Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-08-19
Convicted CRATER Tells of Re-
cisco Officials and "B;g Bus
lationS Between San Fran
mess"
By E. N. SMITH.

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, Aug. I. -
, With the statement that My first
bride came from the Croker bank"
Abe Ruef has entered the most inter
| esting part Of his prison written auto
biography, in which he lays bare for
the first time the inside history of the
selling-out of San Francisco
His most interesting contribution so
far refutes the statement often made
by the indicted corporation officials
that they were held up by the Super
visOrs after the fire, by proving that
the corporations began going after
whatever they needed before the fire,
in fact Immediately after the Schmitz
Board of Supervisors was elected, and
before they took Office, according to
Ruef, that the opposition papers be-
gan talking about graft long before
graft was even thought of, so much
so 1that when the Supervisors were
elected. they began to feel that there
was graft everywhere and they might
as we'll get some for themselves. This
situation was not at all to the liking
of Ruef as he admits. He feared that
the indiscreet members OF the board
dealing on their own hook would even
tually involve the whole labor admin
istration, therefore working through
Gallagher he endeavored to make the
board understand that they would
make considerably more money by
simply letting Ruef and his men han
die the corporations and afterwards
he would settle" with them. Ruef
claims he had no desire to graft at
that time but when the corporations
offered him fabulous sums to become
their attorney, without doing much
work, he was constrained to accept.
Put Screws On Him.
After he had been put on the STATS
| of various corporations the screws be-
lgan to be put upon him, and the ways
'and means are interesting. The Park
hide land tract, lying beside Golden
Fate Park and close to the ocean was
b be put on the market by influential
Interests, back of which was William
Crocker's bank Millions of dollars
birth of property was to be sold off,
| nothing could be done unless
enecting street car line could be run
tbugh the property. Application for
franchise was therefor made, but
thSupervisors, seeming money, re-
fun to pass the matter in a hurry.
Eygthing was done to make the Of
fck hurry the grant, and in final
effd the Interests" arranged for a
Il touEer the property involved, which
endSn most elaborate wine-fowing
bandit at a road house. It was here
thatAe of the Supervisors in be-
fuddA burst of confidence intimated
that 1 Parkside people were not IN
businS for their health and neither
were Y The matter was seemingly
not nobd at the time and was passed
off as bike. But shortly afterwards
the coffations got busy.
II MayoEchmitz had demanded that
the fra1iise be passed as personal
favor toim because man Dingee,
| close to becker, had asked him to do
this, andkhmitz was socially heavily
indebted him. But the Supervisors
suspectedlat Schmitz was drawing
down" settling and refused to
bulge.
Getting Lab Fees.
II Meanwhile. H. Umbsen, a promin-
ent real esd operator of San Fran
cisco, calledpon Ruef to ask if he
would accept large fee to hurry the
franchise thrkh. He explained that
| it meant evening to him personally,
he would mai commits sions on land
sales amounting $500, 900, and would
be able to ham the remainder of the
great Croker Aperties. He had also
reserved somekluable lots for him.
self, and offered let Ruef in on the
deal if he woullurry the franchise
| through. Beforshings were settled
Ruef was waltedson by Walter Cope
| a prominent attoey who was .Presi-
dent of the San sancisco Bar Asso-
| citation, who also Aresented the land
interests. He cal to employ Ruef
/ he said as an atAey for the COM
! rany, thereupon IF named $50, 900
fol- two years retar. Cope return
Ell later to say hlssents considered
the matter too large Ruef said that
the matter had bettele dropped, Hlt
the franchise wou probably go
| through anyway. HAonsidered the
matter settled, WnenRew days later
| Umbsen again called,aid the Park
side people had reconsred the mat
tel and wanted to p the money.
Ruef now laid the whok,atter before
: SchmitZ, who advised 4 acceptance
o. the offer after conting with
! Dingee. Ruef accepted.5 a calling at
Umbsen's office was ham $4,000 in
currency as first 'insta ent." This
| vas done few days bee the fire.
The method of payment5ed by the
corporation was ingeniousThe Park
side directors voted 10 Dus piece Of
property from Umksen forO 600 and
= deed was executed andeaCks for
$4,000 rendered limbs en-. ais tran.
section was entered on thes.ords of
the company. Secretly thearkside
people decided the land back limb
sen, who was not to record IN -
the far distant future. ThenA,n the ;
earthquake end fire.
Prospects in Suburbs.
= After the smoke had cleare. NAV
the Parkside COMPANY saw tMJon-