The Savannah morning news., 1902-06-01
.ST.LOUIS' BAD PLIGHT
RIOT OF CORRUPTION FOR FIJI
TEEN YEARS.
WORST EVER YET REVEALED
GRAND JURY'S REPORT EXPOSES
SITUATION.

The Revelations So Appalling as to
Be Almost Beyond BeIief-While
Omcials Have Robbed Right and
Left and Sold Their Influecne in
the Market the City's Finances Are
in BAD Shape, Its Tax Rate High
and Its Public Institutions in De-
pIOrab!e ConditiOn-FOur Arrests
Made on Bench Warrants Yester-
day.
ST. Louis, May 31.-The grand jury
which has been investigating munich
pal corruption with the assistance of
Circuit Attorney Joseph W. Folk, made
it's final report to-day to Judge
Douglas. The report says that while
there may have been corruption in 9TH
er cities as great as we have had here,
yet in no place in the world and in no
time in history has so much official
corruption been uncovered. These rev.
Citations have been so appalling as to
be almost beyond belief, and 1t WILDE
years before the extent of the discov-
cries ar fully rallied.
eff the affairs of st. Louis had been
properly administered for the past fif
teen years, and if all officials had been
honest, there would to-day be enough
money in the treasury to put public
buildings in repair, pave streets that
are now unpaved, make sewers that
are now unmade, and build new build
ings so much needed. The high tax
l. 4 Il Of t1t1h
lie institutions, the depleted state of
the city treasury are an heritage left
by officials who have proven traitors
to the interests of the people and
have trafficked in their votes, inf1u-
ence and official actions, to the city's
detriment.
How Taxpayers Were Robbed.
1.-The disclosures make plain that the
taxpayers of st. Louis have been mere
ilessly and pitilessly outraged for
years; that money they have paid in
taxes has been squandered, instead of
being used for the public welfare, it
has been feloniously dissipated and
benefited chiefly corrupt officials, who
have grown opulent on small salaries.
1T is in evidence before us that a
| former collector of the city of ST.
Louis, who was afterward Mayor, re-
! ceived interest on public funds for his
| own private account The sum so re-
ceived was something over $4,000,
which with interest to date would
amount to about $4,000. Any possible
criminal charge arising out of this con-
dition has been barred by the statute
of limitation, which unfortunately Is
three years. A civil action to recover
the money, however, can still be
brought and we understand will be in
stituted.
THE secretary of the late Mayor
made a practice of selling permits and
of extorting money for remittances Of
fines in criminal cases.
The Charter DisreEnrded.
"The charter of the city provides
that no member of the assembly or
city official shall be interested directly
or indirectly in city contracts or in
furnishing supplies to the city. This
beneficent law is, we find, most gross
ly violated by members Of the munich
pal assembly"
Late this afternoon indictments were
returned against the following, who
had already been arrested on bench
warrants and released on bond:
Fred w. Ziegenhei, secretary to ex-
Mayor Ziegenhein; ex-Speaker of the
House of Delegates Charles F. Kelly.
Councilman Louis Schnell and Delegate
Charles L, Gera RhtV