Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-11-10
THE RoTTENNEss AT ST. LOUIS.
How a Circuit Attorney With Notion
of Duty Brought RascaIs to Justice.

| I0lIS CuG SIOIy OI Tie I0II0IIuS OUT OF
| the corruption in the government of
| st. Louis, which it seems all came
from a politicians mistake. That is,
the democrats picked out a young
! lawyer, of whom little was known, as
their candidate for circuit attorney,
and found that they had caught a
Tartar-or rather Tartar had
caught them. From the description
of the state Of things which was then
prevailing this glimpse may oe select
! ed
Men ran into debt to the extent Of
| thousands of dollars for the sake of
election to either branch of the as
sembly. One night, on a street car to
the city hall, new member remarked
that the nickel he handed the con-
ductor was his last. The next day he
deposited $4,000 in @ savings bank. A
member Of the house of delegates adj
mitted to the February grand jury
that his dividends from the combine
netted $4,000 in one year; a council
man stated that he was paid $4,000
for his vote on a single measure.
| D1AOOAy was d JOh0 "A newspaper
man overheard this conversation in
the corridor of the city hall
"Ah, there, my boodler!" said Mr..
Delegate.
"Stay there, my grafter!" replied
Mr.. Councilman. Can you lend me
hundred for day or two?"
| mot at present. But I can spare it
4Lo hi Il
Meet me at F's later"
Cali right, my jailbird; I'll be
there"
The democratic leaders chose for
circuit attorney young man from
Tennessee, Joseph w. Folk, who had
had no practice in criminal law, and
didn't want the place; but after long
urging he consented only insisting on
having it understood that if he was
| elected he would do his duty, and
there must be no attempt to influence
him when he should be called upon to
punish lawbreakers. Oh, OF course,
the managers said-they had heard
such remarks before from candidates,
and thought they knew how to esteem
them. But three weeks after taking
the oath of office Mr. Folk proceeded
against men charged with illegal
registration, without regard to party
connections even if they had helped
elect himself. The bosses, Mortified
and alarmed rushed to his office and
demonstrated, in vain. Finally in
January reporter named Calvin,
who knew Mr.. Folk, called his aften-
ton to a statement in a newspaper to
the effect that large sum of money
had been placed in bank for use in
bribing certain members of the mu-
nicipal assembly to vote for a street
railway ordinance.
No names were mentioned but Mr..
Calvin surmized that the bill referred
to was one introduced on behalf of
the Suburban railway company. An
hour later Mr. Folk sent the names of
nearly 100 persons to the sheriff, with
instructions to subpoena them before
the grand jury at once. The list in
cluded cOuncilmen, members or the
house of delegates, officers and direc-
tors of the Suburban railway, bank |
presidents and cashiers. In three days |
the investigation was being pushed |
with vigor, but st. Louis still was |
laughing at the huge joke" Such |
things had been attempted before |
The men who had been ordered to ap- |
pear before the grand jury TESTED as
they chatted in the anterooms, and |
newspaper accounts of these prelimi- |
nary examinations were written in the |
spirit of burlesQue.
It has developed since that Circuit |
Attorney Folk knew nothing, and was
not able to learn much more during
the first few days, but he says he saw
here and there puffs of smoke, and he |
determined to find the fire. 1t was
not an easy job. The first break into
such a system is always difficult. Mr..
Folk began with nothing but courage
and a strong personal conviction He |
caused peremptory summons to be
issued, requiring the immediate at
tendance in the grand jury room of |
Charles Turner, president of the Sub
urban railway, and Philip Stoke,
representative of brewers interests,
who he had reason to believe was the
legislative agent in this deal.
Gentlemen" said Mr.. Folk, II have
secured sufficient evidence to warrant |
the return of indictments against you
for bribery, and I shall prosecute you
to the full extent of the law and send |
you to the penitentiary unless you tell
to this grand jury the complete his
tory Of the corruptionist methods en-
ployed by you to secure the passage
of ordinance No. A. [ shall give you
three days to consider the matter At
the end of that time, if you have not
returned here and given us the in
formation demanded, warrants will be
issued for your arrest"
When Messrs. Turner and Stoke
unfolded in the grand jury room the
details of their bribery plot, Circuit
Attorney Folk found himself in pos