Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-06-12
New York Times Special,

New York Times Special.
MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi, June 6.--Sensa-
tions in the form of light on the extent
to which municipal corruption has
gone under the present administration
in Minneapolis are coming one upor
another in quick succession.
The city has never known period
like the present. Corruption was known
to exist, but it was felt that the guilty
ones had the whip hand and would be
able to control things until the grafters
had put away sufficient fortunes for
each and we're ready to retire. But
now the "cover is OFF, and there seems
to be no end to the municipal rotten
| ness.
Several weeks ago the grand jury set
| to work, and, after investigating, in
dicted Fred w. Ames, the city's chief
of police and brother of the city's
mayor, and also four of his staff OF
| plain-clothes men. The indictment
against the chief says in effect that hs
| has been hand in glove with crookt
who have been making the city poor
place for life and burglary Insurance.
risks for the past year, and with thoss
who foster vice.
One of the plain-clothes men is being
tried in tho district court. His name
is Z. A. Gardner, and his alleged con-
nection with the protection of the crook
element of the city has been told by
one of the cleverest ''eono men that
ever operated in the Northwest He
goes by the name of "Billy Edwards,
and he says certain members of the
police force were simply his employees,
getting so much per month for aiding
him in carrying on his work of skin
ning' the unsuspecting countryman
and transient. The story he tells on the
stand seems to show that there is but
little doubt that some of the wages"
paid the police went through their
hands to higher officials.
. Edwards story does not stand alone,
but has been backed by detectives
themselves.
! And now comes to light story told
by members of the board of commits
+ sioners of the county before the grand
I Jury to the effect that the mayor of the
city itself offered them remuneration il
they would vote for his private secre-
tary to ill vacancy in the sheriff 8
office, caused by the sheriff's removal
by the governor for overcharging the
1 county in his monthly bills. The grand
Jury has the matter in hand, and there
is little doubt in the minds of Minne-
apolitans as to what the outcome will
be. The mayor and possibly his private
r secretary will have to answer to the
i courts.
, Close on the heels of this is made the
$ assertion that Mayor Ames' plain
clothes men, for the mayors brother is
d only link between the detectives and
# the mayor, has been guilty of dividing
the spoils in safe robbery perpetrated
here a few days ago, he sharing the
: booty on condition that he kept silent.
In Minneapolis every form of vice has
been rampant for months and has
!. plainly been winked at by those in
: authority. frequently there have eman-
ated from the mayors Office orders tc
D. the effect that certain resorts must
close. They have closed only to open
}. again within day or two. Robberies
t. have been occurrences of every night.
ID robberies of the most daring kind, and
10 yet the police have made but few ar.
10 rests of Importance.