The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-10-03
CORRUPT!ON'S SWAY
TRIAL REVEALS WHOLESALE MU-
NICIPAL bribery.
UTHOFF'S DAMNlNG EVIDENCE.
FIFTY THOUSAND OFFERED FOR
VOTE OF ALDERMAN.

And Double That Amount IL Alder
man Would Introduce Gas Bill ns
"a order" to the Central Traction
Measure and work and Vote for
the Passage of the Latter-Bribers
Seem to Keep to Letter of Their
Promises TO Pay.
St. Louis, Oct. 2.-When Judge
Ryan's court met to-day the trial of
Robert NJ. Snyder. banker and pro-
moter, on the charge of bribery in con-
nection with the passage of the Central
Traction bill was resumed. Frederick
G.. Uthoff, who was member of the
City Council in 1898. was put on the
stand by the state. In answer to ques-
lions put by Circuit Attorney Folk,
Uthoff testified that while a member
of the City Council in 1898, when the
North and South Traction bills were
pending, Robert NJ. Snyder called on
him at his residence, having been taken
there by Louis Dieckmann, by appoint
ment. Uthoff continued:
after talking socially about half
an hour Snyder spoke of the Central
Traction bill. I told him 1 did not
want to talk about the matter. He
said we were both Masons and we
could discuss it the same as lodge mat
tiers. He said l ought to favor him
with his bill.
81 told him 1 had been approached
and offered $4,000 for my vote. I will
get that amount and send it by DECK
MANN said Snyder to me-"
Witness said Dieckmann brought the
package next day.
Uthoff said he next saw Snyder at
the Planters Hotel. At this meeting
Snyder talked of the Central Traction
bill and also of gas bill. Uthoff said
Snyder told witness that If he would
introduce this gas bill as rider" to
the Central Traction bill and work for
its passage as well as vote for the
Central Traction bill he would give
witness 100000.
HE said he would give me $4,000
next day." Uthoff explained, "$15,O0O
when the gas bill was introduced and
SEE, 900 when the gas bill was passed.
"Then Snyder took up two handfuls
of bills witness stated, and said:
'Uthoff, here is $3.50 Dieckmann
| is on the floor of the council with $40,
| 600 more 1 would have had $4,000
| for you. but Charlie Carroll got $l5,-
| 900 from me to-day.
| IJthoff said he refused to take any
of the money then offered him by th'
| promoter.
| Witness next saw Snyder at the Wal
dorf- Astoria in New York. where de-
PENDANT said he had $4,000 belonging
to promoters which he was ready tC
| give Uthoff He got $500 on thai
visit and $500 more three or foui
| months later. Witness told of Sny
ders attempts to get the $4,000 from
Meier Snyder said he would turn i
over to Uthoff.
Circuit Attorney Folk then proceeded
to question the witness as to the op
position to the Central Traction bill
which had developed, and sprung the
| most interesting bit of information
which the Snyder trial has yet dis
| closed, involving the name of JohI
| Scullin, eX-street railroad magnate
| and Edward Butler, a local millionaire
| politician, in what the witness char
| acterized as an attempt to defeat TIT
| Central Traction measure by the us,
| of a big sum of money distributed ir
relays of $4,000 to certain councilmen II
| every month.
| "In March, 1898, Mr.. Scullin gave m,
a bill to introduce called the United
| Traction BILL" Uthoff stated. "It wa:
designed to head off the bill.
| 'T met Mr. Scullin and he paid me
$25, 200 to push his bill and defeat the
| other ONE
what did you do with the money!
81 returned it to Mr.. Scullin through
Ed. Butler"
After some further testimony in thu
| course of which witness said Snyder
had told him he paid Councilman
| Charles E. Carroll $4,000, Judge
Priest, for the defense. took the wit
ness in hand and began the cross-ex
| animation.
Uthoff testified under cross-exanina-
ton that last week he and Scullin were
before the grand jury together ant
that he told the grand jury that Soul.
lin gave him $4,000 to vote against the
| Central Ira ction bill.
Louis c. Diekman, speaker of the
House of Delegates while the Contra
Traction bill was pending, testified tina
Snyder asked him to assist in getting
the Central Traction bill passed. anC
Snyder said he would see that any
promise made by George ]. Kobuscl
president of the st. Louis Car Com
pany), would be kept. George Kobuscf
testified that Snyder had told him h,
paid $4,000 to Uthoff to pass the Cen
trai Traction bill.