RUEF THE "GRAFTER."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14868, 20 December 1911, Page 10

RUEF THE "GRAFTER."

[rr.oM oca OWN'" COEBBSI'ONDEST.I ' San Francisco, November 15. :■> .Somewhat surprisingly,;. there has sprung flip a rather widespread' agitation for the - release, from prison of Abe Ruef/ihe San" Francisco''grafter " who was convicted of bribery and sentenced to serve 14 years in , ,San Qucntin..,,. Ruef was one of the most. , ;; intrepid < corrupters of -public < officials ~ ever -■ captured r and sent to jail in the United .States. Ilia transactions ran into millions . of pounds, He was the .ringleader, the gang that looted.San Francisco for several years during the time that E. E. Schmitz .? was ■mayor. Yet that there should be a demand for his release, before he has served ~.one.year, behind the j, bars is not altogether / astounding. , , . -.. -.' •j It is largely based on the fact that of the ;i forty; or fifty individuals concerned in the ti wholesale "graft 1 Rnef is .the ,'only one who , .has been punished by confinement in state prison. Although he offended on a larger ' seal 3 than any of the othersj it its not con- "' sidered by many people just that he should 1 *.'*;' be the sola sufferer. :He is being pun- " ished for having acted as a' go-between in '. ,a bribery transaction for the benefit of the ' '"United Railroads. • Two officials of that . corporation have, been tried for passing " the bribe-money to i Ruef, and both .were, 4 ! '^quitted.-...Others have been tried for. re-, ~ reiving! the bribe-money through Ruefj but . none of them have gone to prison. Schmitz, '^ ; {lie corrupt" mayor, is a free man, and is . t| jßaid>to he adding-to his wealth by-mining Vapeculatioiis.. ," % Hie i was' a professional vio*.linist 'before he took 'politics, and ,'bcca- • sionafly is seen attending fashionable ceits • " ■ -..:.-. . • ■-,",*. ,'. '4 : The!- chief agitator for Ruef s release is, "* curiously- enough,* Fremont Older, editor , , of the Bulletin, who did more than perhaps h any ; other single man to bring 'about the ~ downfall and conviction of,j Ruef. ,< Older • says i he. is sick and tired of -, howling, for ~" punishment and wishes to inaugurate a • new era - of; forgiveness, ..Older is a'. close * political associate of Governor Hiram W. r . - Johnson, in whom i the. pardoning power, ■■': lies; so it is not absolutely unlikely that. ; the-'former-; political, boss Will be. released. -It- was Johnson who- took * the .place of .Francis J. Honey when the latter was shot ■' * t in the court - room, and by .a' '"■ remarkable ,=.i address to the jury Johnson brought about; . 'the conviction of ftf.