Semi-weekly herald., 1908-11-16
Sal 80 - ~: -, ....N!''.fISCANS ~.
APPALLED, ATCRlME
) The Shooting Of Special Assistant Prosecuting
!, Attorney Heney by Ex-Convict Creates
Profound Sensation

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 14.-Fre
quently, since the earthquake and fire
of 1906, have the people of San Fran.
cisco been startled and aroused by
revelations and developments in tan
gled maze OF prosecutions for bribery
and corruption that followed the sud.
den overthrow of Abraham Ruef and
the boodling supervisors of Mayor
Schmitz' regime, but never has the
city been more profoundly stirred than
at the attempted assassination late
yesterday afternoon of Francis ]. He
ney, the special assistant of the dis
trict attorneys office, who was shot
and seriously wounded in the court
room by Morris Haas, an ex-convics,
and resident in this city where his
past record Heney exposed a few
weeks ago after Haas had qualified as
Juror to pass upon the guilt or inno-
cence of Ruef, who is now in the
. midst of third trial for bribery.
Mr.. Heney retained consciousness
throughout the night and rested well
No alarming symptoms developed and
at noon today his condition is said to
be improved, His friends and family
are hopeful of his recovery.
The city is all excitement and today
the following call was issued for a
public mass meeting tonight:
ITO 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 calm reason of the citizens to pre-
serve order and proceed only by the
process of law, to look not for ven
geance, but to demand swift justice
through the courts. We make the
same appeal. The prosecutions will
proceed. We are assured that the
trial of Abraham Ruef will continue
tomorrow and Monday morning with
out interruption.
THE Citizens League of Justice
called upon the citizens of San Fran
cSico to lend their aid tb the cause
of justice and to that end mass
meeting of citizens is hereby called
for Saturday evening, November IA,
at Drealand rink at 8 o'clock. We
call upon every citizen to be present,
(Signed)
THE CITIZENS LEAGUE OF JUS
TICE."
The would-be assassin is u Jew ana
is saloon-keeper, who was drawn
upon the jury panel in the second trial
of Ruef and who. after having been
temporarily passed by both sides, was
exposed in a most dramatic manner
by Heney as an ex-convict and dis
charged from the jury. Haas declared
2Ster the shooting, that Heney had
ruined his life by this exposure and
that he had determined to kill him
for that reason.
Heney had finished the cross-exam-
ination at noon OF James j. Gallagher,
the self-confessed "go-between" of
Ruef and the former board OF super
visors. Ash, the chief counsel for
Ruef, had subjected Gallagher to
severe eross-examination for fully Two
hours in the afternoon, when Judge
Lawler declared a brief recess from
A to 5 o'clock. The jury filed out and
the counsel for Ruef and Mr.. Heney,
at the request Of the judge went lnto
his chamber to confer with him on
some proposed instructions to the jury
At the close OF the conference Heney
returned to the court room and aa'
at his place at counsel table. A rep
resentative OF the Associated Press
had Just walked TO Mr.. Heney's table
and was standing at his left elbow
waiting to speak to him, when u smal
man, neatly attired, approached hr
Heney from behind with quick ihousf
deliberate steps. Suddenly his righ
hand shot out, and before anyone
could make move at him, there wa
u Cash and a loud report rang through
the court room. Before Haas coul'
raise his pistol again, special police
man was upon him, threw him 20 tn
floor and wrested the weapon from
? his grasp.
Or. ii. A. Fincn. who was in III
- court room at Tue time rushed TO Ma
Heney's side, made a hasty examini
tion and pronounced him fatally suo
Heney was perfectly composed. Med
cal assistance was somewhat SLOW l
arriving. Sinally an ambulance a
rived and conveyed the wounded ma
to the Central Emergency hospita
but four blocks away from the coul
house, from whence he was remove
et about y. N. to the Lane hospita