The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-03-22

CHICAGO, March 2l.-Excitcmcnt ovor
the dlcinyostigation was heightened
to-day by rumors OF immediate indict-
incnts being forthcoming. Officials OF
the gas trust led the witnesses OK.
amined.
A sensation was sprung by the Jury
suddenly appearing before Judge Gill
ford in body and demanding IN ut
tachment for, Alderman Roth. Tho
alderman in question had been sub.
ppnaed and was understood to be ono
of tho "squealers," but for some reason
had failed 10 put III an appearance TO
testifYwhcn wanted. Soon afler tho at
tachment was issued Roth came 10 tho
front and was quickly ushered into the
inquisition chamber.
Just before s o'clock this afternoon
the grand jury returned indictments
the following aldermen: WI, O'Brien,
D. r. O'Brien, Nicholas a. Cramer, Pat
rick ]. German, Philip Jackson, S. NJ.
Gossian, ]. I. Dorman. The indict-
ments arc for feloniously conspiring to
commit bribery.
Alderman Roth this evening made
public officially for tho first time tho
part he has takenin the Doodle transac-
tions OF the city council. This state
ment, after reciting tho manner oil his
selection to be member OF tho council
says:
q had not been long in the council
until Hound ordinances were not always
passed upon their merits, nor even
upon friendship existing among alder
men, but IN some cases settled down to
q dlspcnsation OF money. At tho
time OF the passage OF the eco
nomic gas ordinance over tho
mayors veto, it was found
by the Doodle members of tho council
1t would be necessary to bring into limo
some aldermen not in line on the
original vote on the ordinance. | sun
pose that thinking that my vot-
ing for it would ) be worth more in
satisfying the public the ordinance was
not wholly bad than the vote OF some
members whose regulations were less
satisfactory than mine, led them to pre-
Ter Inc to others who might have been
bought. was spoken to by one OF the
O'Brien's who said that ! could receive a
consideration Tor my vote.
knowing tho Daily Ne,cs and other
newspapers had taken a vigorous pub {
lie stand against boodling in the coun-
Gil, and that they would be friendlyto
any exposure OF The councils methods,
and with the view of bringing
the corrup.ionists to Justice,
called on the Daily Ncps. The matter
was carefully talked over by various
persons interested in public affairs, and
arrangements were made for receiving
the money promised in such a way that
witnesses could testify to the
visit oil the man who paid the money.
Seven hundred and fifty dollars was paid
me in my Office, which money l immc-
diately showed to my.bookkeepcr, ex-
planning who had paid it and why it
was paid on the Wednesday after tho
passage over the mayors veto OF the
economic gas ordinances.
"About two weeks after that the or,
dinance OF the Northern Pacific passed
tho council the second time. A certain
alderman informed mo on July 2S that
Billy O'Brien had the money and that
he was 10 meet O'Brien at the Sherman
House ut O'Clock. l Immediately COM
municated the fact to the DGily News
Office and they had the Sherman House
watched and discovered tho aldermen
meet at that place as appointed. Very
soon after 9 O'clock Billy O'Brien
met me in the city clerks
Office and conducted me into
the wash room, where he handed mo
an envelope with the word "Rothn
written on the outside OF it. The en-
yelope was sealed. l went over to tho
6lIice of Mr.. Baker, tho attorney for
the Tribune, and telephoned for rep
resentativcs OF other papers. The
envelope was opene1.in tho presence OF
all these witnesses and was found to- I,
contain two 1--WE hundred dollar bills.
Tho witnesses took tho number Of tho
bills and they wore thencareiully ysealed
up in the envelopes, and the signatures
Of those present placed on the outside
OF the envelope.
~ myself, took no money at any time
for any other purpose than bringing to
light the corrupt methods employed in
the city council and have pro!itcd in no
way thereby otlier than in tho feeling
of satisfaction that follows a duty per-,
formed" #