Return to Inmates
One
of the most prominent of the prisoners at the time was Abe Reuf.
Shortly after the City of San Francisco was destroyed by fire and
earthquake, there developed a political ring that controlled the
politics of the city. Widespread graft and bribery, even among the
city's highest offices, was rampant. Finally things became so corrupt
that a district attorney named Francis J. Heeney, elected on his
reform campaign, started intensive investigation of the graft, and
vowed to clean it up. The public became aroused and serious exposures
were made. The principal leader of the political clique was a man
named Abe Reuf. He was obviously a political boss. Reuf was
eventually convicted and sent to San Quentin. It was said that he
took the rap, for other prominent elected officials.
Reuf
was an intelligent man and in prison his talents were recognized and
he was put in charge of the prison library. The library was a good
one and we employee's families had access to the use of it.
As
a newsboy, I was in the Captain's office often, and Reuf was there
on occasions when his San Francisco friends would come to visit him.
Their interviews were held in the Captain's office. Reuf and I got to
know each other and he seemed interested in me. He was quite fond of
our Dad, also. Sometimes he would come to Dad and say, "Mr.
Duffy, I have a good book here. I think Bill would like to read it.
Take it home to him." Reuf's selections were always good ones.