The Savannah morning news., 1904-10-04
ST. LOUIS BOOOLER
MAKES CONFESSION
CHARLES F. KELLY TOLD
ALL ABOUT HOW THE MUNICIPAL
ASSEMBLY TOOK BRIDES.

For Many Years the Practice Had
Been in Vogue, the Combine Rely
ing Upon the Leading Politicians
and Financiers for Protection.
Could MuE1Ie Anyone Who showed
Disposition 10 Expose the Gang.
KeIly's Conscience Hurts Him.
st. Louis, Oct. S.-In "a written con-
fession to-day, Charles f. Kelly,
speaker of the House of Delegates dur
ing a period i'm the life of the Doodle
combine, relates the story of that COM
bine. He declares that a prominent
local politician promised himself and
others implicated that the next cir
cult attorney would be "all right
and promised If they would remain
firm he would secure for them con-
tinuances until the new circuit attor-
ney took office or pardons afterwards.
Kelly declares he refused this offer
and that he makes this confession to
satisfy the paugs of an accusing con-
science, to obey the requests of his
W life, and to do what he can to make
atonement to the public and prevent
other young men from following the
path which he declares has led him
to ruin"
In his confession, Kelly details the
story of the city lighting deal, for
which he says Doodle fund of $47.5OO
was divided among the nineteen MEM
bers of the combine at julius Leh-
mans birthday party. Kelly says:
Going on for Tventy-Five Years.
II know from my own knowledge
and from the statements made to me
by those on the inside that the bribery
has been going on in the municipal
assembly of st. Louis for the past
twenty-five years. Hardly a bill pass
ed that body i'm the last quarter of a
century unless It was paid for. We
did not fear exposure and punishment
for the reason that we believed that
no one would dare to do 1t. In case
of attack we knew most of the poll
ticians and many of the large finan-
ciers of st. Louis would be with u.s.
A former prosecutor showed some
signs of starting after us, but he was
bluffed off.
when the present prosecutor (Cir-
cult Attorney Folk is meant here)
commenced his war on us. we tried to
intimidate him by threats of assas-
sination, and when this had no effect
we laid all sorts of traps for him, with
out success. Then some one decided
that the best plan would be to start
newspaper and libel him so fiercely
as to draw his fire by taking up his
time in libel prosecuting, or IL he did
not, his influence would be weakened
and destroyed. Although we could find
nothing after a thorough search to
make attack on, lbels were deliber-
ft1a Aa f..s h.. e
fecting public sentiment This plan
was participated in. not only by MEM
bers of the House of Delegates under
indictment for boodling, but by proml-
nent f1nanciers of st. Louis who feared
exposure, and by those who gave us the
money"
Was Honor Among Thieves.
OF the combine. Kelly had this t.
say:
I'VE never thought of passing bill
out of which any money could be OBJ
tained, unless we were paid for our
votes. We went about 1t I'm a busi-
ness-lfke way, and had combine meet
lngs 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 honesty
we had confidence, to go out and get
the money.
These agents would rarely ever be-
tray us. In one or two instances, they
confiscated part of the money, but
as a general rule they were honest
with us. Among ourselves. under
stand, we had a high code of morals,
and II was considered extremely dis
honest for a member OF the combine
to accept bribe money without dividing
it amongst his fellows"