The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-09-24
ST. LOUIS BOODlER TELLS
Full Confession by J. K MureII,
Member OF the "Combine."
NINETEEN PLOT TO BETRAY Cfn
1urrsr Exposes Conspiracy to Pass sc
Louis Fr.nohiss Bill For rheusands-
six Arrested ut Osce-Shocking A.
tempt - Rob Sc. Louis OF Valuable
Trsnsportssion Privileges.


st. Louis. Mo. - A sensation was
caused by the issuance Of bench war.
rants for the arrest Of eighteen mem.
bers and former members Of the House
OF Delegates on the confession Of Del.
egate J. X. Murrell. who fed to Mex.
leo last spring after being indicted for
bribery by the December Grand Jury
In connection with the alleged boodlinG
operations Of the Municipal Assembly.
In relation to the granting Of street
railroad franchises. and who unexpect.
edly returned to the city through the
efforts of the st. Louis Post Dispatch
and surrendered. Murrell Is now In
the custody Of Circuit Attorney Folk.
and will. II Is stated. receive immunity
from punishment for turning States
evidence.
The following are the names Of the
alleged combine members for whom
bench warrants were issued. charging
bribery and perjury In connection with
suburban street railway and other leg.
islation: E. E. Murrell. John H. Schnot.
tier. Charles F. Kelly. T. A. Albright,
George F. Robertson. Louis Decker.
John Helms. Charles A. Gutke. Adolph
MADEIRA. H. A. Faulkner. Julius Leh.
mann. Edmund Bersch. Otto Srhu.
macher. John A. Sheridan. Charles ].
Denny. William Tamblyn. J. ]. HannI.
gan and Emile Hartman.
When John X. Murrell was first In.
dicted he stated that II he had to 60 to
prison he would see to II that eighteen
other members Of the House accom-.
panied him. Later he was released on
bond In 5000. his brother being his
surety. He then fed to Mexico. Muir.
rell was the custodian Of one Of the
keys OF the box In the safety deposit
vaults which contained $4,000. placed
there to pay members Of the House OF
Delegates for their votes on the Subur.
ban Franchise bill.
Murrell promises that he will do NIL
IN his power to hiring out the whole
truth nj trial. In his confession he
said:
II could no longer stand the agony
endured as fugitive from justice and
the wrongs done me by those just as
guilty as I. who made me their cats
paw.
II held the key 10 the box In the Lin
coin Trust Company vaults containing
the $4,000 bribe money to go to the
House of Delegates upon the passage
of the Suburban hill. This money was
put up to buy the votes of the combina.
ton. that price having been agreed
upon.
THE combination Of the House of
Delegates was composed Of nineteen
men. as proved by the State In the Ieh.
mann and Faulkner cases. They held
frequent meetings In a room adjoining
the House chamber. where most Of the
schemes to get money for votes were
concocted..
when the suburban franchise came
up I was selected to negotiate with
Philip Stock. representative Of the Su.
burban Railway. rs to the price we
could get for our votes upon the pas.
sage Of the bill. reported the various
negotiations to the meetings and was
instructed by the combination what to
do.
when the price was agreed on they
designated me rs the person to hold the
key to the box containing the S75.OOO
which we Were to get when the bill
was passed and signed by the Mayor.
The deposit Of the money. the amount
and the conditions were duly reported
by me at the meetings.
The purpose Of the combination was
to control legislation and sell votes for
the benefit Of the members. Shortly
before the Suburban bill came up each
member Of the combination. at a meet
Ing arranged for that purpose at Julius
Lehmann's house. received $500 for
his vote on the lighting bill. was
present and saw the money paid to the
various persons. Those are only two
instances but there are others. EVIL
dence Of which Is In the possession Of
the Circuit Attorney.
I'VE do not look upon what We did
as serious crime. as II had gone on so
long without interruption that 1t was
not regarded by those who participated
In II as morally wrong.
Julius Lehman. Edmund Be-sch and
John Helms acted as coachers or drill
masters for the witnesses who were to
appear before the Grand Jury. though
II appears they were not very success.