The San Francisco call., 1909-02-20

4 AN FULLY convinced that the at
tempt OF Morris Haas to assassin
ate me was the indirect result of
my submission during the two
prolonged Ruef trials to the Will
fication and abuse of Henry Ach. If
! had stopped that abuse by a deter
mined stand when it was first COM
menced I am absolutely certain that
I would never have ben shot BY
Haas. Ny life was saved by the in
terventicn OF a divine providence.
Every court is entitled to respect
full treatment by every attorney dur
ing the progress OF trial. Every
attorney, on the other hand, is enti-
tied 10 equally respectful treatment {
from both the court and the oppos-
ing attorney or attorneys. While
lying in the hospital recovering
from the wound which so nearly re-
suited in my death. | deliberately
determined that hereafter L would
invariably accord and exact respect
full treatment from every court and
attorney with whom 1 come in con-
tact. Moreover, / have reached the
conclusion that it is my duty as a
public officer as well as my duty as
a member of the bar and as an
American citizen to protect myself
and my reputation from improper
and unjust yilifcation and abuse
while engaged in the prosecution of
criminal cases.
The two and a half best years of
my life have been devoted day and
night without a single dollar of
compensation, either directly or in
directly, from any source: to an ef-
fort to cleanse San francisco OF
civic corruption. In making this
fight for decency without fear or
favor I have estranged clients and
friends and have been subjected to
as foul abuse from local newspapers
and weekly periodicals as any man
has ever been compelled to suffer
for doing his duty as he saw it. l
realize that 1 am powerless to pre-
vent such abuse and that it will
continue as long and as violently
as the public or any considera bic
portion of the public give it their
express or tacit approval
meant what 1 said in court to-
day. I will not find fault with any
legitimate argument which may be
made by any opposing attorney
upon any evidence which may be
introduced upon the trial of the Cal
houn case, but 1 will not submit to
any further unprovoked and ille-
gitimate vilif1cation or abuse from
any attorney either in this or any
other trial, either civil or criminal,
in which I may engage.
During the Ruef trial in the
Parkside case an attorney by the
name of NJ. C. Chapman appeared
for the sole purpose of vilifying
Mr.. Rudolph Spreckels in his argu-
ment to the jury. l wish to have it
understood that 1 do not object to
any argument or abuse which can
be considered by any stretch Of the
ina gination to be based upon logical
inferences or deductions from evil
dence which is admitted upon the
trial Ny protest goes to that class
and character of viIification and
abuse which has no shadow of foun-
dation in any evidence produced at
the trial
From the beginning to the end OF
the Ruef trial in the Parkside case
the courtroom was filled with armed
thugs, and Henry Ach indulged in
the vilest and most outrageous, base
less attacks upon my motives and
character. The tenderloin thugs
who were in attendance always gave
audible signs of approval by ap-
plause or laughter. The prograft
hired press exploited the occurrences
and invariably put me in the light
Of being the aggressor, whereas the