The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-07-05
OUT FOR THE STUFF
Illinois Legislators Likely to
Serve the State at
Joliet.
KILLED BILLS FOR COIN
Chicago Herald Tells How
They "Played Both Ends
Against the Middle."

CHICAGO, July 5.-The Herald says:
Certain members Of the legislature
from Cook county are in imminent
danger Of representing the county in
the Joliet penitentiary. A chain of
evidence sufficient to convict a senator
from Chicago Of bribery and of at
tempting to extort money for the pur.
pose of killing a measure before the
general assembly is nearly completed.
Several other members are involved in
the Infamous transaction. Some of
them are from Cook county, while the
others represent" rural constituencies.
Early in the session Game Warden
Blow introduced bill for the preser-
walton Of game. The measure, while
somewhat rigid, was unobjectionable
to dealers in game, but was not alto
gether satisfactory to the sportsmen.
Here is where the boodler and the
wouldbe boodler legislators saw their
opportunity. In the vulgar parlance
OF the sports "they played both ends
against the middle"
A member OF the house, representing
country district, went to the Illinois
Sportsmen's association and demanded
and obtained 800 for substituting
new section for one in the original bill.
The new section removed the penalty
from sportsmen and placed it upon the
dealer who bought, exposed for sale or
sold game during certain periods, no
matter whether it was killed in Illinois
s,r Nebraska. Speaking Of the substi-
,ute, South Water street merchant
said:
Had it become a law we could not
tssye sold feather"
The Commission Men "ApproAched."
Having loaded the bill down with
this 500 rider, the boodlers turned
their attention to the other end of the
game. The evidence of this part of
tue affair is complete and can be sub
stantiated in court when the proper
time arrives. A senator from Cook
county attended to this part of the job.
The South Water street merchant tells
the story as follows:
THE gang had got 500 from the
Sportsmen's association for inserting a
substitute which would have ruined
our business. We were satisfied with
the bill as introduced, but when it
came out Of the committee we found
this substitute had beon inserted, ap-
parently without anybody's knowl-
edge. The commission men on the
street saw at once what it meant, and a
committee was appointed to go to
Springfield to haze the measure re.
stored to its original shape. l was
member Of that committee. The gang
was evidently expecting us, for we had
not been at the hotel an hour until no
less than half a dozen Legislators ap-
preached members Of the committee
and offered to aid in killing the substi-
tute for a consideration. Their prices
varied. Some of them wanted $500 and
others demanded $1,000. We have all
their names. / was approached by
Cook county senator who proposed
to kill the measure for 81, 500.
II necessary, l am willing to go
ON the witness stand aud tell every
thing l know about the matter. The
other members Of the committee will
prominent men in the senate and house
We're interested in the infamous scheme.
Most of the dirty work was Cone in
committee"
Grand Jury investigation.
1t is reported that special grand
jury will be impaneled in Sangamon
county to investigate these and other
serious charges of legislative boodling.
Governor Altgeld is in possession CT
the facts set forth, together with the
name Of every member Of the legisla.
ture implicated. The South Water
street committee which went to Spring.
field upon the occasion referred to was
composed of representative men whose
testimony cannot be impeached. They
have been persuaded to expose the
gang for the benefit of the state.
This exposure will, it is said, be fol.
lowed by Others. Evidence has been
obtained establishing charges of bribery
in the passage Of the Miller and Low.
enthal bills, the Crawford railroad
bills, the bill providing for consolida.
tion of certain corporations, and it 10
asserted that evidence can be had that
money was used to defeat the arbitra.
ton bill. Some Of the money was paid
to members in Chicago, but the larger
amonnt was distributed in Springfield.
Il was the custom for some one senator
or representative to act for q dozen or
more colleagues, the individual max
ing the deal receiving the money and
distributing it among the members of
the gang after the job had been con.
Summaten
On Account OF Washouts.
DENVER, July 5.-Trains both ways