The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-02-22
SHARpN 4 BAD LIGHT.
STARTLING DEVELOPMENTS IN THE
BROADWAY RAILROAD MATTER. Z

Tuo New York Aldermen Confess the
Whole Scheme, and Implicate Many
Z; othcrs-How Many Were Bribed-sen-
+ Ing the Surfxce Frsschise.
New YORK, Fab GA great sensation
developed Friday might In the Jake Sharp
Broadway railroad matter, when it became
known that Alderman Fullgraf, who was
member Of the city council when Jake
Sharp was granted the Broadway fran
chise, had voluntarily appeared before the
grand jury and confessed the entire scheme,
from beginng to end, duplicating many al
darmen
Another alderman, whose name has not
l'een made pubic, is also said to have testi-
'ied before the grand july just how many
aldermen were bribed and the amounts they
received. Roscoe Conkhag has copy Of
the confessions in his possession, but refuses
TO say word about them. When the state
senate investigating comtlittee meets again
Mr.. Conkiing says, the truth will come out
The secrets of the grand jury room have
been guarded so closely in this matter thst
not a whisper has escaped The extfaordi-
nary disclosures made, however, are less
significant now than they would have been
a few days ago for the senate committee
has unearthed and woven together an I'M
broken chain OF evidence, viii ii would have
proved beyond any doubt the facts con
tanned in the confessions of the two alder
men. The COMMITTEES was in a position to
crush the ring and punish the culprlts be-
fore these disclosures were made There is
in existence proofs SO clear ami strong that
all the cunning OF counsel, backed up by
wholesale and trained perjury, can nos
overthrow them. The great ring is
completely surrounded Flight is now
impossible, for movement to
cave the state would probably
be met by instant arrest. Thnt
Jacob Sharp and his friends are now in an
iron cage is realized fact The two alder
men who have unbosomed themselves were
lad to do so in order that they might claim
| the immunity which the state filings around
its own accepted witnesses. No mercy will
be shown to those who have sullenly and
doggedly chung to the stained and lawyer
haunted ring When the day o" judgment
comes Mr.. Sharp will have 20 fight hard
| enough for himself, without trying to heir
| his dupes and allies. Tho evidence now il
| the hands of the senate committee show.
that the big railway ring has ramiiications
and connections OF the most startling
| nature. The aldermen seem te be the laas,
important personageS implicated New
| York is now upon the threshold of anothe,
Tweed earthquake that will startle the city
| The Broadway q Seventh Avenue rail
road, which practically owns the Broadway
surface railroad, the granting of who's,
franchise is now under investigation, has
been sold to a syndicate of Philadelphis
capitalists, which pays from S22S5 to 1906 PEI
share for the stock The transfer is allege,
to have been made with view to prevent
ing, if possible, forfeiture of the Broad
way roads franchise
Later in the day, on behalf of Edward NJ
Knox, who owns twenty five shares of TIN
stock of the Broadway and Seventh avenu,
railroad, an injunction WIS Obtained in til.
superior court restraining JacO5 Sharp from
disposing of s549, 900 worth Of bonds Of I'll,
broadway Surface railway company, Jane
\. Richardson Sl35,0J0 worth, and Jane
W. Foshay $4,000 worth The facts OF
which the complaint is based have heei
mainly taken from the testimony given b.
the defendants before the senate investigat
ing committee