The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-10-07


fnanciers of st. Louis would be with us.
former prosecutioner showed some
signs of starting after us, but he was
bluffed off.
''When the present prosecutor Circuit
Attorney Folk commenced his war on
us, we tried to intimidate him by
threats of assassination, 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 newspaper and libel him so
fercely as to draw his fire by taking up
his time in libel prosecutions, for if he
did not sue, his influence would be weak
ened and destroyed Although we could
find nothing after a thorough search to
make attack on, libels were deliberately
made up for the purpose of affecting
public sentiment. This plan was partic-
ipated in, not only be members of the
house of delegates under Indictment for
boodling, but by prominent financiers Of
st. Louis who feared exposure, and by
those who gave us the money"
OF the combine Kelly said:
1--WE never thought of passing bill
out of which any money could be OBJ
tanned unless we We're paid for our
votes. We went about it in business
like way and had combine meetings at
stated times and, by a majority vote of
the combine, fixed the bride prices
which we were to receive for our votes.
Then we would select one of the COM
bine in whose honesty we had conf
dence to go out and get the money.
tray us. In one or two instances they
coniscated part of the money, but as a
general rule they were honest with us.
Among ourselves, understand, we had a
high code of morals, and it was consider
ed extremely dishonest for member
of the combine to accept bride money
without dividing amongst his fellows.
''We had fixed schedule of prices for
various bills, according to the value of
the franchises or privileges given. We
hardly ever received less than 81 900 for
the combined vote. We considered it be-
meath our dignity to take less than that.
On one or two occasions, though, we
got as low as $50 each for our votes
and some of the boys took So, but were
ashamed of it because the price was so
small.
"Our combine was not along party
lines; both democrats and republicans
belonged to it. My experience has been
that boodlers line up according to their
own interests and not according to par
ty standards. In the party conventions
both democrats and republicans nomi-
nate men to 90 to the house of dele
gates for the money there is in it. | be-
lieve this has been tolerated in st.
Louis because so many of the large cor
poratiOns of the city are mixed up in
boodling, in one way or another. The
heads of these corporations used to
think it less trouble to buy what they
wanted than to elect honest men to
the house of delegates.
"There are many other things I can
and will tell later on, but this will do
now This, in brief, is my story and
the confession of my infamy. 1 believe,
though, that if the people of st. Louis
allow this man Ia prominent politician
is namedD to go around and control both
political parties and put his men in Of
flee, the public will be just as guilty as
l am today, such is his hold on the COM
munity, though it seems helpless. If
knew anything l could do that l have
not done to arouse the people of this
city and the people of this state to the
necessity of putting a stop to corruption,
| would gladly do it.
aih III" thC 1ol
my crimes, am degraded and disgraced.
| don't want to preach, but | do want to
sound the alarm to the public as one
would to friend whose house is on
fire. A few weeks ago this man told
us we could either get continuance
until new circuit attorney was elected
that his man would be put in and our
case would be dismissed, or we could
plead guilty and stay in jail until next
January and he would then see that we
were pardoned. l have determined not
to be under his domination any longer.
| shall endeavor for the rest of my life
to atone for the wrong l have done. I
shall have more to say later on"