The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-04
DETECTIVE BURNS DROPS IN
he WAS THE BOSS GRAFT HUNT
En- IN SAN FRANCISCO.

All the Evidence Needed for the Prosecu-
items That Remain, He Said-H0pes
10 Get SohmItz on Second Triai-Talk
OF Electing Heney District Attorney.
William ]. Burns. boss detective Of the
San Francisco graft prosecutions, has
been In town for two or three days. lust
looking around as he put it himself.
He said yesterday afternoon before
going away that he hadn't any special
business In New York. but that inasmuoh
as he had to visit Washington on a case
In court he'd just run up to the big town.
He hadn't seen 1t since before all the
Ruef-Schmltz trouble began in San
Francisco.
The man whom the graft prosecutions
have made one Of the best known detectives
In the country 10 a pleasant faced chap Of
middle height, apparently not far from
10 years Of age. He has a generous crop
Of hair that Is OF a coppery shade and
curs slightly. He also sports a stubby
reddish mustache. He Is Of a plump
figure, has q fine. ruddy complexion and
wears clothes that look az II they were
made by a tailor that knew his business.
He has an agreeable voice, a kindly
manner and O pair of clear gray eyes
that look as il they had seen things. As
indeed they have.
we have now just about rounded up
>ail the evidence w need for what graft
prosecutions there are left" said Mr..
Burns. 1T has been a long pull to get 1t.
but the job has been done, All that
remains now is the court proceedings.
There have been some lively times out
on the coast. But II they think that shoot
ing and dynamite are going to prevent
the rest OF these 8 from being put
through to a finish they don't know how
mistaken they are. l see that since I left
San Francisco they have been trying to
scare Rudolph Streckels out Of the case
by framing up a Matchmaking plot on him.
You'd think they would know MIR. Spreck-
els fairly well by this time. but appar-
emily they don't. He's in this affair to
stay. He's not the kind that quits:
mir. Heney was in fine health the last
I saw Of hinn. quite as well, l think. as he
was before he was shot down in the court
room. 1t seems a pity that poor Heney
had to suffer 20 much pain for the cause.
and from q man like Haas too; but the
attack on his life did a lot to strengthen
the forces that were behind the graft
prosecutions and TO solidify them.'
The shooting referred to was the
last November, when the prosecutor
was shot through the neck by Morris
Haas. an e%x-convict whom the defence
had succeeded in getting on the jury
in the Ruef bribery. case. Heney had
learned after Haas had been accepted
and exhibited a photograph Of Haas
that showed him clad in prison stripes:
The man was expelled from the jury and
six months later he made his attack on
Heney's life. subsequently, committing
suicide.
Francisco business, continued Burns.
The whole graft mess has been cleaned
out and the place disinfected: II that's
all that had been done 1t would have been
worth all the trouble. Ruef is in Jail
under sentence on which he has made an
appeal. but. II seem highly probable
small chance of his sentence being upset;
Ruef himself thinks he has been used
very badly. It's funny. but. he really
does. Sohmitz. tho ex-Mayor. Ia awaiting
q new trial. We have every hope OF
oonvicting him again. but that OF course
is for the future to decide.
Langdon, the District Attorney, through
whose office a. these prosecutions have
been conducted. He has been stanch
from the first. The funny thing about il
is that he was elected or the ticket of
the grafters. He warned them too.
saying that II he was elected he would
be District Attorney and nobody else.
But I suppose Ruef thought he had heard
that kind Of talk before.
MIR. Langdon's term expires next
January. I believe. and already there is
considerable talk Of running Heney
for the office. l don't think there would
be the slightest doubt Of his election.
He doesn't really want the office. but
I suppose IL it were put up to him he'd
have to take it."
MIR. Burns went to Washington 10
testify in the case of John c. Benson,
who was accused Of bribing some clerks
in a California land Office. He returned
last night to Washington and will start
for San Francisco within n few DAVIS.