The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-08-07
First Yelled Attempt at Bribery.
Blunt Offer Of $4,000 for
Veto of an O rtii1arcsTl,eH
Briber's Agile RetreatBold
Attempt to Secure Public
Works Contracts Corruptly.
a Real Temptation.
BY An Ex-Mayor 81 One Of the
Largest American Cities.

BY An Ex-Mayor Of One OF the
Largest American Cities.
FIFTH ARTICLE.
Copyright. 1901 by j oseph -. Bowles) 4
! f1s.Sss---t 4 BDRs are OF two recds-thoaei
lISp who want you do something
-. and those who want you not TO-
6%-.a5 do something. THAT Is the way
C8&32kW II grouped them when II was
| 7E7Z-TT1''9-7 " mayor Be / do not know .lOWs
many times / was "approa ched during
my term Of office nor4do l know how
many fishing expeditions were sent to find.
out X would bite. Und oubtedly many.
atten,pts were made to ascertain. my views:
on matters Of direct Interest to those who.
would be willing to pay we'll IL II only
would look at the matter from their
point OF view.
Several tmes-n1ore than I like to re-;
call-indiscreet persons broadly intltnateds
that there would be something in 1T for
me- If i would allow this or that ordi-
lnance or measure to Ego through" The
first time i realized that I was being Of
Tered bride, although the offer was
yelled by words OF ambiguous meaning,
| i almost was frightened. The man who
| had 1T In his mind to offer me money
or Its equivalent for my. S signature ap-s
proving the ordinance we ha d under dis.
cussion was an inconspl Gu Gus ia vyer.8
| think now he was as much ghtened as
IL was. for before !. had recovered my
polse he made a clumsy ex cuse for lea w
| ing the office, and l never saw him gain.
! Perhaps It was tho shock of surprise
| that startled me. Il was not eXpec citing
anything Of the kind, and when he, after
exhaust ting his gdments, pread out MS
hands and with a smile w hich proba ply
| he thought was particularly significant
Inconvenience yourself. but you ma IND
it worth your while to take a da Y OF ~
come out and look tho ground over: any
how. YOU won'tflo anything by no
accent he placed on the word lose gave
me the key, and II found myself tongue e,
tied for the instant. Then he s ll
lleft, and The incidcn T was q osed
AS Il became more accustomed 70 my n
work 81 grew hardened to these indirectl
tcsta 4 my 8 ftlcial integrity. al times
I,felt like Kicking the Houl -bes bripers out
,ofsmvfof1 lce but my be ter judi ment pre-
va,led AZ Sometimes II laughed "a tnefn--5
2thelra scheming was so trans paren -
rnightS he q SIX ed :$sa. din poS
them I, ~ Y IA
s1,here wa nothing to EXPOSE ~ o,.s
de me a direct Of coula3 ny =
cn,ld nut testify that ] believed .theyS}
wara irving to bride me---Weak ev y
w. ,,,a,,idn,t stand In court. did GO
LII q no rporat ion counsel ana asheu 9nio
which was: Their have the man
thrown out OF the office on fge Z, e
clples, or tell him 70 get 9 " "
One dayGthe man came In Who naa a,, she
Scoura re 76to use plain. stIa1snt; I ~ Mi
offered sto give men =, ~ = II
would veto {, CERTAIN 4, /, - eve re-
nn. "a s1,is offer. ere alone N
small room nee g. z = 9 az tS See Bust.
heard him when np 81 1a the door t and
a. 81 Is ne
aah me n said is the se cay
what you have 5ss Il saiaId en e
"a ssment he said you'd not s'yis Is
sasi,v Wort worth 900, sign taat
ordinance. for the ordit'ah S s''np's
str,9y 3, OFFERED me $40 I would veto
tho bil, III answered. Didn't yq3,nb Z, &.
t1St the N.Y. YAK Mayy sa l1ek " wanted te
Offer i brfbe e III osaoSaSnfgI
make Il t $50. 900 would 20 J, worm "
T tn l1s b sald the hsimatter con
c 1nisdt Tlhad q / cea 81 case against him,
would swear he mao :,
r,s e SaS not W' dented sent
fSi CORPORA ton counse e
The the ccurrence to him. I. y s, -
You might have nm n, inn ..b,,i YOU
i1ayer' t the corroboratiy evidence nseat 20
Ia Ia Hcony1ct him. Al man who attempts :, g
bride Will commit perjury. a iha ne ,o and
sswear he did not try to brlDe you anu any!
IN e no idea OF doing 1t, and there you
Nov man who boldly pr0 'psns o ther
sell nm fra ave 10 do dn more than
i lint tfiat he would pay for my approving
signlture, Is were bungers. Their work TX
too rough They sa aid hG brbers.
each OF them played Sa safa game. lsach
vas areful that no witness was m u ear =;
PVT me On y a my Is uaaa
SPEAK to me unless my private ssecTe.a9FjY
was nea r9enough 70 near VIVA \ W. q d
from One a aay' un aaReseed auarter sfSs
compc tition between two sets OF pu.p2 il
Contractors was king ife interesting .ns
the TN time e a Gae ot s'os b b
t and Il was brought into the contest for
the developments indicated that soon , 4
%sa|dd axs oS to mske rsas
sumo sumo judicial authorlty, the head q one
the departmenlts ,e came 'n 10 'ns
Salfs Riaaor 9aSsTl few Words b
walked Walk toward the nnne z oftiee. saving;
III want to see you alone lor ~ hsW
minutes followed him and as g i t urn
o ono M and and one Of the loading public con:
e trpacto rs. OF the city entered ana seated
himself In chair nea 3 my 1,
thought nothing Of this the Una ln
and closing the door 81 retcileeu oul' ~, %
M ny liz altenant took a seat me and
began talkng Of The polltieaa4lt stn na
atbad 'wayifnanciaIly aud that systen,utls
aefforts should be made to buil up fund
for the camnalsn;t M az agt tter
/ for some minutes. Then, J. naming the
Il ,In sitting IN my