Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 75, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 May 1907 — RUEF PLEADS GUILTY. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

RUEF PLEADS GUILTY.

Confession of Frisco's Political Boss Terrifies Grafters. The amazing court confession of “Abe” Rues, political boss of San Francisco, Cal., and the. county for years, ■when he was arraigned for trial before Judge Dunne on charges of graft and extortion, and his plea of guilty, has caused the most profound sensation in San Francisco and throughout the State. In the ranks of the grafters and boodlera, and especially among the millionaire bribe-givers who have bought and sold public rights and franchises for years and corrupted scores of public officials, Ruefs startling surrender and his explicit promise to expose those responsible for the existing vicious conditions, created terror amounting to panic. While Rues did not go into details in his remarkable statement to the court he declared his desire to join the

ranks of the civic reform forces, and In the work of reclaiming the :s<au Francisco government ‘from the sway of graft and boodle, and to make whatever reparation he could for his wrongdoing. Abraham (commonly called "Abe”) Rues, who pleaded guilty to accepting a bribe, was for years a conspicuous figure in the political life of Sau Francisco. He made Schmitz mayor, he controlled the Republican and Labor party machines, and he was dictator of the police force and of the saloon element. Rtiers father was well off In this world's goods and gave his son a good education. The confessed criminal Is a fair Greek and Latin scholar, and has an Intimate acquaintance not only with German, but with French. Spanish. Italian and Portuguese. His linguistic abilities account in part for his political success. He began life as a lawyer’s clerk and made rapid progress in the profession, and it is said of him that had be not abused his manifold talents lie would have made a name and a place for himself.

ABRAHAM REUF.