The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-10-07
HOW THE COMBINE WORKED.
Charles f. Kelly OF the St. Louis
House or Delegates Confesses &c
His Part I'm the Taking OF Corrup-
ton Money.

st. louis. Oct. 3.-In q written col-
fession today, Charles F. Kelly, speak
e. OF the House OF Delegates, duri.g
z PERIOD in the life of the Doodle com
bine, Ie.ates the story OF that combine.
He declares that a pr lminent OIL
politician promised AID others imp!i-
Gated hat the next circuit attorney
would be ''all right r1i promised Il
they WOULD remain he would secure for
them either con:'ru .nc1s until the ILw
circuit attornec : ck .,ficc or pardo IS
aftcrward.
Kill declares ic refused ;7is .ffsr
n that he m ,I:es IT.. &C nfession u
SATISFY the pr.S5 Of I'll accusing cor
science. to obry tha.i,quests Of ais
atonement to the public and prev M
other young ncn from following lie
path :,nich he declares has led him to
ruin"
In is confes son Kelly details t!Ie
story of the city lighting. deal, for
which he says a Doodle ind Of SAT So
was divided tie IS memo .rs
CT the combine at Julius Lehmaa's
party.
Kelly says
L know from my own knowledge
and from the statements made to me
by those On the inside, that brIber:
has been going or in the municipal
assembly OF St. Louis for the pas;
twenty-five years. Hardly a bill passed
hat body in the last quarter Of a CEN
fury unllSS ~ uraC Maid for VUa I'D
not fear exposure and punishment, for
the eason that we believed that no ore
would dare TO do it. In case of attack,
we knew most of the politicians and
many of the large ~inancier Of s..
Louis would be with us. A former
prosecutor showed some some signs OF
starting for us, but he was bluffed off.
when the present prosecutor( City
Attorney Folk is meant here) COM
menced his war IN us, we tried to in
timidate him by threats of assassina-
ton and as this had no effect we laid al
sorts of traps for him, without success.
Then one decided that the best plan
would be to start a newspape and libel
him so fiercely as to draw his fire by
taking up his time in libel prosecuting.
or If he did not, his influence would be
weakened and destroyed. Although we
could find 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 men,
bers of the House of Delegates under
indictment for boodling. but by promi-
nent financiers of St Louis, who feared
exposure, and by those who gave US
the money"
OF h combine. Kelly had this to
say:
We never thought of passing a bill
out of which any none could be OBJ
tanned, unless we were paid for votes.
We went about it in a business like
way and had combine meetings at
stated times and fixed the bride prices,
which we We're ready TO receive for
our votes, by a majority vote of the
combine. Then we would select one
of the combine in whose honesty We
a 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 are honest with
US. Among ourselves, understand, We
had a high o of morals and it was
considered extremely dishonest for a
member of the combine to accept bride
money without dividing it amongst his
fellows