Los Angeles herald., 1908-12-05
THIRD TRIAL OF
RUFF NEAR END
P0HEIM TELLS OF QUARREL;
PROSECUTION RESTS
INTERESTING FACTS ELECTED AT
SESSION YESTERDAY
Three Witnesses Examined, Including
Office Boy of Former Political
Boss-Umbsen Also Gives
Evidence

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. Ask
witnesses We're called today during the
morning session of the trial of Abra-
ham Ruef on a charge of bribing for
mer Supervisor John J. Furey.
With all>the testimony for the state
before the jury, the prosecution rested
it's case in the afternoon and counsel
for Ruef stated it might take no time
at all to put in the case for the de-
Tense, and-it might take week." and
declined to make known until Monday
morning-to which time the court adj
journed-whether the defense would
offer any testimony or submit the case
without placing witnesses upon the
stand, as was done in the previous
trials. The case has been on trial for
fourteen weeks, ten of which time was
consumed in getting a jury
A half dozen witnesses were called
by the prosecution and the proceedings
were marked by manW cauSt1c verbal
tits between Henry Ach, chief counsel
for Ruef, and Hiram johnson, one Of
the attorneys assisting the district at
torney's Office, in which one appealed
to the court to compel the other to sit
down."
G. H. Umbsen, a prominent real es-
tate dealer, who told of having engaged
Ruef for a fee of 100000 to get a fran
chise from the board of supervisors
for the Parkside Railway company;
Charles ]. Haggerty, Ruef's office boy
who said he did little of everything
for his employer, recalled some of the
incidents connected with the defendant
in April, 1906, and told of visit of
Thornwell Mutually and TREY L. Ford
of the United Railroads to Ruef when
the latter's Office consisted of kitchen
and a bath room; w w Sanderson,
an attorney; DR.. JOS. F. Poheim, for
mer police commissioner; A. J. Burns,
an employee of the mint, and Paul
Sinsheimer. newspaper reporter, gave
their testimony today.
Sinsheimer testified to an interview
he had with Ruef the day after Ruef
pleaded guilty to the charge of extor-
ton to which the former political boss
stated that he would beat most of the
indictments returned against him, but
thought possibly that the prosecution
might get him on one or two.
Office Boy Testlfes
Charles Haggerty, Ruef's office boy,
was called to relate the circumstances
attending the visit of TREY l.. Ford
and Thornwell Mutually to the defen-
dant, and was asked to describe the
arrangement of the apartments in
which Ruef received his visitors.
G. H. Umbsen, the real estate dealer,
who was indicted in connection with
the alleged bribery for the Parkside
franchise, related in detail the sub
stance of his conference with the de-
PENDANT.
Ruef, he said had been engaged as
an attorney to represent the promoters
in their application to the supervisors
for a street railway franchise on Nine
teenth avenue.
The defendant he said, had demand
ed $4,000 for his services, but Umbsen
had told Ruef the company could not
pay so much, and a compromise was
effected upon fee of 100000
Ruef, according to the testimony had
said the Parkside people were going to
make a great deal of money and he
would have to have some Of it.
If he had been engaged at the outset,
he was alleged to have said, he could
have been secured for a fee of $40, 900.
Umbsen then related the subsequent
conferences with Ruef and the pay
ment of one-half of the 100000 fee.
DR.. Joseph F. Poheim, former mem
Der of the police commission, testified
he had frequently conferred with Ruef
at public restaurants and the subject
of the supervisors was sometimes dis
c11SSed.