New-York tribune., 1902-10-08
TWEED DAYS IN ST. LOUIS
INCIDENTS IN THE EXPOST-RE oE
MUNICIPAL BRIBERY AND
CORRUPTION.
From an article by Claude H. wetnors and Lincoln
Ste1ens In McClures MAGAZINE Tor nctnhar

IL M see
ali alone bur 1l ~ s TSrA SS lnsre-one man-workins
4TroTnav and b 1 - inS circuit district StateJ
thousands OF district attorneys amt other nUaiic
SjS s ploIIIiseH Il 70 DO and boaste,i OF doing
Tipped frm mouthed, dark EtrIe man who reS@r s-.
raises his voice. but goes ahead doing with 19i
Ing eye and set jaw the simple thin. h. sai9 b
would 90 Lhe politicians and reputable citizens
cned When he said that Il elected b Vyn vod de "a G %
- - ~ y Us o-.y, Agy SAID or course So he ran
Ihey supported him, and he was elected Now
some OF these politicians are sentenced 10 the ne1i
;St "a are "a Mexleo The Circuit Attorney
criminals. and that the biggest criminals We r o
declare II isn't politics, the Po'''i'iAhS
Men ran into debt to the extar, a, ,b,,,..,,,s o.,
u9i.tIS 20 AOl luT sdAe OF election 20 either branch
oI ths Assembly. one night. a streetcar 10 the
City Hall new member remarked that the nickel
day he deposited 500 in a,r ms iasI asst Inc next
Der ot the House OF Delegates admitted 20 the
combine netted S25 900 in one vear, SoHDriir11
stated that ne was paid $1,000 FOR his vote on a
Bribery was a joke. A newspaper man overheard
this conversation one evening In the corridor OF
..g. Ah. there, here, my 6oodler:" said Mr. Delegate
Can you lend me hundred cor a day or two9'
ot % AZ PGgsent bgJ can spare II II the q
All right. my lailbird I'll be there
When somebody mentioned Josepb II Folk FOR
circuit attorney the leaders were ready % accept
young man from Tennessee haS been nm nrastdsnI ~
the Jefferson Club and arbitrated the railroad strike
civil lawyeE had had no practice in criminal law.
cared little about II, and a lucrative practice as
rejected the Invitation. The committee called
again and again, urging his duty 10 his party and
Very we'll" Re said at last, 7 Will accep. the
must be attempt to influence nv actions when
an called upon 20 punish iawbreakers."
conventional pIattudes ot candidates They nomi-
9aJed i MIN, me Democrauc ticket was elected and
FOLK became circuit Attorney for the Eighth Mis-
Three weeks after taking the oath OF ONCE his
campaign pledges were put TO the test. A number
Of arrests had been made IN connection with the
recent election. and charges of illegal registration
Folk took them Up Ike routine cases Of ordinary
crime Political bosses rushed 10 the rescue. Mr.;
Folk was reminded of his duty his party, and
was given 20 understand that he was expected n
construe the law IN such manner that repeaters
and other Election Day criminals who had hoistsd
ment- The nature Of the young lawyers reply can
Htical leader Edward r Butler sr.. who. after
visit 70 Mr.. Folk. wrathtully exclaimed: p Joe!
