The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-06-29
KELLY MAY FOLLOW
GUTKE'S EXAMPLE TO-DAY.
Continued From Page One

Continued From PnSe One.
men they. elected to make laws for the
city. -,s,..-
Were to ,teIIyall and, give the details
of ali the Sariotf,I deals to my knowledge,
.rolumeS FotidyPgi hllsdF became R'fnem-
I ber OF the House OF Delegates in 1887, and
at once became a member of the combine
of that body, which was an organization
,, COMPOSED Of 'ifIneteet'i members of the
Hotise of Delegates for the purpose Of
selling legislation. The man behind this
combine and who has been the head of
nearly all of the combines in the House
of Delegates for the past twenty-five
years, is Ed Butler.
THE first bill that came up after 1
had became a member of the combine was
the Suburban loop bill. The combine got
GOO for their votes on this bill on the
Union avenue bill we got $4,000, on the
Central Traction bill we got $4,000, on the
Third street line bill we got $4,000. on the
lighting bill we got &47. 5OO on the Suburban
We were to get $4,000. which is now in the
safe-deposit box OF the Lincoln Trust
Company. being PLACED there by the
agreement that it should be turned over
to US when the bill had passed. ...
While these are some of the largest
brlbes secured during my term of office.
there were innumerable others ranging
from $4,000 for switching bills to few
hundred dollars for some minor privilege.
The bribe prices were fixed in meetings
OF the combines the procedure being for
some member TO get UP and move that
certain price he fixed on a certain bill.
nsh pIp thair mi ions
and a vote would be taken. and the price
receiving the highest number Of votes
would be adopted.
SAYS FEW CORPORATIONS
ESCAPED PAYING BRIBES.
Then We would select an agent of the
combine by ballot to negotiate for and re-
ceive the money. This agent would dis
tribute the money amongst us. From my
intimate knowledge of dealings with this
combine, and from the information Sc
cured of what has been going on here for
the last quarter of a century. l make tho
positive statement that there IS hardly a
corporation in the city OF St. Louis of
S25t.On0 and over that has not either been
held up for bribe money or bought official
action from the combine in the House of
Delegates.
81 acted as agent OF the combine in a
number OF these deals. In the Suburban
deal L went with Kratz to Phil Stocks
house and was present when the agree
ment was made regarding the bribe of
$4,000 for Kratz. which is now in a lock
box in the Mississippi Valley Trust Com
pany. I went with Charles Kratz and
Carroll TO the office of prominent broker
in the lighting deal, and there $4,000 was
paid to me by this broker to give to the
combine, and the promise was made that
$27 500 more would be paid.
THE additional amount, I was told,
would be brought to the House that even
ing by Ed Butler. l was told that in
case the combine refused to accept the
money. to give 1t back to Ed Butler or
to give it back to the broker. The COM
bine refused to accept the money because
they wanted SIS 900, and gave 1t back to
Butler.
Butler came on the floor OF the House
in the evening and was there half an
hour, then paid s47,50O to Kelly, which
was divided up among the members of
the combine at the meeting at Lehmann's
house.
kelly got the money at Buffers office.
Bribery had been going on SO long that
the people of st. Louis seemed to grow
accustomed to it. The public was indiffer-
ent, and we members of the combine did
not have any conscientious scruples about
selling our votes.
"one day at the beginning of my term
as a member of the House of Delegates, 1
expressed fear that we might be subject
to prosecution, but was laughed at and
twitted for my nervousness.
They told me that no one had ever
been prosecuted for it and that no one
ever would be. That they had too much
political power and wealth behind them
and that no one would dare attack them.
When these prosecutions commenced we