Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-03-20
CHICAGO BO0DLING.
THE ALLEGED AVERAGE PRICE OF A
WINDY CITY ALDERMAN.
An Iuvestication Into Charges OF Bribery
and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. De-
tsiis-Facts and " Figgcrs."
rBy telc9rnpb 70 the DIspatch.l

CHICAGO March 19.-Io-day the inVesti-
cation into the Chicago aldermanic Doodle
methods was begun by the grand Jury IN
earnest. State's-Attorney Longenecker
and Foreman Lieb held conference.
which resulted in determination to drop
everything else and push the investigation
as rapidly as possible. SubpGnas were
issued and bailifs were sent scurrying
around for the following witnesses and
suspects: Alderman Conway, eK-Alderman
Hildrath. Alderman Bigler. Alderman Dor
man. ]. Chssey Mills. and Schwarin, CITY
Clerk vancleve, Alderman Writing, I. ID.
Bryant, and G. o. Knapp, OF the Gas
Trust; G.. A. Yuille, of the Gas. hght and
Coke Company h. j. Jones. OF thc REQ,
pies Gas. Light and Coke COMPANY. anu
j. s. Zimmerman. secretary OF the same.
CLIMBING UP THE GOLDEN STAIRS
Soon nearly oil these gentlemen had
assembled the golden stairs" leading 10
the grand-jury room. As the investlga-
ton proceeds Its scope broadens. Anotheff
ordinance has been added to the iist OF
those to be inquired into. IL IL the Jet-
ferson and Urban electric franchise, which,
1T 10 said, was sand bagged" for Sio,Ooo
in the interest of Nerker's cable system:
Alderman Kunz. the supposed "squealer,
who testified Yesterday, was again among
the witnesses examined to-day.
FORCED JOKES.
The ward statesmen held high carnival
while waiting for their turn and cracked
many forced joke. Alderman kunz was
on the rack for an hour. and looked crest
fallen when he emerged from the Jury
room. grand Juror was quoted a. au-
thOrity for the statement that hunz was
working both sides, aud had tried 70 get
money ont of certain aldermen as the
price OF his silence. Considerable heated
talk was caused IN the jury-room by the
failure of the gas company oihclals 10
bring their books, Notwithstanding DIS
tinct instruction in the subpenas.
SPECIFICATIONS.
The Tribune this morning in its article
on the alleged boodling propensitles OF
certain members of the City Council said;
Fifty 81 900 bills were drawn from the Hill
nois Trust and Savings Bank by manu-
featuring concern n few days after the
passage of the compressed-alr ordinance.
A man interested in q street-railway fran
chlse says-and the Tribune is authorized
TO give his name 20 the grand iury-that
he went 10 see q certain alderman, whose
name the Tribune has, to make gltimate
offer of large sum to the city for fran
chise. The alderman said he had
TALKED IT OyRR WITH THE BOYS.
and that it would cost the company S75,-
600: but that the money must go " TO the
aldermen and not to the city, In the
presence Of the witaesses-wh whose names
the Tribune has-au alderman demanded
S., 200 as the price of getting an ordinance
out OF a committees plgeon-hole. There
IS said to be from $3.50 900 TO S25O,00 in
certain hands 10 be paid certain aldermen,
provided the Mayor signs the ferkers ON
nibus ordinance. The sum of Sl,ljO, of
fere1 as bride and accepted on advice OF
counsel. has been turned over TO news
paper by Alderman Roth to be used as
evidence.
TO BUY THE CITY COUNCIL.
1T costs q good sum OF money some
| times to buy the City Council, y SAID an at
| torney who is closely connected with the
| States Attorney. The Northern Pacific
| had all the worst of it in the last three biz
/ deals the aldermen have made. The figures
| for those three sales of city franchises are
| lust these: Northern Pacific, S280,OOO /;
ECONOMY Gas, $50, 600; Compressed Ar,
| $3.50 600. These are the amounts the men,
| bers of the Council received IN those three
| deals, and some of them VIII wish soon
| they had never seen cent OF It,"
ELEVEN ALDERMEN "FIxED."
| 4 lawyer OF this city, when IN his cups,
con fded to Oh acquaintance that he had
| paid eleven 81 600 bills to as many alder
| men in connection with the Northern Pa
| cifc ordinance. An alderman said IN q
| committee meeting that an O1er OF $50,
| 600 ito the city, for n franchise was
perpctrating blackmail upon the alder
| men,
| Behind every contractor who is awarded
a city contract for sewers. street-cleaning
scayenger work. and many other things, Is
an alderman OF aldermen" said an ex-cit'
official yesterday. When tho Gas Irus
| and the Economy were az war an homes
alderman was told by man interested il
the outcome of the fight that no matte
how much money the trust put up e
prevent tho grant of the Economy fran
| chise the Economy would "go 1t one bet
ter" 1t will be noticed that the Economy
got there.