The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-18
GRAND JURY IND|cTS
TWOCITY FATHERS
,8.ft ~ siIs.iIft-}
t3rf.Es 1e1l9 sesA a. 4.
Aldermen Mumm and Nelson
and Ex-AId. SibIey Accused
of Taking Br!bes.. ~

III.
As the result Of the grand jury In
vestigatfon Of alleged official eorrup-
ton, there were two arraignmentss OF
aldermen Of the council of 1901 who
are members of the present council
on the charge of receiving a bride, be-
fore Judge Pond in the district court
at noon yesterday. -
They are Peter Nelson, Democrat, of
the Eleventh ward, and Claus Mumm
Republican, Of the Third ward.
John Sibley, Republican, Of the
Tenth ward, in 1901, but not a mem
Der of the present council, is also in
dicted.
The indictment charges them with
having, on July 20, 1901, agreed with
one w. H. Levingse to receive from
Janney, Semple, Hill & Co, a bribe
of $1,000 with the understanding and
agreement that they should work and
vote for the passage of a resolution
vacating an alley in the rear of the
building then owned by Janney, Sem
pie, Hill & Co., extending North from
First avenue south. sGsI,
Aid. Nelson and Aid. MuHIn pleaded
not guilty and were held in r$3, 500 bail
each to plea or demur to the indict-
ment Tuesday El,fI
Ex-Ald. Sibley is out of the. city, and
has not been placed under arrest
The witnesses appearing before the
grand jury were ex-Alds :IOzora p.
Sutherland, T. b Janney and William
H. Levings. ,o09f
Bonds were speedily furnished, the
sureties for Nelson being August Elk
man and Andrew Anderson; for
Mumm, DR.. w. F. Nye and j. T. Kane.
A. II. Hall appeared as attorney for
Mumm and Henry ]. Gjertson for Mel
son. .es
1t will develop later whether the
grand jury has brought indictments
that will stand in court or upon which
there is even a remote chance of Sc
curing conviction. The three alder
men were members of the council COM
mfttee on roads and bridges in 1901, OF
which 0. P. Sutherland, named in the
indictment as a witness against them,
was chairman.
The firm of Janney, Serple, Hill &
Co. is. one of the largest and best
known in the Northwest, dealing in
hardware.
Firm Wanted the Alley.
AS already related in T he Gil b e,
the firm desired to build an addition
to their building to occupy the ground
taken up by blind alley. This alley
was Of little use to any one but them
selves, and there was no apparent
cause lot OppOSltlon- IN the COuucli,
but a petition to obtain the condemna-
ton of the alley Jagged until July. The
firm grew anxious, as the building
should be completed by September for
the housing of goods already ordered.
The aldermen all Seemed ready
enough to vote for the resolution, but
still it did not come before the coun-
Gil. In their predicamenta they be-
sought friend who was supposed to
be posted upon the ms and outs OF
the city council, and he suggested that
the operation of "greasing was per-
haps necessary to secure the desired
action. xg5f
At their request, he sought out Suth-
erland and asked as to the cause OF the
delay, and was informed, so he has
testified. that the boys peed little
money NED
Twenty five hundred dollars was the
amount named as requisite.
The firm demurred to being held ul
in this way, but finally consented to
be rnulcted to the amount Eofi 81, 2OU
When the information was conveyed
to Sutherland, he thought everything
would be all right" and apparently Il
was so. AT any rate, the resolution
condemning the alley was specify
passed and the erection OF the puiid-
ing followed.
| Mr.. Janney has testified that the nrlr