The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-12-26

1872 The city council advertised for
bids upon furniture for the city hail.
then nearing completion. Among the
bidders were the Ketchum Furniture
company and the A. H. Andrews Fur
niture company. The rivalry between
these two principal bidders was very
active and their agents were soon
strongly suspected of crooked prac-
tees in their desperate efforts to Sc
cure the contract. e. J. Billingslea
represented the Ketchum company,
and David Reamer held power of at
torney for the Andrews company Be-
fore the contest was decided Billings
lea became i'll. went home and soon
after died.
HHyIScn Takes Il Hand.
Martin Eayken. now understood 20
be under indictment at Salt Lake City,
succeeded Biliingslea as agent OF the
Ketchunl company, which was award
ed the contract. Soon after Hayken
entered the service OF the a. H. An
Crews company.
Pending the contest Christian
Specht. q councilman, declared in
open session tina. an effort had been
made TO bride him and other members
of the council by the Ketchum agent.
= special investigation followed. The
testimony showed that such effort
had been made. It also showed that
the Andrews company had been guilty
of Offering brides in sums Of 800 TO
$500 TO Councilmen T. L. Blumer,
Timothy Conway and Theo. Olsen.
The report Of the special committee
before whom the inquiry was made
is now on file in the office of the city
clerk 1t declared the Andrews COM
pany to be guilty, through its agent,
Colonel Reamer. of attempted bribery
of city cOuncilmen. and recommended
that the district judges at once call
4 grand jury for the next term of
court to inquire into the whole mat
ter. This report was adopted and the
grand jury met early in 1892. GustaVe
Anderson was foreman and A. r. Reed
secretary. Upon the testimony of
city councimen that they had been
approached by the agent of the An
drews Furniture company with offers
to buy their votes for the furniture
contract. the grand jury returned the
following Indictment:
State of Nebraska, County Of Doug
las. SIS.
Of the February term of the district
court of the Fourth judicial district
Of the state of Nebraska, within and for
the county of Douglas, in said state,
IN the year Of our Lord one thousand,
eight hundred sand n.netytwo, The
grand jurors chosen, selected, and
sworn, in and for the county of Doug
las. in the name and by the authority
of the state of Nebraska, upon their
oaths present, that Daniel P. Reamer.
late of the county aforesaid, on the
18th day of September, A. D. 1891, in
the county of Douglas and state of Ne
braska, aforesaid, then and there being,
did then and there willfully and uplaw-
fully offer to bride one Fred j. Blu
mer and to pay to the said Fred L.
Blumer as bride the sum of $500 of
the value of $500, he the said Blumer,
then and there being a member Of the
city council Of the city of Omaha, city
of the metropolitan class, and said Of
flee of member Of said city council be-
ing an office of great public Importance
in the administration of public Justice
and of the finances of the city of
Omaha, and ne, The said Fred L. Blu !
mer, then and there as said member
of said city council, being a ministerial !
and judicial officer of said city of !
Omaha, with intent to induce and in J
huence him, the said Fred L. Blumer |
as a member of said city council, to /
vote for the awarding of a contract, !
by the said city of Omaha, to one "A. |
H. Andrews & Co, for the supplying of !!
the necessary furniture to be used in |
the city hall building of the said city |
of Omaha, then in process of construc- |
lion. and to execute the powers in |
MIN, the said Fred L. Blumer, as
such member of the said city council |
vested and to perform the duties of !
him. the said Fred L. Blumer, as such !
of said city council required, |
with partially and favor and otherwise
than as required by law, contrary to
the form of the statute in such cases
made and provided. and against the
peace and dignity of the state Of Ne
braska-
I. ]. MAHONEY, County Attorney.
State of Nebraska, County of Doug
las, SIS.
/. Frank E. Moores, clerk of the dis
trict court, Fourth judicial district
state of Nebraska, in and for Douglas
county. do hereby certify that the
foregoing In a fun and true copy of
me Indictment in the case of the State
IF Nebraska VS.. Daniel P. Reamer, as
sDpears from the original thereof now
IN file in the office of the clerk of said
court.
Witness my signature and official seal
lhis 18th day of December, 1895.
'SeaI) FRANK. z. MOORES, Clerk.
Reamer Not Apprehended.
Reamer has never been Appreciated,
having never since come within the
of the court.
About two years ago. the Rev. Mr..
1p1,,a Neh |