Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-18
WORSE THAN TWEED
Is the Rotten City Council OF Chi
cago, Uncovered Yesterday.
POSITIVE EVIDENCE OF BRIBERY
Which Passed Three Ordinances, to Be
Given to the Grand Jury.
THE CASE SKILLFULLY WORKED UP

THE CASE SKILLFULLI WORKED UP
CHICAGO, March H.-As sequel to the
recent passage by the City Council of An or
dinance granting permission to the Chicago
Power Supply and Smoke Abating Com
pany, familiarly known as the Compressed
Air Company, to use the streets and alleys
of the city in about any manner it sees fit,
the Indictment of number of Aldermen
BY the grand jury for alleged boodleism is
promised. The City Press Association re-
ports:
Bribery Of the most nagrant kind will be
shown. Corruption and rottenness beyond
the ideas Of the most cynical citizen will be
disclosed, and the facts which mako posi-
tion on Ch1oago's Council one worth hum
dreds Of dollars OF preliminary expenditure
in nominations will be disclosed. To-mor.
row evidence will be presented to the grand
jury, showing beyond the peradventure Of
a doubt that certain Aldermen have been
paid literally and in hard cash for their
votes. The jury will listen to tale Of rot
tenness and corruption to which the
'boodling" of the County Commissioners
and the Tweed ring was nothing.
The evidence has been for some time in
preparation and mesh now encloses some
of the Getty fathers" from which there is
little hope of escape This evidence in
cludes confessions of several guilty parties.
1t includes not only the promises made to
them by corporations, but the letters en-
closing the money to purchase their votes,
and the very greenbacks themselves with
which those votes were purchased.
They Have the Aldermen Foul
The men who have been active in work
ing up these cases have spared no expense
and have made sure Of each step. They
have witnesses who have seen large sums Of
money paid by the representatives of cor
porations to individual Aldermen, and who
have heard the Aldermen promise, if re-
ceiving the money, to cast his vote on a
certain measure in certain way. The
money was paid in various ways. Some re-
ceived it at their homes from messengers.
Several were paid in the precincts of the
City Hall, and it is said that two sold their
votes in the lobby of the Council chamber.
When the Northern Pacific ordinance
was passed, and when the support of the
Economic Gas position was made by promi-
nent members of the Council, suspicion
was created, and when, in one instance, at
least, this suspicion grew to positive GER
tainty of corruption, the investigation was
set on foot which it is now said will end
only when several present members of Chi
cago's City Council are wearing the stripes
in the Joliet Penitentiary.
The Evidence to Go to the Jury.
General Lieb, the foreman of the grand
jury, and States Attorney Longenecker have
agreed that the evidence which the latter has
for some time been preparing shall be pre-
sented to the jury. Among the witnesses
subpGnaed are Two members of the Coun-
Gil, who were dragged into the boodling
operations and who have expressed will
ingness to tell all they know. States At
torney Longehecker says he expects to
show that all three of the ordinances-the
Compressed Air, the Northern Pacific and
the Economic Gas-were passed by virtue
of the purchase of votes for hard cash. He
said he would be aided by three Of the city's
most prominent attorneys, they being in
the employ of three local newspapers, who
had men assisting to make out the case
against the boodlers.
In an interview States Attorney Long
necker said several Aldermen would assist
in the inquiry, in addition to those who
have confessed that the votes were pur-
chased. Several will testify that they were
approached and refused to entertain the
overtures made to them by corporation
Still others will testify
that Aldermen openly boasted that they had
received money 1or their votes.
The Statement Of an Alderman.
Others, again, will give testimony corrob- |
orative of the main facts to be disclosen by |
The prosecution. One Alderman openly |
stated that he was certain that almost every |
Alderman favorably connected with these |
three organizations in question was guilty |
Of receiving money for his vote. Said he:
Why, it is generally admitted that it re- |
quires money to get an ordinance through |
the Council, and many of the Aldermen |
make no secret of the fact that they will not |
vote for any ordinance unless they are re-
warded for so doing. In some cases the re-
ward is in the shape of a trade in
votes supporting some improvement in |
the Alderman's ward, and thus increasing |
his popularity among his constituents. In |
others, and by far the greater number of |
cases, the consideration is spot cash.
The following statement is officially is
sued by the gentlemen who are behind the |
The investigation about to be begun by |
the Grand Jury contemplates q certain ]
scrutiny of the methods employed by the |
Council in regard to the passage of the
Air ordinances, as well as a few |
minor importance. The evidence which |
will be presented by the Grand Jury is not |
limited to the confessions or disclosures Of |
one man, but covers a wide range of both |
officials and individuals.
Conspiracy Can Be Easily Proved.
The plan to catch the Council and discover |
what Aldermen were engaged in bribfng |
measures through the Council was devised |
md put into execution before the appear |
lnce of the Economic Gas ordinance last
year. The proof we have acquired relates
largely to various Doodle ordinances, and |
four or five Aldermen in whatit |
The money used in at least three cases Of |
bribery will be put in evidence.
The Northern Pacific ordinance was passed |
by almost precisely the same means ana
methods employed in the Economic Gas.
The Compressed Air ordinance has not
yielded as much money to the boodlers as
was expected by them. Settlements were
being made yesterday and the day before.
Money was shown the Council by at least
TWO Aldermen, who gave it to be under
stood that it was what they had received
or voting for the Compressed Air ordinance,
Ind that it was not as much as promised
hem.
We will have no difficulty in indicting and
several well-known Aldermen. 1t
8 not our desire to convict only the Alder
nen, however. We desire, also to punish
hose guilty of bribing members of the
jouncil, and we will not stop this investiga-
ion until they are brought to justice, no
natter whose door the eliminating evidence
eads to.
The Ordinances in Question.
The Economic Gas ordinance referred to