The inconsistency of the “attorney fee plea” is well illustrated in the United Railroads transaction. Ruef received $200,000 from the United Railroads because of the trolley permit. General Tirey L. Ford, head of the United Railroads law department, to which he devoted all his time, was credited with receiving a salary of $10,000 a year. Thus Ruef’s single “fee” was as much as the United Railroads would have paid its head lawyer in twenty years, almost a lifetime of professional service. And Ruef, it must be remembered, in addition was getting $1,000 a month from the United Railroads—more than the chief of that corporation’s legal department was receiving.
Zimmer insisted at first that the total of the amounts which he turned over to Halsey would not exceed $20,000. Later he admitted that he had not kept track of the amounts, and the total might have been $30,000. This he increased to $35,000, and finally stated that it was “not over $40,000, if it was that.” He admitted that it would have been possible for Executive Officer Glass to have paid out $70,000 without his knowledge. “Checks,” he said, “could have been signed without going through me; could have been carried just the same as this tag account was.”
William J. Kennedy, cashier and assistant treasurer of the company, who had charge of the “tags,” stated that during February, 1906, considerable amounts were drawn out in this way, which might have totalled as high as $70,000.
Regarding the manner in which money was furnished to Halsey, Zimmer testified before the Grand Jury as follows:
“Q. This $10,000 that you gave him (Halsey) under direction of Mr. Glass, in what shape did you hand it to him? A. Currency.
“Q. Did you have the currency on hand or send out and get it? A. Sent out and got it. I went out and got it.
“Q. Where did you get it? A. I don’t remember, I had to go to several banks.