The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-06
REPORT OF GRAND JURY
Giving and Taking of Bribes
 Have Become Notorious.
Ignorant and Vicious Members of the Municipal Assembly Wax Rich from Fees Received for
 Their Votes.

charges are made by the grand jurors
 whe have ueen Investigating thc bribery and official corruption in the municipal assembly in their final report to Judge o'Neil Ryan in the criminal court todaS. Indictments returned today and made publ,c were: Bribery, Hobert x. Snyder Attempted bribery. Howard Butler, John II. Becker Perjury, George J. kobusch.
 A tribute is paid to Joseph w. Foik' the circuit attorney, under whose ieaoer- shin the investigation is being made
 In part the report reads as foilows'
 .our. investigation, covering more or less fully period of ten years shows that with few exceptions no ordinance has, been passed wherein valuable privi' leees or franchises are granted antil those interested in the passage thereoi have paid the legislators the money de- manded tor action in the particular case. Nc municipal corporation have ever hao it's most valuable franchises so recKiessiy and scandalously disposed of for con sideration which found its way not to the city treasury, but into the itching palms of the political pilferers.
 .1he persons against whom inolct- ments for brlbe giving and bribe taking have been found are only small pro portion of those who investigation con yfpces us should wear the garb or con victs.
 .sWe have had before us many of those who have been and most of those who are nov. members of the House of delegates. We regret to report that we found 'a number of these utterly iliiterate and lacking in ordinary intelligence, unable to give better reason Tor taVorins UT opposing a measure than a desire 10 ac. with the majority. In some no trace o' mentality or morality could De iouno' ID others a lower order Of training appear cd united with base cunning, groveiing instincts and sordid desires. Unqualified to respond to the ordinary requirements of fife, they are utterly incapable or the significance or an ordinance, and are incapacitated Doth by nature and by training to be the makers of laws The choosing or sucn men to be legislators makes traVes'y of Justice, sets premium on lncom- petency and deliberately poisons the very source of law.
 "rhesc men. through their corrupt agents. approach the legislative repfesen- tative of powerful combinations or cor competing for valuable Iran chises. demand and receive sums or monev ranging from $i0O to s1000Oo for their individual votes and influence.
 .'From the evidence before us 1t appears that an officisA of the city government boasted of the fact that he had naoe s25. .OG0 a year out of his official position which paid a legitimate salary or pu. fhnt. off to the evidence before us, agreed with one interest to do an official act for $1bOoo and afterwards accepted from the oppos- ing interest the sum of $100OO0 for acting with them One legislator received Tn cash at his own residence the sum or $50 600 for his vote on pending measure This was retained by him for few oays' then returned in the hope of receiving larger sum. The measure was enacted and the member after much delay, was finally compelled to accept So.Vo Ill iuii for his vote for a franchise bill.
 "Jn many other cases it was shown that mentors of the Assembly who. prior to their elections, were wholly without means upon induction into offide were soon in affiuent cIrcumstances and inde- pendent positions financially, and this, too notwithstanding the fact that tho salary of such official was only s25 per month Convincing documentary eVi- dence was unearthed, proving that the sum of $145, 0OOswas placed in escrow in a bank in this city to be paid to the members of the municipal assembly Of St. Louis upon the passage of q valuable franchise ordinance This ordinance failed and a second bill was introduced upon the passage of which the sum or about $25O, 900 was distributed among these ha finance the franchise was sold for $l.0ll,- ,5O. The city realized nothing whatever for this franchise. In these matters the ,tatute of limitation was bar to tho hiding of indictments against nearly all ,f the guilty parties.
 '"rhe more recent attempt of a street railway company to secure franchise 1as been conspicuously brought to public notice through proceedings in the Grim nal Court In this case an agreement was made between the legislative agent ,f the company and the representatives if the combines in both branches of the assembly by the terms of which $75,OO0 was to be paid to certain members of the House of Delegates and 6O 0O0 to certain members of the Council II consideration of such members voting 'or the proposed measure. The first named amount was deposited in cash in safe deposit boxes in trust company md the 0O0 was likewise deposited in mother trust company. Two keys to ,ach box were issued. the one being held ,y the legislative agent of the company,
 hc other by the corrupt agent of the members of the assembly. Through the ,ctiou of the courts. the passage of the ordinance was prevented. The $135.OOO .orruption fund was demanded by the apisIattors under the claim that they had lone their duty, all they had agreed to To. but the company refused to honor heir claim. The Investigation of this las led to d number of indictments con- ,ected with the attempted purchase of his franchise. under one of which the defendant has. after a fair trial, been convicted and sentenced to three years n the penitentiary and another has be- come a fugitive from Justice. thus con 'essing his guilt in the nefarious trans action.
 '''rho evidence shows that there arc in his city men of seeming great rcspecta- oflity who arc directors in large corpora