Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1904-10-04
CHARLES ]. KELLYS
STORY OF COMBINE
Recent Doodle Sensation In
st. Louis, Mo.
THE CITY LIGHTING DEAL.
Kelly Makes Some Sensational Reve-
Iations-Boode Fund of $47 900 Di-
vided Betwu5n Nineteen Members
OF the Combine, Etc.

or the Combine, Etc.
st. Louis, Oct. Sin a written con
fession today Charles F. Kelly, speak
er of the house of delegates during
a period in the life of the Doodle com
bine, relates his ~story of that
combine. He declared that
prominent local politician, promised
himself and others that the next circuit
attorney would be "aIl right" and
promised if they would remain firm
he would secure for them either con-
tinuances until the new circuit attor-
ney took office or pardons afterward
He declared that this politician said
the new circuit attorney for which Of
fee nominations are to be made by the
Democrats today would be his man"
Kelley declares he refused this offer
and that he makes this confession to
satisfy the pangs of an accusing con-
science, to obey the requests Of his
wife and 90 what he can to make
atonement to the public and prevent
other young men from following the
path which he declares had led him
to ruin.
In the course of his confession KeI.
ley details a story of city lighting
deal and of Doodle fund of SAT, 800
divided between the nineteen members
Of the combine at julius Lehman's
birthday party. He declares that this
politician gave him the Doodle fund
and that he took it to Lehmann's
house and that he there divided it. In
the course of his confession, former
Speaker Kelly said:
Il know from my own knowledge
and from the statements made to me
that those on the inside that bribery
has been going on in the municipal as.
sembly of St. Louis for the past 25
years. Hardly a bill passed that
body in the last quarter of a century
unless it was paid for We did not
fear exposure and punishment, for the
reason that we believed no one would
dare to do it. In case of attack, we
knew most Of the politicians and many
of the large financiers of ST. Louis
would be with us. A former prosecu.
tor showed some signs of starting af.
ter 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
1ntlmidate him by threat Of assassin.
alton and when this had no effect we
laid all sorts of traps for him without
success. Then some decided that the
best plan would be to start a news.
paper and libel him so fiercely as to
draw his f"e by taking up his time
in libel prosecutions or, if he did not.
his influence would be weakened and
destroyed. Although we could find
nothing after thorough search. to
make an attack on, lIbels were deliber.
ately made up for the purpose of eff.
fecting public sentiment. This nIan
was participated in not only by mem.
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 the combine, Kelly had this to
say:
I'VE never thought of passing a bill
out of which any money could be oh.
tanned unless we were paid for orr
votes. We set about it in a business
like way and had combine meetings at
stated times and fixed the bribe prices
which we were to receive for our votes
by majority vote of the combine
Then we would select one of the com.
bine in whose honesty we had conf.
dence to go out and get the money
These agents would rarely ever betray
us. In one or two instances they con.
fscated part of the money, but as 2
general rule they were honest with us
Among ourselves, understand, we had
a high code of morals, and it was con.
sidered extremely dishonest for a mem.
ber Of the combine to accept brine
money without dividing it among his
fellows"