruef will
continue tomorrow and Monday morning
without interruption.
, The Citizens League OF Justice calls
| upon the citizens of San Francisco 10 lend
I their aid to the cause OF justice, and tC
that end a mass meeting of citizens Il
! hereby called for Saturday evening, No
, vember H. at Dreamland rink, at o'clock
We call upon every citizen to be present
; THE CITIZENS LEAGUE OF JUSTICE.
Hiram Johnson and Matt /. Sullivan. tive
: OF the attorneys who spoke at the gather
ing last night, announced that they had
offered their services 70 the district at
: torney as substitutes for Mr., Heney. whn,
|