Evening journal., 1904-10-04
KELLY REVEALS PLOT
Former Head of St. Louis House
of Delegates Says BoodIerS
Sought to Kill Folk.
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF CRIME

Man Who Was Sent Abroad to Avoid
Being Called as Witness Against His
Colleagues and Who Returned Too
Soon Makes a Startling Confession
Of Wrongdoing.
st. Louis, Oct. 4.-By the written
confession Of Charles +. Kelly, former
speaker of the house Of delegates, It is
shown that there has been real danger
Of the assassination of Joseph w. Folk
at all times during his fight against
the "bOodlersp Of this city. Kelly has
pointedly confessed that threats of as
sasslnation have been made to Folk
and in view OF this revelation aston
ishment is felt that even at the most
critical periods in his prosecutions the
fighting circuit attorney has protested
against a guard Of detectives. 1t was
only the insistence Of his wife that IN
duced him to tolerate bodyguard
when he was I'm Jefferson City in July
at the state convention. The frst re
suit of Kelly's disclosure is the decision
of Folks friends TO insist on a guard
for him day and night.
Kelly's confession is one Of the most
surprising documents in all the amaz-
ing papers in the long list Of criminal
actions instituted by Mr. Folk
The confession opeps with the avow-
al of personal knowledge Of the preva-
lence of bribery in the municipal as
sembly of St. Louis for twenty-five
years.
Hardly a bill passed that body in
the last quarter Of a century unless il
was paid for" Kelly writes. I'VE 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 that most of the politicians
and many of the large financiers of st
Louis would be with us
Threats Of Murder.
"When Mr.. Folk began his war OF
us we tried to mtimidate him by
threats Of assassination, and when this
had no effect we laid all sorts of trapi
for him without success. Then som'
decided that the best plan would be t.
start newspaper and libel him 81
fercely as 10 draw his fire by takinl
up all his time in libel prosecuting, o
if he did not his influence would b
weakened and destroyed. Although W
could find nothing after a thoroug
search to make attack on, libels wer
deliberately made up for the purpos
} of affecting public sentiment. Thl
{ plan was participated in not only b
I members of the house Of delegates ur
der Indictment for boodling, but b.
; prominent fnanciers of st. Louis VIII
feared exposure and by those VIII
gave us the money"
Kelly goes on TO say that there wa
a fixed schedule Of prices for variou
bills. Hardly ever was less than 81
100 paid for the combined vote.
I'VE considered il beneath our dign
" to take less than that" comment
Kelly On a couple of occasions. how
,ver. as low as $50 each was the pric
If votes. and "some of the boys too
,5 each. but were ashamed Of it, as tn
rice was so small" Kelly assert
hat Edward Butler paid him $500
> Of $4,000 promised on condition thi
hc would keep away from the gran
jury. before which he had been sui
poenaed to appear. Kelly went to El
rope by way of Canada. travelling ul
, der the name of James Hogan. 1t W.
intended that he should remain ava
until the statute Of limitations ha
come into effect. but Kelly made a mi
? calculation in time and came back &C
: soon and was arrested. lie alleg,
q that the combine was made up
Democrats and Republicans and MAKE
this comment:
MY experience has been that bo
dlers line up according to their inte
ests and not under party standard
a Democrats and Republicans in
J Louis usually nominate men TO go
r the house of delegates for the none
d they can make out of it,"