The widespread devastation that followed the 1906 San Francisco earthquake briefly slowed the investigation . Ruef himself lost " nearly $ 750,000 ( about $ today ) of his real estate holdings " . Mayor Schmitz formed the extra-legal Committee of Fifty to expedite repairs , and Ruef was not invited , but he showed up anyway at Franklin Hall where the committee met
1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Abe Ruef