The San Francisco call., 1908-03-25
RUFF IN A CORNER,
MUST STAND TRIAL
Fallen Boss Opens Way, and
Now Faces Accusers in
Parskide Case
Men He Held Up Will C0ntrOverf
the Grafter's Usual Cry,
Attorneys Fee"

Abe Ruefs chance of being released
from the county jail at any time IN the
near future, unless IL comes as trans
fer from Ingleside TO the state institu-
ton at san Quentin, has dwindled prac-
ticallv TO the vanishing point Even
we're II possible for him 10 procure the
immense bail necessary 20 give MIN
freedom the effort would be futile. TOT
with the beginning of his trial IN the
Parkside case which has been set TOT
MONDAY. the court will follow the usual
custom OF ordering him into CUSTODY
during the trial. and such an ofoer
means confinement until jury mas oe-
termined his guilt
The last two days have been Gays o.
crushing defeat for the hopes OF the
former boss, and the turn OF analrs mas
nut IN efTectual crimp in Henry Ach
eIaborately planned program OF oeisy-
when the appellate court ruled yester-
day that Ruef-s bail in the cases oaseu
on the duplicate indictments ssaihSI
him, should be reduced 10 noini,,al me-
sum Ii conceded him Simply the olie
point which Assistant District attorney
Henev had declared in open court ne
VS. willing TO concede OF his own mo-
TOR. The higher court did not cut a
single cent from the amount OF oei
fixed on the other indictments py l.e
Judges of the superior court. and hueI
habeas corpus proceedings nave ne''eo
him nothing.
FoNDEsT HOPE BLASTED
Ruefs attorneys have boasted ina.
hail would be provided the minute eiie
total amount was reduced TO reason
ehTe.. sum hut they have set no definite
figure on what they consider reason
able" whether an attempt Will pe
made 70 obtain bail in the amount no"
Txed remains TO be seen, but in view
of ali the circumstances Ruefs chance
of having his fondest hopes fulfilled is
not a bright one. The announcement
of the prosecutions intention 10 pro
ceed TO trial at once IN lne FaIAs.ue 10
case has put q different phase on the
whole question. for il means continued
in7prisonment-bail or no bail
The prosecution is convinced that IL
there were the least prospect OF delay
before the actual beginning OF one o.
Ruefs trials there would be a rusn OF
the interests behind the various high-
erup" graft defendants to furnish the
necessary bail, and that if Ruef were
! oIca free from the custody of the sher-
/ iT he would vanish No cost is deemed
nv the prosecution 10 be too great II
/ the arithmetic of the ~higherups' anc
! their friends TO get Ruef out OF the
Urav once and for all. s With Ruef ou'
on hail an escape or kidnapping coulc
I be arranged and carried out with com
parative ease
4 To avoid the possibility Of Ruef gain
ing even a few days OF liberty tn'
prosecution will vigorously combat an,
move by Henry Ach and his associates
10 delay the actual beginning OF Ruef;
trial.
RUFF AGAIN CORNERED
When Heney announced on Monda,
that-fhe prosecution would proceed t
trial on one OF the Parkside cases n
caught Ruef fairly in a corner. Th'
unexpectedness Of the blow left tn
CRATER gasping for breath So IA
there has been no severance amoni
the five defendants in the Parksid
cases. and on its face the decision Z
proceed TO trial applies TO ". l. Bro
beck. ]. E Green and G. H Umbser
lust as il does TO Ruef. But there is n
: doubt that demands for separate trial
will be made al once by the defend
lants. and that the prosecution vii
choose Ruef for the subject
Ruefs panic, resulting from the Sc
lection OF the Parkside case, is easil
explainable, for IL has hit at the weak
est point of his defensive bulwark an
. has placed him between two fires TIL
, preliminary tactics OF delay whicl
Ach has employed TO drag out III
United Railroads cases viii not avail
in the Parkside case. for Ruefs owl
t plea Of not guilty in the Parkside mat
ter was not entered until January 3
7 OF this year, after his immunity con
I tract had been finally forfeited.
{ NO PROP TO LEAN on
Now il is impossible for him to rails
: the objection which has served him S
!. well in the trolley cases that his pro
: cedure was under instructions from tn
0 prosecution. nor can he attempt to harl
: back TO q position where IL would b
1 possible for him to file further pre-
] liminary objections. He has entere
his plea and must face trial
Ruef evidently expected that in tn
4 stress of action in the trolley cases tn
o Parkside deal would be overlooked an
S that no particular notice would b
Z taken Of his plea Heney, howeve
thought differently. Ruef opened til
c way so that he could proceed to i'm
= mediate trial on q Parkside case, an
n while this trial is progressing III
t, prosecution will continue the merry al
s fidayit war in the trolley cases just a
! long as Ruef wishes to keep IL up. An
!. ( Ruef is in q worse predicament in III
Parkside matter than in any of III
4