William Biggy was born in 1859 in San Francisco and served in the California State Senate from 1893-1897. He married twice and had two children. In 1907 Mayor Edward Taylor appointed Biggy Police Chief. Biggy’s harsh public stance on law and order was legendary: in 1908 he made national headlines when, in order to curtail automobile speeding, Biggy ordered his mounted officers to lasso the drivers.

Biggy was appointed Police Chief during the Graft Trials^[1], a set of trials attempting to root out City corruption. A court ordered Biggy to arrest and hold in custody Union Leader Abe Rueb. Rueb was held under Biggy’s protection for over a year, first at the St. Francis Hotel^[2], then at 2849 Fillmore in Cow Hollow.

When Rueb’s case finally went to trial in April 1908, US District Attorney Francis Heney was shot during jury selection by a rejected juror. Heney survived, but the juror was found dead in his cell the next morning with a bullet to his forehead. Biggy immediately drew criticism and scrutiny for either allowing the rejected juror to bring a gun into his jail cell where he committed suicide, or orchestrating a murder. He was immediately placed under surveillance by the Prosecution. 

Abe Ruef’s trial resumed in November. On the evening of November 30th, Biggy traveled by police boat to Belvedere to meet with the Police Commissioner. They discussed the allegations against him and his possible resignation. On his return back across the Bay, Biggy mysteriously went missing. He was last seen in his boat near Alcatraz^[3]. His body was found a month later floating near Angel Island^[4]. A devout Catholic, suicide seemed unlikely. The Coroner’s Jury ultimately returned a verdict of accidental death. The circumstances surrounding Biggy’s death remain unsolved, leading to much speculation and innuendo because of the amount of City corruption that was coming to light at the time.

^[1] Graft Trials: https://thesanfranciscophoenix.com/?p=4041

^[2] St. Francis Hotel: story coming March 21st

^[3] Alcatraz: https://thesanfranciscophoenix.com/?p=3344

^[4] Angel Island: https://thesanfranciscophoenix.com/?p=3487