New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-07-06
CORRUPTION IN ST. LOUIS.
sHnwN BY A REPORTERS ENERGY
ITS GROWTH AND THE EFFORTS
MADE TO CHECK IT.

= rouie July (SpeciaD.-The story OF munich
- corruption IN big city developed by the reports
- three grand juries. the Indictment Of number
- ,eoDle prominent politically and financially
= e,,+zaolIer, trial and conviction of two Of the
~, and the flight 10 foreign lands OF TWO others
-no are out on heavy bonds is interesting, and
e made doubly so by the fact that the expose Of
-sscsItv was the work OF ! newspaper reporter
,.bose sleuta instincts enabled him 10 probe the
,ss+a-f-g sore on the body polite and bring to
Judgment the rasca-s VINO nave 80 !OAs prey 60
l,ron the community
TIE nan VINO & generally given the credit for
..ss u-o-k IS James N. Calvin. a red headed re-
-o--e- v-- started IN life in the slums of New
vorE rs 2 5ootblack. drifted West and sold papers
~ -ra streets Of Chicago and then came 70 St.
80 where he broke into the newspaper fra
-e-,i+v under the protection Of General Fields.
e,-,Is- Waterloo and their associates. who recog-
,fza5 n the sharp faced. bright eyed boy great
,,osefhiites should ne ever acquire the ability to
-,ur into far English his quaint views Of life as
he saw il and his unfailing estimate Of men whom
he met
The expose now under investigation was not The
first oiece Of sleuth work executed by Calvin for
sor,e years ago this Sherlock Holmes OF the West
ran 10 earth and captured jim Cummings and
his companions IN crime. who had looted a Mis-
sour Pacific train Of sos oJhis too. after Pnker-
Ton and MS men had practically abandoned the
pursuit completely bafied-
Later Calvin trailed down sam Wilson. the
lone bandit who held 10 and robbed train hav-
Ing or board the Governor and the State admins
t-aton # Missouri. carrying OF on his shoulders
h e Ct silver heavy enough 20 break the back Of
z government mule. all Of which save one he
buried ia a cornfeId- The other he carried 10 his
home. hundred odd miles away.
a GREAT EXPOSE
II his work as = reporter Calvin got hold Of 2
s1ory Of municipal corruption simply appalling for
its magnitude. This was that the Suburban Street
Railway Company had deposited in the vaults of
the Mississippi Valley Trust Company s-S5o00, so
Cl9 O. which was 10 90 10 members OF the House
Of Delegates and Sc 900 TO councilmen. when GER
tain franchise legislation that the company de-
sired should be enacted into law Publication Of
this was brought TO the attention Of the December
grand jury by Circuit Attorney Folk, and Nj
Calvin was summoned before The inquisitors. where
he tod such & Straightforward and convincing
story that Il was decided 10 probe the matter 10
the bottom.
Charles Turner. president Of the Suburban rail-
road T 81 jenkins. general manager; Philip
Stock secretary OF the Brewing Association. who
understood 10 be the legislative agent Of the
street railway company IN manipulating the NJ
nicipal Assembly appeared voluntarily before the
grand jury. after consulting counsel who advised
them 70 make a clean breast Of the matter. Act
ing this advice. these men not only corroborated
the story already told before that body. but gave
the names Of the nan who were implicated il the
telling WhO held the ourllcaLe keys 70
safe deposit boxeS-J. K MurTeu, member Of the
House Of Delegates II 1896. and Charles Kratz. a
councilman. A committee was appointed by the
grand jury 10 visit the Mississippi Valley Trust
Company. accompanied by Circuit Attorney Folk,
for the purpose Of seeing if the Doodle" was
there. Philip Stock. custodian OF the keys for
the Suburban Railway. was with the party. The
boxes were opened and found TO contain the
amounts OF money said 10 be therein one $4,000,
set apart for the purchase Of councillors; in the
other S7o000 with which 10 buy The votes Of Dele
gates.
AS result Of the revelations indictments were
returned by the December grand jury as follows:
Ellis Wainwright, millionaire brewer and director
in Suburban railroad bribery. Henry A Nicolaus'
brewer and director in Suburban; bribery. Emil
a NeysenbUrg; bribery. Charles KrarZ, bribery.
John K MurreIl; bribery. julius Lehman and
Harry A Faulkner. former members Of the House
OF Delegates perjury
With the exception OF Wainwright, who removed
20 New-York. but is now IN Europe, the were
arrested and admitted 10 bond
SYSTEMATIC CORRUPTION.
When the iaSt February grand Jury was I'm
panelIe6 il va directed by Judge Ryan 10 pay
particular attention 70 municipal corruption. and
on Saturday. April :. made its final report TO the
court. returning the indictments against Edward
Butler one for proGering bribe and the other