New-York tribune., 1908-12-10
JURY HAS RUFF CASE
THIRD BRIBERY TRIAL..
Fate of Notorious San Francisco
Boss Il gain in the Balance.

San Francisco. Dec 9.-one of the most remark,
able trials In the history OF California VIII enu
with the discharge of the jury that Is to-nght con,
sidering the fate of Abraham Ruef, charged win
the bribery of a former supervisor to procure 'ie
passage Of a trolley ordinance.
Ruef's went to the jury at S:S6 P m TO-DAY
After having been two hours the jurors "eIe
permitted TO go 10 dinner by Judge Nililah L
Lawlor. with orders to resume deliberations d. o
O'Clock.
Hiram Johnson who volunteered his services after
Mr. Heney shot. closed the arguments at noon
after address OF more than two hours chaI Silie
that Ruef had virtually admitted his quit on more
than one occasion. The instructions Of the court
were delivered after a slight delay and occupied an
hour.
During the first hour that the jury was out Ruef
paced nervousIy UP and down the aisles OF the
courtroom. occasionally stopping TO speak 10 ac-
ouaintances and often sinking TO his seat hehiy
Ach. Ruers chief counsel did not appear IN couI0 !
this afternoon II reported that ne hao peen
stricken with pleurisy a result OF cold con-
tracted night after ne had spoken for SIX houFs
and twenty minutes in Behalf of Ruef
Both in duration and by reason of the startihs
and unusual occurrences that have attenoeu rs
progress, the trial has become the most important
outgrowth Of the exposures CT the summer OF I9yo'
At that time a grand jury. after hearing the con-
fession OF sixteen members Of the Board Oh super
visors returned scores Of indictments charging
bribery against the supervisors. Mayor T. T.
Schmitz and Abraham Rues. officers OF the street
railway system the gas and electric companies
two telephone companies, realty company and
four prizehght promoters were also accused
Ruef has thrice appeared to answer three OF the
scores OF indictments pending against him In the
first case. wherein Ruef was charged with extort-
ing money from the proprietor OF a French res
taurant, the defendant pleaded guilty. The case
afterwaTd reversed by the higher courts. In
the second trial, charge Of having bribed
supervisors IN the application of the Parkside
Realty Company for & trolley franchise, the Jury
disagreed after seven hours Of delberation-
The present trial an indictment charging
Ruef with bribing Supervisor John J. FUrey. 1t
was begun on August 26 and has been in progress
l06 days. The jury was not completed until the
trial seventy-two days cid.
Shortly after the trial began Frank J. Murphy
and Adolph Newburg. attorneys for the defence.
indicted a charge Of attempting 70 bribe
John VI. Kelly. a talesman IN of the Ru=f
cases. E. A S. Blake, contractor indicted on the
same charge, was convicted and afterward con-
fessed. He is still awaiting sentence and the trial
Of Murphy, in which Blake the principal wit
for the prosecution. Is IN progress in another
department of the Superior Court.
The attempted assassination OF Francis J. Heney
who originally had charge of the present case
against Ruef. perhaps the most startling out
come Of the third Ruef trial Heney was shot
while in the courtroom November IS by Morris
Haas. liquor dealer, who several weeks before
in RUef's second trial had qualified q juror, only
to be exposed ex-convict by Mr. Heney and
dismissed. Haas the night of November 10
committed suicide in his cell at the county Jail by
shooting himself with q derrtnger which. IL 1t Sc
ueved. he had secreted in his shoe.
A tragedy following IN the wake of Haass death
the recent mysterious drowning Of Chief Biggy
of the police force. who disappeared from the po-
lice launch Patrol IN San Francisco Bay, and
whose body was not found. Biggy had been great
ly depressed as the result of attacks by the graft
prosecution, who blamed him for allowing Haas to
commit suicide