Abe Ruef facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Abraham Ruef
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Political boss Abe Ruef
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| Born | September 2, 1864 San Francisco, California, United States
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| Died | February 29, 1936 (aged 71) San Francisco, California, United States
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| Criminal charge | Bribery |
| Penalty | 14 years |
Abraham Ruef (born September 2, 1864 – died February 29, 1936) was an American lawyer and politician. He became well-known as a powerful and sometimes dishonest political leader. He was the main force behind Mayor Eugene Schmitz's government in San Francisco, especially around the time of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Abraham Ruef was born to parents from a French-Jewish background. He was a very smart student. When he was just 14, he started studying classical subjects at the University of California, Berkeley. While at the university, he became interested in fighting the widespread dishonesty in politics. He and some friends formed a group called the "Municipal Reform League." He even wrote letters to other people who thought like him, including a young man named Theodore Roosevelt.
At 18, Ruef graduated with top honors. Then, he went to Hastings College of Law in San Francisco. He finished law school in less than three years. At 21, the youngest age allowed, he became a lawyer in California.
At that time, California had a lot of political corruption. Big companies like the Southern Pacific Railroad had a lot of control over politics. They and other wealthy groups used their money and power. They created monopolies, which meant they controlled certain businesses completely. This helped them keep their power. Many of these powerful people lived in San Francisco. They could use dishonest politicians and city leaders to keep their control.
How Ruef Gained Political Power
Even though Ruef was a Republican for a long time, he wanted more power. In 1901, he helped start a new group called the Union Labor Party. He used his position in this new party to become very powerful.
Choosing San Francisco's Mayor
Ruef chose Eugene Schmitz to run for mayor. Schmitz was not very well-known. He was the president of the Musicians Union, a violinist, and a composer. Schmitz had no past scandals. He was tall, handsome, and a good speaker. He was also friendly and had a family. Ruef hoped Schmitz would be easy to elect and easy to influence. Ruef thought this might help him become governor later.
Behind the scenes, Ruef wrote Schmitz's speeches. He planned all his public appearances. He basically ran Schmitz's entire campaign. Schmitz became known as "Ruef's puppet." He was elected mayor on November 7, 1901. He was reelected in 1903 and 1905. Each time, he won by a lot of votes.
Controlling City Decisions
In the 1905 election, voting machines were used for the first time. This allowed people to vote for all the Union Labor Party candidates at once. Ruef's political group slowly gained control. They controlled the Chief of Police, the city's Board of Supervisors, and several judges.
However, after the 1905 election, William L. Langton, Ruef's choice for District Attorney, started enforcing laws that had been ignored. San Francisco had a reputation as a very open city since the California Gold Rush in 1849. Certain areas were known for attracting money and people from all over.
People who wanted to improve the city gained a lot of support. Many were tired of the dishonest activities. Groups who wanted strict moral rules also gained influence. There was a split between those who truly wanted reform and those who worked with Ruef while claiming to support reform.
As political reformers became more powerful, Langton used his office to target places supported by the "Reformers." The San Francisco Evening Bulletin newspaper, run by Fremont Older, supported Langton. The newspaper's owner convinced a rich man named Rudolph Spreckels to pay for a federal investigation. This investigation looked into the corruption at City Hall.
The 1906 Earthquake and Its Effects
The huge damage from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake briefly slowed down the investigation. Ruef himself lost a lot of money, nearly $750,000 in property. Mayor Schmitz created a special group called the Committee of Fifty to help with repairs. Ruef was not invited, but he showed up anyway.
On May 22, 1906, after a new trolley law was passed, the president of United Railroads, Patrick Calhoun, sent $200,000 to a bank in San Francisco. A few days later, a lawyer named Tirey L. Ford, representing Calhoun, took out $50,000. He took out more money later. Ford gave this money to Ruef. Ruef then paid Supervisor James L. Gallagher $85,000. He also paid Mayor Schmitz a total of $50,000.
Ruef managed to get a spot at the Mayor's desk during the committee meetings. A newspaper called him "the real danger to the successful rebuilding of San Francisco." He became the head of a group that discussed moving the Chinese community. He said that "the Chinese must not be allowed to return to the desirable area that Chinatown occupied." The group talked about where to move them but didn't agree. Meanwhile, the Chinese residents simply returned to Chinatown.
Charges and Being Found Guilty
In October 1906, Ruef ordered that District Attorney William Langdon be removed. Ruef then named himself in Langdon's place. His first act was to fire Langdon's assistant, Francis J. Heney.
On December 6, 1906, Ruef and Schmitz were brought to court. When the charges were read, Ruef showed he didn't care by turning his back to the judge. At the time of his trial, Ruef had offices in The Columbus Tower. In February 1907, Ruef said he was not guilty.
On March 18, 1907, all the city supervisors admitted to a grand jury that they had "received money from Ruef." This was for deals involving telephones, trolleys, boxing matches, and gas prices. In return, they were promised they would not be punished and would not lose their jobs. The grand jury then brought 65 charges against Ruef for bribing the supervisors.
After the supervisors' confessions, Ruef made a deal with the lawyers prosecuting the case. He would confess and avoid most of the charges. On May 15, 1907, Ruef pleaded guilty. The next day, he told the grand jury what Schmitz had done. This led to Schmitz being found guilty and removed from his mayor's office on June 13, 1907.
Ruef's own trial ended on December 10, 1908. He was found guilty and given the longest possible sentence for bribery: 14 years in San Quentin. He spent a year in the county jail waiting for his appeal. In December 1909, he was let out on a large bail of $600,000.
Leaving Prison
In November 1910, his conviction and sentence were confirmed. On March 1, 1911, he went to San Quentin Penitentiary. However, many business people and other politicians who benefited from the corruption were not punished. Ruef was the only one sent to jail.
Newspaper editor Older, who had been Ruef's biggest critic, became convinced that unfair reasons might have played a role in who was punished. Older wrote to Ruef in prison. He started a campaign in his newspaper to get Ruef released. Older felt that more people involved in the corruption should face justice. He paid Ruef to write a story about his political career. This story was published in the San Francisco Evening Bulletin and showed how much corruption there was in the city.
In 1912, Ruef was called as a witness in a new trial for ex-Mayor Schmitz, but he refused to speak. Later in 1912, Ruef wrote his memories. They were published in the San Francisco Evening Bulletin almost daily for several months. The story ended just as the investigation into the corruption began.
On August 23, 1915, Ruef was released. He had served a little more than four and a half years of his fourteen-year sentence. He was not allowed to practice law again. Before prison, he was worth over a million dollars, but he died without any money.
Images for kids
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Political boss Abe Ruef
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Abe Ruef and others in front of Ben Adlers' Cigar Store, San Francisco, 1899
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Political boss Abe Ruef of San Francisco on his way to San Quentin State Prison after he was found guilty in the San Francisco Graft Trial of 1907–1908.
