The San Francisco call., 1908-03-05
SHOW RUFF GRAFT
IN THE TFvIS CASE
Former Supervisors, Witnesses
In Libel Suit, Say They We're
Promised Brides
Fallen Boss Sought to Jam
Through SlO,OOO,OOO Water
Project, Says Phillips


but since ] am here to prosecute, 1
intend to avail myself Of every oppor-
tunity that may help bring in verdict
Of guilty. ] am going to prosecute
This statement was made yesterday
afternoon by William Hon Cook, assist
ant district attorney. who is handling
the prosecution of the Tevis-Bulletin
libel suit, following question put to
Jennings J. Phillips relative TO an
immunity contract entered into between
Phillips and the district attorney.
Are you under any promises of i'm
munity from any one in connection with
anything wrong that you did while
member of the Schmitz board of super
visors2" asked Hon Cook
Attorney Matt L Sullivan Immediately
objected
NO TALKS WITH BURNS
Cook reconstructed his question so
as TO include only the Bay Cities water
company and Sullivan objected again,
but the court overruled and ordered the
witness 10 answer.
NO" replied Phillips.
Have you talked TO William j. Burns
in reference to this case?" asked Cook.
NO" answered Phillips. i have not
talked to Mr.. Burns in several months"
Cook repeated his first question, elm
mating reference to the Bay Cities wa
ter company.
Yes, have been promised immunity
BY the district attorney but not in
this particular instance"
Attorney Hiram w. Johnson in his
opening statement 10 the court and the
jury said:
We shall snow you that in The course Of num-
erous secret meetings by the board OF superyis
ors. usually In the mayors office and held on
Sunday nights, Ruef had set 10 work corrlIptly
70 furtner the venel plans Of William ) TeFis.
Sallagher Andrew ". Wilson and Jennings ].
Phillips ana other members OF his board Of
supervisors and told each Of them there
would he large money payments for supervisors
who would vote and stand in" for having the
Bay cities water supply acquired by San Fran
cisco for Sle0O000O These former supervisors
viii appear upon the witness stand and tell you
this themselves
We shall prove that thereafter Ruef wrote all
reports and resolutions Of the water committee
Of the board Of supervisors and all the resolu-
hons OF the board a whole. though, Of course,
he vas not a member Of the board.
Pursuant TO these statements made
by Johnson. Phillips, who occupied the
stand the greater part OF yesterday, ad-
nhtted that all of the resolutions and
reports bearing on the Bay Cities water
project were drawn by Ruef and that
Phillips knew the contents of every
report and resolution thus drawn. Phil
lii3s said he accepted Ruef's reports
and merely glanced" over them for
geographical errors on the part of the
stsnographer, Ruefs sister.
RELIED SOLELY ON RUFF
Were you present in Ruefs office
1Vhcn he dictated any of these reports
or resclutions2r asked Matt l. Sullivan.
yes. I was IN mis- Office rearly every
tisn2 that reports or resolutions of any
kind relating 10 the water deal were
drawn up"
asl-ad whether ha v-as acc,,,afytad
with the truth OF the data furnished
bv I;uef relative to the reports which
condemned the Hetch- -Hetchy water
system. Phillips replied he had no
knowledge relative to the source of
Ruef's information on the subject, and
that In everything details always were
avoided Ruefs reports being relied
upon solely, without effort on the part
Of any one Of the members of the
weter committee TO gather information.
Did you always accept these reports,
believing them TO be absolutely true?'
asked Attorney Sullivan.
Yes answered Phillips. Il believed
them 10 be true"
Referring &c one OF the numerous
resolutions prepared by Ruef and pre-
sented to the board, and subsequently
adopted. Phillips was asked if Ruef
ever made reference to the subject.
Phillips replied in the Affirmative.
MONEY PROMISED BOARD
What did he say?" asked Sullivan.
That it was good time 10 force the
matter-thst IL we could put through
the Bay Cities water project there
would be considerable money in ii for
us-that il was TIE biggest thing yet"
When wes that?" queried Sullivan.
About one month after the time, in
Fillmore street near his Office"
Il It,
shortly after noon Phillips said that
following the adoption OF certain reso-
lutions, Ruef caused them TO be print
ed IN a newspaper and 10000 additional
copies ordered. The bill for this
amounted to s400, to collect which Phil
lips called upon Ruef personally.
When I went to Ruef TO collect the
$40O," said Phillips, "Ruef pulled open
q drawer in his desk and extracted a
plain envelope containing currency and
peeled OF $3.50. I called his attention
70 the fact that there was still a bal
snce OF $50 and he replied, Well. they
haven't come through yet I protested
and be paid me the balance"
BOODLER WILSON ON STAND
Andrew NJ Wilson. one OF the bood-
ling supervisors, was then called to the
stand With q hangdog expression he
said he had read the resolutions con-
demntng the Hetch-H -Hetchy system and
subsequently talked the matter over
with former Mayor James D. Phelan.
He protested TO Ruef on the ground
that the resolutions absolutely elimf-
mated consideration in the future of the
-Hetchy project
4 told Ruef could not quite under
stand the object OF such a course and
point blank refused to be a party
thereto and so stated at the next meet
ing Of the board Of supervisors"
Replying to further oues tions put to
him by Sullivan, Wilson, admitted that
a few days after the fire he met Ruef
IN Fillmore street and was urged by
him to put forward the Bay Cities
water company's project. as il was a
good time TO take such action.
''Ruef told me there was going to be
something handsome in il for the board
Of supervisors. He and I walked down
Fillmore street a few blocks and was
introduced for the first time to Will
liam s. Tevis. but no reference was
made to the Bay Cities deal and we
separated almost Immediately"
At this point Judge Dooling ordered
a recess until 10 o'clock this morning.
when the Interrogation OF Wilson will