"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
"The first thing he had to take into consideration was that he
had gone into office as the candidate of the Labor party, and
he knew he would be called a traitor and denounced if it
appeared that any man who had been on the same ticket as he had
been elected upon had been grafting. He had to possess more
moral than physical courage, and a higher kind of moral
courage, and that courage was exercised to the credit of San
Francisco as well as to the credit of Mr. Langdon."
[79] The Graft Defense labored without success to make it appear
that Heney was compensated for his service. Out of the
Prosecution fund, the expenses--rental, clerical hire,
etc.--of offices, so far as they were maintained especially
for the work of the Graft Prosecution, were paid. These were
known as "Heney's offices." When Rudolph Spreckels was on the
stand at the Calhoun trial, he testified under Heney's
announcement that the Defense could ask him any question it
chose and no objection would be made. Earl Rogers, for
Calhoun, endeavored to make it appear that Heney was getting
pay.
"Mr. Spreckels," Rogers asked, "in addition to paying Mr.
Heney's office expenses, amounting to five or six hundred
dollars a month, have you paid other expenses for Mr. Heney?"
"No, sir," Spreckels replied.
Heney, the testimony all through shows, received not a dollar
to compensate him for his services to the city; moreover, it
shows that he had given up business which would have brought
him large fees, that he might be free to conduct the Graft
Prosecution. See transcript Calhoun trial, pages 3837 and on,
3746, 3743, etc.
The efforts of well-compensated attorneys for the Defense to
make it appear that Heney was paid for his work, furnish one of
the amusing features of the graft trials.
[80] The conference was held on May 10 or 11. This was four days
before the Supervisors took the preliminary steps toward
granting the United Railroads its overhead trolley permit, and
several months before the bribe money was paid.
[81] See testimony of Rudolph Spreckels at trial of The People vs.
Patrick Calhoun, No. 1436.
[82] Al McKinley was the first detective put to work for the Graft
Prosecution. On May 25, 1906, Chief Burns detailed him to
watch Ruef. Later, June 19, 1906, Burns directed Robert Perry
to shadow Ruef. Perry did so until nearly a year later, when
Ruef was placed in the custody of an elisor.
[83] That prosecution of officials of the United Railroads was not
thought of when the graft prosecution was begun, was brought
out at the trial of The People vs. Patrick Calhoun, No. 1436.
The following, for example, is taken from Rudolph Spreckels'
testimony:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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