The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-03-18
CHICAGO BOODLERS
Unprecedented AIdermanic Cor
ruption Unearthed.
VOTES SOLD FOR COLD CASH
No Ordinances Enacted Without Considera-
tion-lhe Grand Jury VIII Indict-The
Chain of Evidence Complete.

CHICAGO, March 17.-As q sequel to the
recent passage by the city council of an
ordinance granting permission to the
Chicago Power Supply and Compressed
Air company to use the streets and alleys
Of the city in about any manner it sees tit,
the Indictment of a number of aldermen by
the grand jury for alleged boodling is
promised. The City Press association tC-
night says: Bribery of the most fragrant
kind will be shown. Corruption and rot
tenness beyond the ideas of the most cyni-
cal citizen will be disclosed and facts
which make position in the Chicago coun-
Gil one worth hundreds of dollars
of preliminary expenditure will be
shown up. Tomorrow evidence will be
presented to the grand jury showing,
beyond doubt, certain aldermen have been
pad literally for their votes The jury
Will listen TO tale of rottenness and cor
ruption to which the boodling OF the Cook
county commissioners was nothing Inc
evidence has been in preparation some time
and the meshes now enclose some of the
city fathers, from which there is little hope
OF escape"
1t concludes with the confessions Of sew
eral parties, which are said to be very cir
cunstantial. TIE men who have been
working up these cases spared no expense
and made sure of every step. They have
witnesses who have seen large sums of
money paid by representatives OF cor
pordtlons TO Individual aldermen, and
who have heard aldermen promise 10
cast their vote on q certain measure
Ia certain way. Some received money at
tnelr homes, some were paid in the precincts
o. the city hall and two are said TO have
sold their votes in the lobby of the council
chamber. The investigation, it is said,
Will end only when several OF the present
members Of the council are wearing stripes
in Joliet.
States Attorney Longnecker said this
evening he expected to show that the Com
pressed air, Northern Pacific and Economic
Gas ordinances, three of the most import
ant measures which have passed the coun-
Gil Tor long time. were gotten through by
the purchase of votes for hard cash. ~
don't mind saying" said he, ''that there
Will be the biggest upheaval ever seen in
thls city when all the facts are finally
made public"
Mr.. Longnecker added he would be
aided in the matter by three or four promi-
nent attorneys in the city, they having
Deen employed by local newspapers who
mad men assisting TO make out the case
against the boodlers.
The states attorney also said several
aldermen would assist in the inquiry in
addition to those who have confessed their
votes were purchased Several viii tes-
THY to having been approached; others
VIII tell of colleagues who openly boosted
of receiving money. One alderman openly
stated he was certain that almost every
alderman favorably connected with the
three ordinances named above was
guilty OF receiving money for his
yole. This alderman said it is generally
admits d IL required money to get an ordi-
nance through the council and many mem
bers make no secret they will not vote for
any ordinance unless rewarded for so do
ing In some cases the reward is in the
shape OF trade in votes supporting some
Improvement in az alderman's ward, but in
by far the greater number of cases the
consideration is hard cash.
The gentlemen who are behind the
prosecution issued an official statement to-
night, which says, in part, that 1.-The proof
acquired relates largely to various blodle
ordinances and entangles four or five alder
men in what will be very easy to show is a
conspiracy. We will have no Gifficulty.n
says the statement, lin iDdicting and con
victing several well known aldermen. It
Is not our desire 10 convict only aldermen,
however We desire also to punish those
guilty Of briblng couucilmen, and NO will
not sop this investigation until they are
brought to justice, no matter whose door
the discriminating evidence leads tor
General Liebe, foreman OF the grand
jury. said tonight they viii begin the in
vestigation tomorrow They have com
pleted the chain OF eviceuce forged around
the bood!ers and any who do no. tell the
whole truth Immediately will be arrested
for perjury as well as toodling. He added
that some Of the men. who Will undoubtedly
be indicted, have heretofore been su opposed
to have beer above such practices.