employees; shared the profits of houses of prostitution; forced
beer, whiskey, champagne, and cigars on restaurants and saloons
on commission; blackmailed gamblers, pool-sellers, and promoters
of prize-fights; sold franchises to wealthy corporations; created
such municipal bureaus as the commissary department and the city
commercial company in order to make robbery of the city more
easy; leased rooms and buildings for municipal offices at
exorbitant rates, and compelled the lessees to share profits;
held up milkmen, kite-advertisers, junk-dealers, and even
street-sweepers; and took bribes from everybody who wanted an
illegal privilege and was willing to pay for it. The motto of the
administration seemed to be 'Encourage dishonesty, and then let
no dishonest dollar escape.'"

The machinery through which this was effected was simple: the
mayor had vast appointing powers and by this means directly
controlled all the city departments. But the mayor was only an
automaton. Back of him was Abe Ruef, the Boss, an unscrupulous
lawyer who had wormed his way into the labor party, and
manipulated the "leaders" like puppets. Ruef's game also was
elementary. He sold his omnipotence for cash, either under the
respectable cloak of "retainer" or under the more common device
of commissions and dividends, so that thugs retained him for
their freedom, contractors for the favors they expected, and
public service corporations for their franchises.

Finally, through the persistence of a few private citizens, a
Grand Jury was summoned. Under the foremanship of B. P. Oliver it
made a thorough investigation. Francis J. Heney was employed as
special prosecutor and William J. Burns as detective. Heney and