"The System," As Uncovered by the San Francisco Graft ProsecutionHichborn, Franklin
History
"The System," As Uncovered by the San Francisco Graft Prosecution
Hichborn, Franklin
Political corruption -- California -- San Francisco; San Francisco (Calif.) -- Politics and government
[174] Ruef was himself to blame for the complication, for he had
given certain of the Supervisors to understand that the
purpose of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company was to
prevail, and that the Home Telephone Company would not be
granted its franchise. The Supervisors in taking the Pacific
Telephone and Telegraph Company's money, not unreasonably
supposed they were taking from the favored of the
administration. Supervisor Wilson in his confession said: "The
first conversation I had with Mr. Ruef, affecting money
matters, was on the Pacific States Telephone matters. I told
him that I had been out to dinner with Mr. Halsey, and I
understood that everything was going to be satisfactory with
their company. He (Ruef) said that it would terminate that
way."
Acting upon this hint, Wilson accepted $5,000 from Halsey.
Later he told Ruef of having got the money. Ruef told him that
he should not have taken it. Wilson has testified that he
offered to return it. "No," he claims Ruef replied, "don't do
that just now. Wait and see. I will let you know later. You
might get into a trap by giving it back; you had better wait."
Ruef claims, however, that he advised Wilson to return the
money.
[175] For description of this "dividing of the ways" scene, see
testimony of Supervisor Wilson, Transcript on Appeal, The
People vs. Ruef, page 2843.
[176] Gallagher in his confession said of the decision of the
Supervisors to stand by Ruef and Schmitz: "Mr. Wilson talked
to a number of those boys (Supervisors who had taken money
from the Pacific States's agent), he being one of those who
had taken this money, and he told me that notwithstanding the
fact that they had taken this money that he didn't feel that
he wanted to stand out from the leadership of Mr. Ruef and
wanted to act with him and myself in the matter and said that
he would talk to the other boys about it, and see how they
felt about the proposition of voting for the Home Telephone
franchise anyhow."
[177] In his confession, Gallagher stated that under this
arrangement he paid $3,500 each to Coffey, Coleman, Furey,
Lonergan, Mamlock, Nicholas, Phillips and Wilson; $6,000 each
to Davis, Duffey, Harrigan and Kelley, reserving $10,000 for
himself. Those who received no part of the Home Telephone
Company money were Boxton, Sanderson, Walsh, McGushin and Rea.
Of the five, Boxton and Sanderson received $5,000 each from
Halsey of the Pacific Company, and Walsh, according to his
recollection, $3,500. McGushin and Rea received none of the
bribe money paid by the two telephone companies.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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