The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-10-04
ST. BOODLR
MAKES CONFESSION
''The Boys Were Ashamed of
Smallness of Some BTlbes
They Accepted


ST. LOUIS, No.. Oct. S.-In a writ
ten confession today Charles F. Kelly.
speaker of the house of delegates dur
ing a period in the life of the Doodle
; combine. relates his story of that COM
bine. He declares that a prominent
local politician promised himself and
others implicated that the new circuit
attorney would be "all right" and
promised if they would remain firm he
would secure for them either continu
ance until the new circuit attorney
took office or pardonS afteFward. Kelly
is under. conviction for perjury in con-
nection' with the Doodle cases and
his trial on the charge of bribing in
connection with the suburban fran
chise deal will be called Monday. He
is now out on bond.
He declares that theS politician said
the new circuit attorney, for which
office nominations are TO be made by
the Democrats today. would be his
man. Kelly declares he refused this
offer. and that he makes this confess
sion to satisfy the pangs of an accus-
ing conscience TO obey the requests Of
his wife. and to do what he can to
make atonement to the public and pre-
vent ether young men from following
the path which he declares has led him
TO ruin.
The $4,000 Fund
Kelly details the story of the city
lighting deal and of q Doodle fund OF
1850, divided between the nineteen
members of the combine at Julius Leh-
mann's birthday party. He declares
that the politician refused to give him
the Doodle fund and that he took it TO
Lehmann's house and that he there di-
vided it. Kelly said
I know from my own knowledge and
from the statements made to me by those
On the inside that bribery has been go
ing on in the municipal assembly of st.
Louis for the past twenty five years
Hardly a bill passed that body in the
last quarter of a century unless ii was
paid for. We did not fear exposure and
punishment, for the reason that We De
.leved that no one would dare to do it.
In case of attack, We knew most of the
politicians and many of the large fnan
cieTs of st. Louis would be with US. A
of starting after US but he was bluffed off.
When the present prosecutor tCircuit At
torney Folk is meant here) commenced
his war on us. we tried to intimidate him
by threats OF ASA sSination and when
this had no effect we laid all sorts of
traps for him, without success.
Proposed to Libel Him
Then some decided that the best plan
him SO fierceiy as to draw his fire by
taking up his time in libel prosecutions or
III he did not his influence would be weak
,ened and destroyed. Although We could
md nothing after a thorough search to
make attack on libels were deliberately
made for the purpose of affecting public
sentiment. This plan was participated in
not only by members of the house of
delegates under Indictment for boodling
but by prominent fnancierS of ST. Louis
who feared exposure. and by those who
gave US the money.
Kelly declared that the politician in
question paid him SIS, 900 Of the $50. eco
promised to keep him away from the
grand jury, before which he had been
subpoenaed to appear after John x
MurreH returned from Mexico and
turned states evidence in the city
lighting deal. He went to Europe by
way of Canada, taking the name of
James Hogan. 1t was the intention of
the politician, Kelly said, to have him
remain away until after the statute
of limitations had run out on the light
ing deal. By a miscalculation, Kelly
said, he came back too soon and was
arrested.
Always Had to Be Paid
OF the combine, Kelly had this to
say:
We never thought of passing a bin out
OF which any money could be obtained I'M
less we were paid for our votes We
went about il in a buSineSSlike way and
had combine meetings at stated times
and fixed the bride prices which we were
TO receive for our votes by a majority
vote of the combine. Then we would
select one OF the combine IN whose hon
eSty we had confidence to go out and get
the money! These agents would rarely
ever betray us. In one or two instances
they connScated part OF the money but
as general rule they were honest with
US Among ourselves. understand we
had a high code of morals. and it was
dish
member of the combine to accept bride
money without dividing among his fell
foWs.
We had fixed schedule of prices for
various bills, according TO the value of the
franchises or privileges given. We hardly
ever received less than $1,000 for the
meath our dignity to take less than that
On one or two occasions, though. we got
Of the boys took S. but were ashamed
OF II because the price was so small
Both Parties in It
Our combine was not along party lines.
both Democrats and Republicans belong
ed to 1t. My experience has been that
booaieTs line up according, to their own
interests and not according to party
standards. In the party convention both
Democrats and Republicans nominate men
TO go to the house of delegates for the
money there is in it. 1 believe this has
been tolerated in ST. Louis. because so
many Of the large corporations of the
or another. The heads OF these corpora
tons used TO think 1t less trouble to buy
what they wanted than to elect honest
men to the house of delegates
/ believe that if the people of st. Louis
allow this man Ga prominent politician
is named) to go on and control both polit-
ical parties and put his men in office. the
public will be just as guilty as am
today. Such is his hold on the com
munity. though it seems helpless. If 1
knew anything I could do that / have
not done to arouse the people of this CITY
and the people of this state to the neces-
sity of putting a stop to corruption. I
would gladly do il.
am now. suffering the penalty for my
crimes. am degraded and disgraced ]
don't want to preach, but l do want to
sound the alarm to the public as one
would to a friend whose house is on fire
A few weeks ago this man told us we
could either get continuance until a new
circuit attorney was elected that his man
would be put in and our case would be
dismissed or We could plead guilty and
stay in Jail until next January and he
would then see that we were hardened
I have determined not to be under his
domination any longer. I shall endeayoT
for the rest of nv life 10 atnne for lie