Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-03-22
CHICAGO BOODLERS.
How the Crooked Windy City Alder
men Were Caught Up.
ONE OF THEIR NUMBER DID IT.
He Reosived Si,25O for Voting Favcrably on Two
Ordinances, but he had Witnesses to Prove
Who Paid the Money and How Much he
Go;-Ths Newspapers Were In Ia

CHICAGO, March 2l.-Excitement over
the Doodle investigation was heightened To-
day bv rumors Of immediate indictments
being forthcoming. Officials OF the Gas
Trust led the list OF witnesses examined.
A sensation was sprung by the Jury sud
denly appearing before Judge Clifford In
BODY aud demanding an attachment Tor
Alderman Roth. Tue alderman In ques-
tion had been subpoenaed and was Under
stood to be one Of the 'sqvealers" but Tor
some reason had failed toput IN an appear
arce 10 testify when wanted; soon ai'er
the attachment was issued Roth came 20
the front an was quickly ushered into the
inquisition chamber.
inst before 3 O'Clock this afternoon tho
grand Jury returned indictments against
the following seven Aldermen: w. j.
O,Brien. X. II. O'Brien, Nicholas A. Cra-
mer. Patrick j. German, Philip jackson.
S. Nj. Gossain. j. +. Dorman.
The indictments are for feloniously con-
spring 10 commit bribery.
As soon as the indictments were out
the Judge OF the Criminal Court fixed
bail at $4,000 each. This was soon
furnished.
Alderman Roth this evening made
public officially for the first time tue
part he has taken in the Doodle trans
actions OF the city council. This state
ment, after reclting the manner OF his
selection to be n member OF the council,
says:
/ had not been long In tho council until
found ordinances were not always passed
upon their merits, nor even upon friend
ship existing among Alderman, but In some
cases settled down TO dispcnsation OF
money. AT the time OF the passage OF tne
Economic Gas ordinance over the Mayors
veto. IL was found by the Doodle members
OF the council il would be necessary 70
bring into line some Alderman not IN line
on the original vote on the ordinance"
suppose that thinking that my voting
for II would be worth more In satisfying
the public the ordinance was not wholly
bad. than tho vote of some members whose
regulations were less satisfactory than
mine. led them 10 prefer me 10 others who
might have been bought.
was spoken 10 by ono OF the O'Brien's,
who said that could resceive consldera-
tion for my vote. Knowing the DdilB Nctcs
and other newspapers had taken vigorous
public stand against boodling in the coun-
ell. and that they would be friendly 10 any
exposure OF the councils methods and with
the view of bringing the corruptonists 10
Justice. called on the Daily Ners
The matter was carefully talked over by
various nersons interested In public afairs
and arrangements were made Tor receiving
the money promised. In such way toat
witnesses could testify 10 the visit OK iha
man who paid the money.
Seven hundred and nifty dollars was
paid me in my ofiice, which money / Inn
mediately showed my kook-keepcr explain
ing who had paid IL and why II was paid,on
the Wednesday after the passage over the
Mayor's veto for the Economic Gas ordi-
nancos.
Abont two weeks after that the ordinance
of the Northern Pacific passed the Council
the second time. a certain Alderman In
formed me on July -, tho day after the or
dlnance had passed. that Billy O'Brien had
the money and that he was TO meet O'Brien
a. the Sherman House at 2 o'clock
Immediately communicated the fact TO
the Dnfiy Ners Office and they had the Sher-
man House watched and discovered the
Aldermen meet at that place as appoln'~d.
Very soon after o'clock Billy O'Brier me.
me in the City Clerks Office and conduosy syi
me into the wash room, where no handed
me an envelope with the word "ltoth'
written on the outside Oh H.
The envelope was sealed. went over t0
the Office OF Mr.. Baker, the attorney for
the Tribune, and telcphoned for represent
atives OF other papers. The envelops was
opened in the presence OF all these wit
nesses. aud was found 70 contain two i've
hundred dollar bills. Tho witnesses took
the number Of the bills and they were then
carefully sealed up In the envelope, and
the signatures Of those present on the out
side OF the envelope.
/. myself, took no money st any time for
any other purpose than bringing 70 Ight
the corrupt methods employed 10 the CITY
Council, and have prohted In no way
thcrebv other than In the feeling OF sats-
faction that follows duty performed