The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-05-26
THE STORY OF MISSOURI'S
DOODLE GANG is RELATED

grand jury. It's investigation was only
partly finished when its session expired,
But, despite recaeitrant witnesses. its In
quiries disclosed the fact .hat members of
the legislature had been paid the reward
Oh their corruption in ST. Louis and in
That way Folk and the St Louis grand
jury took up the investigation. 1t is now
shown that, in order to perfect cases for
prosecution, there must be another session
of the grand jury in Cole county To this.
of course, the Democratic state machine Is
opposed 1t has raised cry against sad
ding the taxpayers of Cole county with
heavy expenses. The fight over converting
this grand jury is wasing today. Even
some Democratic papers have been forced
to join In the demand that this be done.
But the prosecuting attorney of Cole
county, one Stone, seems made of differ
ent stuff than is Folk of st. Louis and no
action has thus far been taken.
y Meantime, Folk is pushing his investi-
cation in st. Louis Witness after wit
ness is hailed in that city before the grand
jury, which will make its report at the
end of this month. 1t is probable that
there will be work for several other grand
juries, and that the inquiry will continue
throughout the summer months without
intermission. The most conspicuous figure
thus FAR involved Is Lieut.. Gov Lee, who
after fleeing the state, returned and made
written confession. His evidence relates
chiefly to the defeat of the bill to repeal
the anti-alum law. which was accomplish
cd bx
of the senate. He acknowledged receiving
price from a New York agent of the
baking powder trust. The pure-food law,
1t should be explained. practically put~out
of business the Independent manufacture
ers of baking powder containing alum, in
Missouri. 1t thus gave the market of that
state to the baking powder trust" whose
factories were outside Of Missouri. 1t was
the interest Of this trust to oppose the
repeal of the law. Senator Stone argued
against the repeal bill. appearing as the
president of the Missouri Health soci-
ety." an organization since shown to exist
only on paper Hence the charge that
Stone was really the attorney of the bak-
ing low der trust
More recent than the confession OF Lee
is thst of State Senator Busche, who has
admitted receiving retainers from corpor-
atoms for years. His confession involves
the names of about dozen senator's The
narrative is said also to include scenes at
an evil resort In Jefferson CITY, with pos
sibiities of divorce suits when this part
of the testimony is made public. Thus an
other influence Is interested in preventing
session of the grand jury of Cole county.
The investigation now extends into the
doings of the last four legislatures. all
of them democratic. That OF 1893 passed
the ing-powder act; the law CONSOLE
dating the street railways of st. Louis
(Which Is said to have cost s250,O00); a
police law, for which the policemen of st.
Louis and Kansas City were assessed,
and the Nesbit election law, under which,
for example despite public feeling, the
machine was able to carry the last mu-
nicipal election in st. Louis. It was the
legislature of 1901 that refused to repeal
the anti-alum act. The scandals of the
last legislature relate to bills concern
ing text books in public schools railway
freight rates, insurance. race tracks.
game protection and about dozenSother
subjects familiar enough to legislative
strikers and "boodlers'' as sources Of
graft"
One picturesque feature of the investi-
cation thus far Is the frequency with
which bills of $1,000 were changed or de-
posted by members of the legislature.
This denomination was apparently the
unit of the currency of corruption. An
other phenomenon is the carelessness OF
experienced ''boodlers' in making it easy
to obtain evidence against them. An
other is the panic into which the confess
sions Of Lee and Busche have thrown
others In the conspiracy. These boodlers
"squeal'' when caught with the goods"
on them" Corruption knows no party
lines. The disclosures. therefore, involve
some members of the republican minority
in the legislature. as well as the demo-
cratic leaders. But Circuit Attorney Folk
is showing daily that he, also. knows no
party. and that he will continue to per-
from his duty. before God and this COM
munitx."