The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-09-30
PUBLIC GRAFT IN
THE BISON CITY
EXPOSURES OF OFFICIAL COR
RUPTloN COMING.
An Explanation is Given as to Why
Sewer Contracts Sometime
Come High.

Come High.
The following from Buffalo will be
read with considerable of interest by
certain residents OF Canton:
Buffalo, N. Y, Sept 25.-District
Attorney Coatsworth resumed in the
morning the presentation to Erie coun-
tvs grand jury of evidence sustaining
charges of boodling IN connection with
contracts for public works, sites for
school houses, franchises for public util-
tiles and police protection of disorder
ly resorts.
Buffalo is aroused as it never was
before. The charges enter into almost
every department of the city govern
ment which has to do with the letting
OF contracts and probably two score of
city officials are involved The accus-
ed range from high to low in the Of
fetal service. The gratis" alleged to
nave been taken runs from $50 for the
! grant Of an ordinance for private
sewer to thousands of dollars for a
street cleaning contract and a tele-
phone franchise. Where the indict-
mept lightning will strike in the city
service it is impossible to say. Certain
alderman are trembling in their boots.
Men higher up" watch neryously the
unfolding of the net Of the district at
torney and the citizens who are as
sisting him.
There is no idea of partisanship in
! the investigation 1t covers men in
both parties, but the control of the
city government is in the hands Of the
! Republicans. The mayor, Erastus
knight, is Republican. The COM
missioner of public works, Francis c.
Ward, is a Republican and his depart
ment, with millions of dollars, is Off
cered by Republicans. One police COM
missioner, Charles A. Rupp, is Demo-
crat. The other, William Doherty, is
Republican and friend of the may
} or.
The present investigation began
when plan was made to lay a sewer
in Tiff street in South Buffalo and
other places at a cost OF $4,000. Lawyer
r. S. Randall was retained to oppose
the contract, The alder men rushed the
plan through and it was said that the
"aldermanic gang" had Joined hands
with the contractors gang and there
was $40, 900 of graft to divide. Law
yer Randall found contractor, John
Harrer, who threw great light on
the methods of awarding contracts
Harrer declared that ring Of contract
ors was working in Buffalo, that high
bids were made in collusion on all big
contracts, but where an outside bidder
could not be bought or scared off his
bid was rejected on some technical
ground and the immense profits were
divided by the ring and its official aids
Harrer told the grand jury of the
mode of operation by the ring and the
aldermen on the e-Ferry street sewer
contract, on which the city waf
mulcted $4,000 by an excessive bid
: accepted by the city officers.
His story was substantially as fol-
lows:
1--WE were taken in a small room in
the saloon, and 1t was there that the
proposition was made to us that we
must play ball. meaning that we must
pay $500 to each Of the aldermen
They told us there was good money
in the contract at $3.400, and that We
could afford to pay that much to the
aldermen for getting the job through
| told them | never paid anything be
fore, and they replied 1t was different
now. At the beginning of 1902 a new
sewer committee was elected, and the
aldermen then voted to give me tht
contract, but the councilmen disap'
proved their action.
"The commission of public works
was afterward directed by the com
This was done, and in May, 1902, the
contract was awarded another firm fol
$55, 900, or $21, 900 higher than my price
There was not the slightest reason fol
higher figures. Both labor and mater
ial cost the same as when was pre-
pared to begin work and carry it tc
completion"
There are charges of hold ups
and "divvies' on excessive sums ex
tracted for school sites. The distric
attorney has evidence concerning meth
DDS of obtaining graft" for police pro
lection of disorderly resorts. The pet
ty boodling for small sums on per
sons and corporations which desired
gratis" for private sewers is relieC
upon to produce several indictments.