New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-29
25 YEARS OF BOODLING.
BRIBERY IN ST. LOUIS.
Convicted Official Describes Methods
by Which Millions We're Stolen.

st. Louis. June 2S.-It was announced to-day
that Charles A. Gutke formerly a member OF
the House Of Delegates. convicted on charge
of bribery and soon to be tried on another
similar charge. had made a confession to Circuit
Attorney Joseph W. Folk in which he declared
that ex-Delegate Charles F. Kelley had said
that he had received $4,000 for going to Eu-
rope when his presence in St. Louis jeopardized
we'll known men. Kelley is also under one con-
viction and is soon to be tried in another case
Mr.. Folk attaches great Importance to Gutke's
statement He says that it opens up many
new avenues of investigation. and that it brings
things to light which have not been heard Of
before involving the men higher up
When he came out of the office of Circuit At
torney Falk. Gutke handed out for publication
written extracts from his confession, which were
in part a follows:
The bes, reparation that can make for the
wrongs have done is to confess fully to every
thing, iE order that the public may realize what
has been going on. Yielding to the pleadtngs or
my wife. have determined to do all 1 can to
atone foT my sins against the public The peO-
pie OF S. Louis now do not realize how
they have been persistently plundered for years
an1 years b. men they elected TO make laws
for their city.
1 became member of the House of Delegates
in 1897. and at once became member of the
combine of that body. which Organlza-
tion composed of nineteen Delegates for the pur-
pose of selling legislation.
The first bill that came up after had be-
come a member of the combine was the Subur-
ban Loop bill. The combine got $4,000 for
their votes on this bill; the Union-aye. bill
got S1S,tDO; on the Central Traction bill
We got %T5.OO0 on the Third-st. Line bill
got $1,000; on the Lighting bill got ST.
IgO; on the Suburban bill we were 20 get $40
900. which is now in the safe deposit box in the
Lincoln trust company oelnS placed there Win
the agreement that il should be turned over to
us when the bill had been passed
While these are some of the largest brtbes Sc
cured durtng my terrc of Office. there were IN
nuinerable others ranging fror1 SlOOOo for
switching bills tD Il few hundred dollars Tor
some minOc privilege. The bri5e prices were
fixed III meetings Of the combine the procedure
being for some member to geG up and move
that a certain price be fixed on certain bills,
Other members would give their opinions and
a vote would be taken. and the price receiving
the highest number of votes would be adopted
Then we would select an agent of the COM
biue by ballot to negotiate for and receive the
money. This agent would distribute the money
among us. From my intimate knowledge OF
dealings with this combine. and from informa-
tiOn secured on what has been going on here
for the last quarter of a century, make the
positive statement that there is hardly a
poraton in the city of st. Louis of S2SO.OOO and
over tha. has not either been held up for bribe
bine in the House of Delegates.
l acted g the agent of the combine in num-
her of these deals. In the Suburban deal went
with Kratz TO Stocks house, and was present
wheE the agreement was made regarding the
nilpG u F'''V"' oI NIIioI - III" III d
lockbOX IN the Mississippi Valley Trust Com
pany. | went with Charles Kratz and Carroll
to the Office of n prominent broker in the Light
ing deal ana there $4,000 was paid me by
this broker 10 give the combine and the prom
ise made then that $27.5Oo more would be
paid.
Other details were given by Gutke. who men,
toned the name of a prominent local politician
who he said. had been at the head of nearly all
the combines in the House of Delegates during
the last nty-fivC years. He said that the
Doodle gang in ST Louis had already planned
TO capture the Circuit Attorneys office at the
next election.