Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-12-18
Nli5tellanruu5 8adin9,
A HUNTER OF GRAFT.
Career of Francis j. Heney, Who Was
Shot In Frisco.

| SnOt IN FTiSCO.
Francis j. Heney chief prosecutor
in the San Francisco graft case and
assistant district attorney, who was
recently shot in the head by Morris
Haas, has become famous in the west
as a fighter of graft and grafters, and
ne has had one other narrow escape
of United States Attorney General
Knox in 1901, when Heney was defend
ing United States Judge Noyes before
the supreme court Of the United States,
when the judge was involved in the
Nome ring scandal. Heney's argument
so impressed Mr.. Knox that he offered
him an appointment as special prose-
cutor in the Oregon land fraud cases.
Heney was then 3S years old and had
a fair practice. He took the appoint
ment and prosecuted the grafters in
the land fraud cases so successfully that
when San Francisco awakened to the
realization that it was graft ridden he
was called upon to act as q special
1 pIOSSSulOI lISICt anu a 1ullI VI S4VVtVVN
was contributed for him with which to
begin work.
Francis Joseph Heney, the son Of an
Irishman, was born in Lima, n. Y, on
March II, 1859. His family moved to
San Francisco in 1863, and there he
lived his boyhood in the south Of Mar
ket district, known then as now
as the rendezvous for wild gangs of
youngsters who knew no fear or limit
tO their deviltry. The husky young
ster learned to fight before he learned
to read. Later, when he knew how to
read and was cramming his head full
of preparatory stuff for the matricula-
ton examinations at the University Of
California he did not forget how to
fight. He entered the university at
Berkeley with the class of 'S2.
Heney never knew what fear meant
and was always ready for trouble. AS
a young man, after being graduated
from the University of California, he
practised law in Tucson, Arz. He was
of such a fighting nature in his practice
that he made enemies Of the evil types
of Tucsonites, so he bought himself
modern magazine revolver, had a spe-
| cial pocket built in his trousers for it
so that he would not be hampered by
his coattails in bringing it into action,
and pursued the even tenor of his way.
When he first began 10 follow the
trail of Ruef and Schmitz and the other
San Francisco grafters the charge was
widely spread that Heney was a muir
derer This charge was based on Hen
ey's Tucson experience. A Tucson
man, known as Il bad man." went
about the town boasting that there was
no lawyer in the town who would dare
handle the suit of his wife for divorce.
Heney took the suit and the hus
band came after him to kill him. He
threw himself on the young lawyer to
choke him to death as he had threat
ened, but he did not succeed. He then
reached for his pistol, but Heney's
specially made pocket. we'll in front Of
his trousers waistband, emptied itself,
rand the bad man" dropped dead in
his tracks.
Heney was engaged to run down the
San Francisco grafters as the result of
remark he dropped in a club in that
city. He said that with 100000 back
of him he could clean up the city polit-
ically. Wealthy citizens who had
been Disseminated against in fran
chise matters because of the free use of
bribes put up the money, and Heney
began work He was soon on the trail
of Ruef. who showed up as the arch
corruptionist Of San Francisco and in
whose hands Mayor Schmitz was tool.
He secured the confession of supervi-
Sors who had voted at the command of
Ruef and SchmitZ, and for money, ard
then brought about the arrest of the
big men.
Ruef until his arrest following the
shooting of Heney was under bail Of
$1,560.O00 to answer seventy eight in
dictments for bribery and various
forms of municipal corruption. Mayor
Schmitz, removed from office and ruin
ed in so far as his career in his home
city is concerned, was tried and sem
fenced to five years, but this trial was
upset by higher court and he was
admitted to bail. Ruef had one trial
on one indictment against him and the
jury disagreed. Both men have been
| fighting bitterly TO ward off final con-
viction and Jail sentences, while Heney
has never let up in his fight to land
| them for long terms behind the bars.
When Heney took the task of un-
covering the land frauds he stipulated
that he should have a lump sum from
the government for his work in order
10 cover his loss in private practice.
This was agreed TO, and Heney gave
all of his time to the work. Later an
assistant attorney generalship was Of
fered him. but he declined it. In the
present cases he says that he is not
looking for any special fee in his work.
but is working for the good of his city
and its people and will keep at it to
the end.
Heney is 40 years old He has gain
ed reputation in the west second to
no lawyer. in the matter of vigorous
attack He has used in the San Fran
cisco cases William ]. Burns, formerly
Of the secret service of the United
States, who worked with him in the
Oregon land fraud Cases.-Atchison
Globe.