The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-04-08
Former Boss of San Francisco
Begins His Story
'0F PROMISED REVELATIONS
Convicted Politician Declares He viii
Tell How Service Corporations Bought
Their Franchises--Noted Names
Are Dragged In.

San Francisco, April S.--Stung by re-
prisal by a recent editorial in San
Francisco morning paper in which he
was described as human hyena" and
"a surly, cunning, synicaI rogue" whose
parole from San Quentin prison would
lose for the city the respect of reputa
bic men the world over" Abraham Ruef,
once all powerful political boss Of San
Francisco, Saturday in the San Francis.
co Evening Bulletin, published partial
statement of his connection with the
graft which made his name notorious.
ut had been intended by Ruef," the
Bulletin says in foreword, ito tell the
whole story of how public officials ars
corrupted and the public itself exploited
because private interests are permitted
to own the peoples necessities to make
millions over night by capitalizing privi-
leges that have been secured from the
peoples representatives through bribery.
This plan" the paper says, twas
abandoned because many indictments,
still hanging over Ruef, might be used
to make the former boss suffer bitterly
for giving offense to the power of the
enemies his story would expose" The
bulletin directly mentions the name of
Patrick Calhoun Of the United railroads
William +. Herrin of the South Pacific
and Frank Drum of the San Francisco
Gas company as men who have sought
to prevent the inside story of Ruef's
life becoming public. Herrin, it says,
sent personal message to Mrs. Henri
eta Sittenfeld, Ruef's sister, to urge
Ruef to refuse to testify against former
Mayor Eugene E. Schmitz at his recent
trial here. and declares that Drum
through Carrot MeEnerny, his counsel,
made the same plea to Ruef himself,
What Ruef will tell when the indict-
ments against him are dismissed--as
has already been advised by District At
torney Fickert--is set forth in a signed
statement which says in part:
Il believe much good can come from
straightforward statement OF my ex-
perienees / have determined to make
such statement. 1t viii embrace all
the leading events in my political life.
1t will show the roseate colored ideal
Of the dawn turning into the somber
darkness Of the night.
81 shall endeavor to make Il auto
biographical, but at the same time spe-
cifc and farreaching feel that the
narration will have much educational
value and viii in some degree conduce
to the benefit Of the society of the city
OF the state and perhaps of the nation
In the preparation of this document.
which | shall begin at once and which
will necessarily be of some length, / shall
not undertake to spare myself or to ex-
tenuate in the smallest degree any act
of mine, but shall give circumstan-
TALLY all the important facts and events,
including those leading up to and EN-.
bracing the San Francisco graft prose
cution.'
He says further that he win tell what
he knows of civic corruption and how
the public service corporations dominat-
ed politics, and declares he will describe
all the negotiations leading to franchise
bribery and tell how and where the mon
ey was paid,
His statement continues 81 shalt
show how money was eorruptly used by
both the Pacific States and the Home
company in the matter of the
telephone franchises. shall also give
fully all facts connected with the over
head trolley permit of the United Rail-
roads, which was q deal consummated
before the FIRE and was not an after the !
lire emergency hold-up, as has been
maintained on the part of the United |
Railroads.
81 shall give circumstantially an nc.
count of all my meetings and conferences
with Calhoun, Ford, Mutually, Umbsen, |
Green, Croker, Drum, Halsey, Detweil- /
er, Herrin and Others in the matters
referred to-"
The first installment Of the story
opens with these words:
with Others, / co-operated in selling /
out the city of San Francisco; and so / /
am in a prison cell. 1t has taken these I
stone walls this area by TO- where
The only light or air is that which comes
from narrow wicket, to bring me to a
full realization of the iniquity of this
betrayal
Ruef then reviews his early political
experience, his ambition to be political
power, and the building of the machine
which gave him great influence and re-
suited in the nomination and election
If Sehmitz as mayor.
He then says: "The first two years
We did not have board of supervisors
Tor the city commissions. In the second
/ received some clients
ind became the attorney for the tele-
,hone and trolley companies.
ain the third administration, finally,
had control Of powerful organization.
began to invite the super
,isors to French dinners. For the first
lime / was invited to dine at the home
II Calhoun; to dine with Mutually. with
Jmbsen and Green at their homes; with
FORD at his fashionable club; to consult
With Drum and Herrin.
"Herin now began to court me.
ould get passes and favors from him.
FOR the first time dined at his house,