The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-03-24
Suspicious Expressed at the
Time That the Council
Of Philadelphia Leased the City
WaterWOrkS
WERE WE'LL FOUNDED.
Members Confess to Receiving
Pay For Votes.
Some Refused As High As
$4,000.

Philadelphia, March 24.-What prom
ises to develop into the ugliest politi-
cal scandal ever inflicted upon this city,
was revealed in court here today when
one member Of the council confessed
the acceptance of a bride; another was
accused of a like offense, and two 9TH
ers were charged with offering brides.
The whole affair grows out of the or
d1nance offered in the council to lease
the city WaterWOrkS to the SchuyIl1ill
valley Water company. and the alleg-
ed attempt by Nelson G. Green of New
York, representing the company, to OBJ
tain a favorable report from the water
company by the payment Of between
$15,OOO and $4,000. During recent con-
sideration of the bill in common coun-
CHS, Walter G. Stevenson, a member of
that body, charged that IS, 900 had been
offered to him by Peter E. Smith, a
MEMBER OF the Republican city commit
tee, to vote for the bill A cOuncilmanic
investigating committee was appointed
and is still at work, but District AttOr-
ney Graham promptly took up the case
and Smith was held in $4,000 bail, and
tOday's sensational developments came
at his hearing before Judges Gordon
and Breezy of the common pleas court,
who sat as committing magistrates.
Councilman L. ]. Walker declared
that he and Councilman Edwin E.Smith
had accepted $500 from Councilman
Charles Seger to vote for the bill in
COHlutlllGe.
He also avowed that Councilman T.
E. Byram had previously offered him
$4,000 to vote for the bill in the chamber,
but he had refused the money and had
voted against it.
Stevenson, in consequence of whose
accusations the bill was Indefinitely
postponed, was the first witness today,
and he repeated his story without any
change. Smith entered a denial, but
was held for trial.
Councilman Walker was very nervous
when called as a witness. At first he
said he did not know Green, had ac-
cepted no money and knew of none
having been accepted.
Judge Breezy then said to him i'm
pressively:
with God as your judge, were you
offered any money!"
Walker hung his head, and, after q.
moments silence, replied:
yes, I was" and he named the men
by whose persuasion he had fallen. The
money, he said, was paid in Councilman
Seger's saloon and he had seen Council
man Edwin Smith receive the $500 at
the same time with himself.
Smith here took the stand and denied
having received any money.
A like denial was made by A. r. H.
Morrow, who was chairman of the sub
committee.
Councilman Henry Clay, who has OPP
posed the bill since its introduction, said
he had a conversation with Nelson G.
Green in which the latter said it had
cost either $Io,OOO or 9ZU,UOU 10 Sel the
bill through the committee. Witness
was not sure which of these sums was
mentioned.
Councilman r. r. Bringhurst, who
was chairman of the joint committee on
water, which reported the bill favora-
bly,, but who personally has been against
it, gave sensational testimony. Green,
he said, had come to him and said:
This bill is going to be a law. There
is no question about it. The select coun-
ell will pass it, and the mayor will sign
it. 1 wish you would interview the
members of the council for me. Some
of them will have to be seen and fixed.