The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-06-29
TELLS THE STORY
OF HIS CRIME
ST. Louis BO0dIer Makes a
Clean Breast of II.
VICTORY FOR ATTY FOLK
FEARFUL CONDITION OF COR
RUPTION EXPOSED.
VICTORY FOR ATTY FOLK

ST. Louis. June 2S.-It was announced
today that Charles A. Gutke, former
member of the house of delegates, con-
yicted on a charge Of bribery and soon
TO be tried on another similar charge,
today made d complete confession to
Circuit Attorney Folk, i'm which he de-
clared that Former Delegate Charles
Kelly had told him he had received
$4,000 for going to Europe when his
presence in st. Louis jeopardized men
of prominence. Kelly is also resting
under a conviction and is soon to be
tried under another case. Circuit At
torney Folk says the revelations which
have been made by Gutke open up
many new avenues of information and
bring 10 light things which have not
been heard of before, involving men
higher up. When he came out OF the
office of Circuit Attorney Folk, Gutke
said.
The best reparatiOn that can
make for the wrongs have done is
TO confess fully to everything, in order
that the public may realize what has
been going on. Yielding 70 the plead
ings of my wife, I have determined to
do all 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"
Gutke Tells His Story.
when he came from the circuit at
tOTneys Office. Gutke handed out for
publication written extracts from his
confession. of which tie following is
part;
Il became member of the house
of delegates i'm 1897 ard at once be-
"a "a
bOdy, which was an organization COM
posed Of nineteen delegates for the
purpose of selling legislation.
The first bill that came no after I
Z had become a member OF the combine
was the suburban loop bill" The com
bIue got $4,000 for their votes on this
bill. i'm the Union avenue bill we got
$4,000 on the Central Traction bin
we got $4,000, on lie Third street line
bin we soJ $4,000; ON the lighting bin
we got 1880 on the suburban bill we
were to get SIS. coo which rs now IN tile
deposit box in the Lincoln Trust COM
pany, being placed there with the
. agreement that it should be turned
over to us when the bill had been
Some Large Brides.
while these were some of the Iarg-
/ est brides secured during my term OF
office. there were iuuumerabie OtEers
ranging from $4,000 TO q few hundred
dollars for some minor privileges. The
bride prices We're fixed ia meetings ol
/ the combine, the procedure being Tor
/ some member to get up and move thal
"a certain price be fixed on a certain
/ bill Other members would give their
/ opinions. a vote would be taken ana
/ the price securing the highest number
I of votes would be adopted.
Then we would select an agent OF
the combine by ballot 20 negotiate
! for and receive the money. This agent
would distribute the money among us
I From my intimate knowledge OK the
/ dealing Of this combine and what mas
been going on here for the last quarter
I of a century, make the positive state
meut that there is hardly a corpora
; ton OF she city OF st. Louis OF $l0J,00
I or over that has not been held up lot
bride money i'm the house Of delegates
Acted as Agent.
81 acted as the agent of the combin'
I i'm a number of these deals. In the SUP
7 urban deal i went with kFatz u
! Stocks house and was present Wnef
/ the deal was made regarding the briot
of $50. 900 for KTatz which Be- nOW in 2
/ lOckbOx I'm the Mississippi Valley Trust
/ company. / went vita Kratz and car
/ roll to the Office of a prominent brok'
er I'm tie lighting deal and there $50,
/ 000 was paid by this broker 10 give the
! combine and the promise was made
then that S27 500 more would be paid
Other details were given by Gutke
I who mentioned the name of proml-
! nent local politician VINO. he said, had
/ been at the head of nearly all the coma
bines i'm the house of delegates during
/ tine past twenty-five years. He sale
/ the Doodle gang iu St. Louis, wnIch Is
more powerful than the people OF 81
I Louis dream OF, has already planned
: 20 capture the circuit attorneys ONCE
al fha next election