Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-11-26
WARSONCRAF TIERS
Francis ]. Heney Has Been Terror
to Corruptionists, as His
Record Shows.
WAS ATTACKED ONCE BEFORE
San Francisco Prosecutor Had Narrow
Escape from Death at the Hands
of a "Bad Man."

Francis j. Heney, chief prosecutor
in the San Francisco graft cases and
assistant district attorney, who was
recently shot in the head by Morris
Haas, has become famous in the west
rs tighter of graft and grafters, and
lie 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 Moves
before the supreme court of the Unit
ed States when the judge was Involved
in the Nome ring scandal. Heney's ar
gument SO impressed Mr.. Knox that
he offered him an appointment as spe-
cial prosecutor In the Oregon land
fraud cases. Heney was then thirty
eight years old and had fair prac-
tice. He took the appointment and
prosecuted the grafters in the land
fraud cases so successfully that when
San Francisco awakened to the reali-
zation that it was graft ridden he was
called upon to act as special prose
cutor there. and fund o. 100000
was contributed for him with which
to begin work.
Francis Joseph Heney, the sob 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
Market district, known then, as now,
as the rendezvous for wild gangs of
youngsters who knew no fear or limit
to their deyiltry. The husky young
ster learned to fight before he learned
to read. Later, when he knew how to
read and was examining 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 ut
Berkeley with the class of 80
uerey never knew what fear meant
and WAS always ready for trouble. AS
a young man, after being graduated
from the University of California, he
practiced law in Tucson, Ariz. He
was of such fighting nature in his
practice that he made enemies OF the
evil types of Tucsonites. so he bought
himself Il modern magazine revolver.
had Il special pocket built in his trou-
serS for it,
Was Falsely Accused.
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 a murderer. This charge was
based on Heney's Tucson experience
4 Tucson man, known as bad man. y
went about the town Boosting 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 &c
choke him to death, as he had threat
ened, but lie 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 result
of a remark he dropped In a club in
that city. He said that with 100000
back of him he could clean up the
city politically. Wealthy citizens who
had been bled ard who had been dis
| eliminated against in franchise mat
| tiers because of the free use of brides
/ put up the money, and Heney begar
y,-nr ~ h., ~
Ruef, who showed up as the arcI
corruptionist of San Francisco and IL
| whose hands Mayor Schmitz was 6
tool. He secured the confessions o.
| supervisors who had voted at the com
mand of Ruef and Schmitz and fol
money and then brought about the
arrests of the big men.
| Ruef until his arrest following tn;
shooting of Heney was under bail o
! S1,560,000 to answer seventy-eight in
| dictments for bribery and variou:
| forms of municipal corruption Mayo
| SchmitZ, removed from office ant
| ruined in so far as his career in lii
home city was concerned, was triet
| and sentenced to five years, but thi
trial was upset by higher court, ano
lie was admitted to bail. Ruef had on,
trial on one of the indictments agains
him, and the jury disagreed. Boil
| men have been fighting bitterly t,
| ward off final conviction and Jail sen
fences, while Heney has never lie
| up in his fight to land them for ion;
| terms behind the bars
When Heney took the task of IN
covering the land frauds he stipulated
| that lie should have lump sum from
| the government for his work in orde
to cover his loss in private practice
| This was agreed to, and Heney CAV
| all of his tine to the work Later III
assistant attorney generalship was of
| fered him, but he declined it. In tn
present cases he says that he is no
looking for any special fee in hi
work. but is working for the good o
his city aud its people and will keel
at 1t to the end
Heney is forty-nine years old. III
has gained reputation in the ives
second to no lawyer in the matter o
/ vigorous attack. he has used in th
San Francisco cases William j. Burns