The record-union., 1892-03-18
Special to the REcoRp-USroS.

CHICAGO, March I7.-As q SEQ ,lel to the
recent passage by the City Council of an
ordinance granting permission to the Chi
cago Power Supply and Compressed Air
Company to use the streets and alleys of
the city in about any manner it sees fit,
the indictment of a number of Aldermen
by the Grand jury for alleged boodling is
promised.
The City Press Association tonight
says: Bribery Of the most flagrant kind
viii be shown. Corruption and rotten
ness beyond the ideas Of the most cynical
citizen viii be disclosed. and facts which
make the position i'll Chicagos Council
worth hundreds OF dollars Of preliminary
expenditure will be shown up.
Tomorrow evidence will be presented
to the Grand Jury showing beyond
doubt that certain Aldermen have been
paid literally for their votes. The jury
will listen to a tale Of rottenness and COR
ruptiOn, to which the boodling of the
Cook County Commissioners was moth
ing. The evidence has been in prepara-
ton some time, and mesh now inciOSeS
some of the city fathers" from which
there is little hope of escape. 1t includes
the confessions Of several guilty parties,
WuiCI are Sdiu 10 B0 very cErCuUlSt3nClal.
The men who nave 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 corporations to in
dividual Aldermen, and who have heard
the Aldermen promise to cast their votes
on certain measures in Il certain Way.
Some received money at their homes;
some were paid in the precincts of the City
Hall, and two are said to have sold their
vO1es in the lobby Of the Council Cham
Der.
The investigation, it is said, will end
only when several of the present mem
bers OF the Council are wearing stripes in
Joliet. State Attorney Longenecker said
this evening that he expects to show that
the Compressed Air, Northern Pacific
and Economic Gas ordinances, three OF
the most important measures which have
passed the Council for long time, were
gotten through by the purchase Of votes
Il don't mind saying'' said he that
there will be the biggest upheaval ever
seen in this city when all the facts are
made public"
Mir. Longenecker added that he would
be aided in the matter by three Of the
most prominent attorneys in the city,
they having been employed by the local
newspapers who had men assisting to
make out a case against the boodlerS.
The States Attorney also said several
Aldermen would assist in the inquiry I'm
addition to those who have confessed
that their votes were purchased, several
Will testify to having been approached;
others will tell of colleagues who openly
boaSted Of receiving money. One Alder
man openly stated that he was certain
that almost every Alderman favorably
connected with the three ordinances
named above was guilty of receiving
money. for his vote. This Alderman
said it is generally admitted it requires
money to get an ordinance through the
Council, and many members make no
secret Of the fact that they will not vote
for any ordinance unless rewarded for so
doing. In some cases the reward is in
the shape of trade in votes supporting
some improvement in the 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
tonight which says, in part, that the
proof acquired relates largely to various
Doodle ordinances, and entangles four or
five Aldermen in what it will be very
easy to show was conspiracy. "We will
have no difficulty" says the statement,
''in indicting and convicting several we'll
known Aldermen. 1t is not our desire
to convict only Aldermen, however. We
desire also to punish those guilty of brib-
ing the Councilmen. and we will not stop
this investigation until they are brought
to justice, no matter whose door the in
eliminating evidence leads to-"
General Lieb, foreman of the Grand
Jury, said tonight that they will begin
the investigation tomorrow; that they
have complete chain of evidence forged
around the boodlers, and any who do not
tell the whole truth Immediately will be
arrested for perjury, as well as boodling.
He added that some of the men who
will undoubtedly be indicted have here
tofore been supposed 10 be above such
practices.