New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-10-03
TESTIFIES TO BRIBERY,
ST. Louis OOTNCIIMAN TELLS OF 100000
OFFER FOR HIS VOTE.
PACKAGE CONT AIMING 5000 GIVEN TO
HIN. HE sAYs-s5G"o A MONTH EACH
FOR OTHER MEMBERS OF
TIRE COUNCIL.


st.I.ouis. oct When judge Rvan's court
net to-day the trial II Robert NJ Snyder
banker and promWer, an the charge ~ bribery
IN connertion wNh the passage of the Central
Traction bin. was assumed. Frederick o. u
hon. who was lnsI1aer of the CITY 'ouhch IN
april 1895 was put on the stand ny the State.
In answer 10 questsa1s put 10y Circuit Attorney
Folk TthoT testih "a that while member OF
the city Council i'm lS!lN when the north and
south traction bills were pending, Robert NJ
SNYDER called on him ~ his home, being taken
there hy Louis c. Di acilnann, 10y appointment
Uthon continued.
After talking socially about half an hour.
Snyder said ne lived in Nev-fork and that he
was a millionaire. and that he was connected
with a bank In kaus, - CITY He was talkns
about how much money he had. lie sald ne
made a part Of Il IN the real estate boom IN
Kansas city Then ne asalh SPOKE 81 me en-
tral Traction hin. / Doid him did NOT Want
10 talk about the matteE. he said we we're DOM
Nasons. and that could discuss II the same
as lodge m.oUers. He said ought 10 favor him
with his bflL
/ told him I had lrseu approached and offered
$4,000 for Iuy vote Il Win get that amount
and send 81 ny DeCkmaun, said SNYDER 10 me
Now. 7 never said then, nor have ever SAID
that / would vote for the measure
Witness then told Of "A package brought 10 his
house the folokrfnE day hoy Dleckmann and
his second meeting with snyder He continued;
Al that meeting snyder said: "Uthon If YOU
don't vote for that bill ] am @ ruined man.
told Snyder that n should come 10 my house
and get that package back. that dld noi want
in He came the neNt day and opened the pack
age. which contained currency, twenty-five
checks OF $1,000 denomination and the balance
in securities and paIssrs- Snyder took the con-
tents and departed.
Uthor said that he next Snyder al the
Planters Hotel Al this meeting Snyder talked
OF the Central Trarsion bin and also Of gas
bill He said that II UJhof would introduce this
gas bin as a rider" 10 the Central Traction bin
and work for its passage Wen as vote for the
Central Traction biT Snyder would give him
100000 Uthon said:
He said he would give me $4,000 next day;
$4,000 when the gas BIZ was introduced and
$4,000 when the gas hill was passed Then
"Uthon here's S2aysl Dice kmann Is on the
floor OF the Council with $4,000 more. would
have had 100000 for YOU. but Charlie Carroll
got $4,000 from me to-day
Uthon said ne refused 10 take any ~ the
money then offered him no the promoter. Al
the time he said that IL / could see my way
clear 10 vote for it / would do SO" Witness
not allowed 10 say whether he voted for the bin
after il had been vetoed by the Mayor.
Witness next saw Snyder the Waldorf
Astoria New-York, where Snyder said that he
had 5000 belonging TO promoters which he
was ready 20 give Uthof. He got $500 on
that visit and $500 more three or four
months later
Circuit Attorney Folk then proceeded 10
question the witness as 10 the opposition which
had developed 10 the Central Traction bill and
sprung the most interesting bin Of Information I
which the Snyder trial has YET disclosed in
voltinE the name Of John Scuuin, ex-street
railroad magnate. and Edward Butler local
millionaire politician in what the witness char
acterized as an attempt 10 defeat The Central
Traction measure by the use OF Dig sum Of
money distributed in RELAYS Of S5eep each 10
the certain CouuCllmen every month Uthon
testified that Butler paid the money 10 him. and
thar ne distributed IL among CouncTmen Cast 4
brinkmeyer Gaus, Kratz and Thuner He /
In March. 1895. Mr.. scuuin gave me a hin 70
Introduce, called the United Traction bill II 4
Was designed 10 head on the Central Traction 4
bill ] met Mr.. Scullin and he psid me S2appD 1
70 push his hil and defeat the other one. re- 4
turned the money 10 Mr.. Scullin through ED" 1
Butler
Louis c. Dieckman was the next witness He 1
was Speaker OF the House of Delegates while /
the Central Traction bin pending DECK 1
man testified that Snyder asked him 10 assist 1
in getting the Central Traction hin passed and 4
Snyder said he would see that any pron,se /
made by George J. Kobusch president Of the st 1
Louis Car Company, would he kept
The witness said that ne agreed 10 assis, s,,
DER lie told OF arranging the first interview be- i
tween Jthon and Snyder and said he remained /
m The room with The men five minutes and then
%
money into the house and left in Later 7rbe,, 4
lthon returned the money and refused 10 vote /
Iof the hil, he arranged another meeting u.i,h /
SNYDER IN saloon AT Tenth and Marker sts
george j. kohusch testified that Spvder "a 4
told him that he paid $50 GOO 10 T-tboT ~ go
the Central Traction bin '"'S
Mr.. Kobusch was asked by Circuir A,,o-r.,
Folk Who was interested IN the Central Trac- /
tion hil2"
After much hesitation ne replied. Myself
SNYDER John n Blessing, Edgar A Mepbsn /
l. D. Tebbetts and p r. Marshall"
9-Nt Snyder ever say anything "a ,.o,, f,. l
rec enc 10 procuring the ~ F1re-5a,clr =,
mon on the measure iu' the counciI9 Sr,-5oir \
SSaTt5 81 "a. az ;he Planters Hotel. that Tthonf
-IAd h. say he had paid $4,000 A-yas
maj inen9fFS OF The ASSEMBLY 64a Sppaar
~ you ne had pald A-Snyder said hod 49, 4
q -.For whom did he tell YOU Charles Carroll 4
and Pnulus Cast ~ 'i''iAhleAer \
9-oid SNYDER al any time give you soeoa N he 4
sent % Henry Gausc A-Yes W ~
,,SSooolt5la you send The money 10 Cause Al sen,
s'''N ~ Eosat A. Mephan 70 Henry Gaus ir
The witness further testified thar he rsoe,,.as |
between $4,000 and $4,000 from SNYDER % |
which Mephan was 10 get $4,000 for his -
vices as legislative agent ms SIT 4
MAJOR William Warner took cbarea % -
cross-eNaminatio' for the defence Kobpsch a.
reply 20 question said he did not knou ,,,ss
NNey hat Union got one cent for his VOTE
FOCRDERS DAY AT PRATT TNSTFyrrr |