asy ts !nnA' he 'as "n0s '0ins as circuit A''0'-
One afternoon late in January Of this year
newspaper reporter. known as Red Calvin. called
Mr Folks attention 10 a ten line newspaper item
10 the effect that a large sum OF money mad been
placed IN bank for the purpose OF brioing certain
Assembymen 70 secure the passage OF street rail-
80 names were mentioned but Mr.. Calvin. sur,
missed thar the bll referred 70 was one introduced
behalf OF the Suburban Railway Company An
HU1d-ed rarsors ~ me sheriff with fnstructions 10
subpoena them before the grand Jury az once The
TeleEates orrcers ana directors OF the Suburban
Railway bank presidents and cashiers IN three
but ST. Louis sriI was laughing at the huge ioke
Such things had been attempted before ne Ines
who had been ordered 10 appear before the grand
furv tested as they Chatted IN the anterooms. and
& t1 2Gf2gn'f = ot he ths spr5 Of 6rissqge
n has developed since that Circuit Attorney Folk
o kHS% 25 the af9 rs Ts tsS dsy but he SAYS he
here and there puns OF smoke. and ne deIsrnninea @
10 find the fire II Was easy Job me 1rst
break into such a system Is always dtrcult Mt
rs-s,TaI corvi~tion He caused nerenptory sum
be issued. requiring the immediate attend-
~er president Of the Suburban Railway. and Philip
Stoke a representative Of brewers interests VINO
he had reason 10 believe was the legislative agent
SientIsrIen said Mr. Folk 7 have secured sut
rlents against YOU for bribery, and shall prose
cute you the fun extent OF the law and send YOU
fury the complete history OF the corruptionlst mem
nance No a. shall give you three days 20 consider
- .-, bs-s a,5 given us the lnforrnat.n a. de-
u1auded warrants will be issued for your arrest
when Messrs Turner and Stoke uufoded in N. the
grand jury room the details or the,r orll-IE pto
verbal eElq5tce =. - T-ve s1Ir7s o. money in safe
4s, vaUirs ~ two OF the largest banking insttu-
4rsUrP could he get IL ifit was there? Lock boxes
b iI,,,s been considered sacred and beyond the
~GJver ~ me law 10 omen. I've always held said
NJ VI FIS t v,ss no reason for thinking It couldn't
be done He dec7ed n tnls faSr 1d ia, "a r1IisTaI
action so he selected three Of the grand jurors ara
VISITED 9ns ,. 81 ~ M f,cts that had come into hts
possession and asked permission 70 searcn for the
"In1possisIe was the reply Our rules deny any
one me rlE lf Mr. Folk "a crime has been com
rnitted and YOU hold concealed ne 9rlReipS Lft
k4F
oDs7ad n Won refuse I shall cause warrant 90
5 tss,Is4 - crsrrirr Won as an accessory
oe , tSsuFl, S t,-+se not word was spoken by any
one in the room then the banker said III almost IN
Give me- little time EentIeuen must s,s con,
suit with our legal adviser oel'I7 '''''7
I'VE will wair ten minutes said the circuit A. A.
tor1ey. by that a,rr Nh pe appied for
At tbs exnira tiou Of that time solemn - =
sion wenfed us W. s,9-c4ar-the president The
cashier and the rorT ,.t,sv Ar bent eagerly
,-zs-5 "a ne kev was i-serted n ne lock. n ne
irou drawer yielded. ana ,,s broTrht 70 light The
o-i,cu6 - NO. tss OF 81 no. $50 and 800 denoUina-
national oaIA y 80 a. before rneru. The money was
coUnted. and the sum was F5''-
One member Of ,he House % De.egates oeTaTe n
50 frightened while under NJ TErvoiIs chill and
bs flIse teeth fen 10 the noor Ihe ra'tle ne, 80 I'm IN
creased hts alarm thaL ne m bf. teeth and boarded
the next train
-, 49,. farms Of the arte-I@gtslatton asreeInent
,re son OF "a Councilman was pelsS. p,.U ~ - -
Ss5 OOS h his father was saved Jne 5s YorSer
.a7,gbt .I5 ~ ont this young man and asAeu TOT lne
money -. - - vou was the cool
,l,4s- ~ NV mamma saws that II Is nr'oe money
and thar n would oe wrohs g. -.sIs" Ard he .lid
yI-,sr sir,rroned before the granG luTY ~ - & sas
u.ln ut 49,, arSUarng questions. - am alralu 1
might commit perjury he stl' ,s15tsrrbef re-
s.arI +be truth and there viii be no risk
isTt ,vorId he all right. said me 81, ~ : W. VI