The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-07-20
HUGE BRIBERY SCANDAL
/. A. uutke Makes Full Confession
to Folk
Gives the Prices That the st. Loals
Doodle Combine Received For farl-
Gus Deals - City Plundered.

st. Louis, No. With the hope tina
clenency will be shown to him when
he will plead guilty to bribery IN the
| city lighting scandal in Judge Melon
AIDS court. Charles A. Gutke made a
voluntary confession to Circuit Attor'
new Joseph W. Folk OF all he knows
! concerning the various Doodle candai
which have been before the public for
the last two and a half years. telling
i in minute detail of the parts he played
and who did the bribing.
Gutke said III his confession:
81 did not realize that l was com
hitting a crime in taking money !ol
my vote until these Doodle prosecutions
began.
THE people of st. Louis even now do
not realize how they have been persist
emily plundered for years and years
by the men they elected to make laws
for the city. Were l to give the details
Of all the various deals III my knoWi-
edge volumes would be filled.
THE first bill that came up after (
had become a member Of the combine
was the Suburban Loop bill. The COM
bine got $4,000 for their votes on this
bill; on the Belt Line bill. $4,000: on
the Union Avenue bill, S1S,GOO; Cen
trail Traction bill. $4,000; Third Street
Line bill. we were to get S15,OoO;
Lighting bill, SAT, 500; on the Suburban
we were to get $4,000. which is now
in the safe deposit box in the Lincoln
Trust Company, being placed there
with the agreement that it should De
turned over to us when the bill had
been passed.
"While these are some of the largest
brides secured during my term OF
Office, there were innumerable others,
ranging from $4,000 for switching
bills to a few hundred dollars for
SOM minor privilege.
THE bride prices were fixed IN meet
ings of the combine, the procedure be-
ing for some member to get up n
move that a certain price be fixed on
a certain bill. Other members would
give their opinions and a vote would be
adopted. Then we would select an
agent Of the combine by ballot to ne
gotiate for and receive the money.
This agent would distribute the money
among us.
From my intimate knowledge OF
dealings with this combine and from
information secured of what has been
going on here for the last quarter of a
century, I make the positive statement
that there is hardly a corporation in
the city of st. Louis Of S25O,OOO and
over that has not either been held up
for bride money OF that has not bought
official action from the combine in the
House of Delegates.
II acted as agent of the combine in a
number of these deals. When these
prosecutions commenced we were
astounded, but still confident of our
ability to get out OF top. Ed Butler
assured us there was no danger. and
gave us authority to employ all the
attorneys we wanted and he would pay
the bills. and he did. He told us not
to feel uneasy. Butler talked to me a
great many times confdentially about
his plans and what he had done.
THE gang known as the Doodle
gang in st. Louis is more powerful
than the people of this city dream of.
1t has millions behind it, and the
chances are that unless the people of
st. Louis rise up they will succeed in
getting control of the city again."