The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1908-12-24
A HUNTER OF GRAFT.
Career of Francis j. Heney, Who
Was Shot in Frisco.

FRANCIS j. f1SuGS, CulGl 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
he has had one other narrow escape
from death. He attracted the atten-
ton of United States Attorney Cen
eral Knox in 1901, when Heney was
defending United States Judge Noyes
United States, when the judge was
involved in the Nome ring scandal
Heney's argument so impressed Mr..
Knox that he offered him an appoint
ment as special prosecutor in the
Oregon land fraud cases. Heney
was then 3S years old and had fair
practice. He took the appointment
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 special
prosecutor there, and fund of
100000 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 1853, and
there he lived his boyhood in the
south of Market district, known then
as now, as the rendezvous for wild
gangs of youngsters who knew no
fear or limit to their deviltry. The
husky youngster learned to fight be-
fore he learned to read. Later, when
he knew how to read and was cram
ming his head full of preparatory
tions at the University of California
he did not forget how to fight. He
entered the university at Berkeley
with the class of '82.
Heney never knew what fear
meant and was always ready for
trouble. AS a young man, after be-
ing graduated from the University of
California, he practised law in Tue
son, Ariz. He was of such fight
ing nature in his practice that he
made enemies of the evil types of
Tucsonites, so he bought himself
modern magazine revolver, had
special pocket built in his trousers
for it so that He would not be ham,
pered by his coattails in bringing it
into action, and pursued the even
tenor of his way.
When he first began to follow the
trail of Ruef and Schmitz and the
other San Francisco grafters the
charge was widely spread that Heney
was murderer. This charge was
based on Heney's Tucson experience.
A Tucson man, known as "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
threatened, but he did not succeed
He then reached for his pistol, but
Heney's specially made pocket, well
in front of his trousers waistband,
emptied itself, and the "bad man"
dropped dead in his tracks.
Heney was engaged to run down
the San Francisco grafters as the re-
suit of remark he dropped in club
in that city. He said that with $780,
900 back of him he could clean: up
the city politically. Wealthy citizens
who had been Disseminated against
in franchise 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 supervisors who had
voted at the command Of Ruef and
Schmitz, and for money, and then
brought about the arrest of the
big men.
Ruef, until his arrest following
the shooting of Heney, was under
bail of $1,560,000 to answer seventy
eight indictments for bribery and va
rious forms of municipal corruption. |
Mayor Schmitz, removed from office |
and ruined in so far as his career in |
his home city is concerned, was tried
and sentenced 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 conviction and jail SEN
tences, 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 stipulat-
ed that he should have a lump sum
from the government for his work in
order to cover his loss in private
practice. This was agreed to, and |
Heney gave all of his time to the |
work. Later an assistant attorney |
was offered 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 work
ing for the good of his city and its |
people and will keep at it to the |
end.
Heney is 40 years old. He has
gained reputation in tn West Sec
ond to no lawyer, in the matter of |
vigorous attack. He has used in the |