The San Francisco call., 1904-06-29
GANG SETS
PRICE upon
EACH BILL
Astounding Comics
sion by st. Louis
BOOdler.
Tribute Levied Upon Every
Corporation in Missouri
Metropolis.
Amount to Be ASSESSED for Franchises
Fixed BY Vote at Secrs!
Sessions.
rk Herald Publishing Company.

ST. LOUIS. June 2s.-It was an
nounced to-day that Charles A. Gutks.
former member OF the House OF Dele
gates. convicted on q charge q
bribery and soon 10 be tried on another
similar charge. had made a eomplets
confession to Circuit Attorney Folk in
which he declared that former Dele
gate Frznk r Kelly had told hin he
had received 5000 for going 70 Europe
when his presence in St Louis 5eopar-
died men OF prominence Kelly also
is resting under one conviction and IS
soon 10 De tried in another case Circuit
Attorney Folk says that the revelations
which have been made BY Gutks open
up many new avenues OF investigation
and brings facts 70 light which have
not been heard OF before. involving
men higher up
When he came out OF the Once OF
the Circuit Attorney. GuJke said
The best reparatiOn that I can make
for the wrongs I have done is 10 con-
fess fully 70 everything IN order that
the public may realize what has bssn
going On Yielding 20 the plesdings OF
my wife. have determined 10 do al I
can TO atone for my sins against the
public The people OF St Louis even
now do not realize how they have been
persistently plundered for years and
years by the men they elected TO make
laws for the city.
MANY SACKS ARE OPENED.
7 became a member OF the House
OF Delegates in 1857. and az once BE-
came a member OF the combine OF
that body. which was an organization
composed OF nineteen Delegates for
the purpose OF selling legislation"
Gutke continued
The first bill that came up after
had become = member OF the combine
was the suburban loop bill The com
bine got SO. coo for its votes on this
bill, and on the Union avenue bill we
got S1S,e0a. On the Central Traction
bill We got $1,000; on the Third-strset
line bill We got $4,000: on the lighting
bill we got s47.0 900: on the Suburban bill
we were 10 get S75.o0o. which Is now
in a deposit box IN the Lincoln Trust
Company, being placed there with the
agreement that IL should be turned
over 10 Us when the bill had been
passed
while these are some OF the largest
bribes secured during my term OF o.
fee. there were fuuunerable others.
ranging from $4,000 20 a few hundred
dollars for some minor privileges The
bribe prices we're fixed in meetings OF
the combine. the procedure being for
some member 70 get up and move that
q certain price be fixed On a certain
bill. Other members would give their
opinions. q vote would be taken and
the price securing the highest number
OF votes would be adopted Then We
would select an agent OF the combine
by ballot 10 negotiate for and receive
the money This agent would distrib-
ute the monev among rs
NO CORPORATION SPARED.
From my intimats knowledge OF the
dealings OF this combine and what has
been going on here for the last quar-
ter OF a century. I make the positive
statement that there is hardly a cor
poration in the city OF St Louis OF
sfG0. 900 OF over that has not been held
up for bribe money by the House OF
Delegates.
I acted as the agent OF the corn
bine in a number OF these deals In
the Suburban deal 1 went with Kratz
TO Stocks house and was present
when the agreement was made regard
ing the bribe Of $1,000 for Kratz.
which is now IL lock box in the Ms
sissippi Valley Trust Company went
with Kratz and Carroll 10 the Office
OF a prominent broker in the lighting
deal and there sz0.Ce0 was paid BY the
broker 10 give the combine. and the
promise was made then that 81. so
more would be paid"