The sun., 1902-11-29
HOMECOMING BOODLER NABBED
KELLEY, ST. LOUIS ALDERMAN,
WAS on the CELTIC.
Was Going Back TO ~. Louis TO Surrender
When lie Was Arrest ri In Philadelphia
Was Alleged 10 Be DisbursinE
Agent Of the Doodle Combination

Was Alleged 10 Dc DlsbursinE
Agent OF the Doodle Combination.
Charles F. Kelley. former Speaker of the
ST. Louis House of Delegates no is under
indictment on three counts for completely in
the notorious St Louis doodle" Alderman
frauds, was a passenger on the White Star
liner Celtic. which got in yesterday. He
got AZ far AZ Philadelphia on his way home
10 st. Louis. where he was going Ia surren-
der, and was arrested.
helIeys name was not on the passenger
list Of the Celtic, and his arrival was un-
eAlectod. He Vas recogni2ed at tie pier
by 81. Louis newspaper man. and ia this
way the New York police learl.ed Of his
arrival They tclephoned To tl. Philadel-
phia police to intercept him. Kelley was
taken to police hea, q idrters in Phia-
delphia and locked up PENDING hearing
tomorrow.
In a statement made to Detective James
Tate, who arrested him. Kelley declared
that he had returned for the purpose of
surrenderinE himself TO the st Louis au-
thoriiies
While il has been ny desire to come
back and face the charges against me-
to see my little son. whose sickness learned
of while in Diblin and who, l have been
Informed siHc" my arrival, died during my
voyage.
since his flight from st Louis after the
Grand Jury had returned indictments
against him. kelleys whereabouts had
be-n unknown to the police authorities,
but his friends were evidently aware of
his movements. 1t is reported that ne
carried on correspondence with relative
III ST. Louis while living IL Europe, where
he travelled under an assumed name.
Kelley, upon landing yesterday, sent 4
telegram to his wife. hurried to the Penn
sylyania station IN Jersey City and went
10 Philadelphia on the first train Detec-
tive James Tate. who had met Kelley az
the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo,
was sent 10 the Broad street station to
watch for the train.
The accused Alderman. with a colored
porter carrying his two valises, was one
Of the first passengers To leave the train
As he was rLar the gate the detective ac-
costed him and said
How are you, Mr. Kelley? ! suppose
you don't remember me-
NO. | do not. he answered.
We'll. ! am detective And you are under
arrest, said the officer
An right III 60 with YOU" said the
Alderman, hut II you are actlng for the
81, Louis police IL is all unnecessary, as
had arranged 10 60 10 that city and sur
render after had remained here day"
Kelley said he had not ses'n the papers for
months and was not familiar with the
present state Of affairs. He had only
heard of the conviction Of Col. Ed Butler.
the millionaire DemoCratic boss of ST.
Louis, in connection with the scandal since
his arrest.
Detective Tate has probably earned
reward Uf $500 by Lis capture. 4 larger
TcusTd was offered fur Kelley than for
any OF tho other fugitive members OF the
alleged -boodle" combine
Fellow passengers on the Ccltlc with
Kelley were William Ratican. president Of
the William Ratican Sprirkling and Hauling
Company of 81, Louis, lis attorney, L.
Frank Atlufy. and F.. j sullivan, book
keeper for Congressman-elect james J.
Butler Of s.. Louis son Of Edward Butler
the Democratic bcss Of 81. Louis who
was recently sentenced to three years for
bribery IN connection with the doodle"
Alderman exposures.
Congressman elect Butler, who has been
in this city since Tuesday, stopping al the
Hotel imperial, was al the pier 10 meet
his bookkeepHr. He was one Of the first TO
greet Kelley
The impression that Mr.. Ratican. my
bookkecper sullivan. and Kelley, were in
n party i erroneous. Congressman
ele Butler said yesterday. 1T wa. simply
3 coincidence that they met on the same
u btt. VII. nat i'dll anu lIH dtltIf'N nave
b zen in Europe disposiug Of the patent
ghts for an automatic sprinkler. ] was
al the dock 10 meet sullivan because | am
here on somo thcalri rical husi css and wantel
to take him 10 Washi"gton with me
Il was surprised to see Kelley. I told him
Of the death Of hs son. He hadn't heard
of it. His whole family in St Louis have
had diphtheria, He told me that he was
going straight to ST. Louis"
The owner and editor of the 81. Louis
newspaper which exposed the st. Louis
"boode" scandal were passe ngers on the
same steamer with Kelley.
fei from 81 Louis A reward Of $500 was
offered for his arrest When the suburban
scandal was being Investigated, Kelley was
summoned before the Grand Jury and
dcrioi all knowledge Of boodling. Later
J. X Murell, an indicted boOdler, who
fed to Mexico, returned and surrendered
He went before the Grand jury and told
all about the combine Of oathbound bood-
lers who were selling public franchises to
the highest bidder
Among Other things charged by Muir
rell was thu Kelley acted a. disbursing
agent for hc bribo givcrS in tn lighting
members Of tn House his was on Nov.
2s, 1899 Under the laws Of Missouri in
dic,ments must be found for bribery within
N zee wears of the commission of the offence.
ihs maximum punishment for the offence
for which Kelly has been indicted is fifteen
years in thn peni' larry.
II il said hat an oIer Of immunity has
been made to Kelley II he turned States
audience. He II a printer and was elected
to the 81, Louis House Of Delegates six
years ago.