The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-07-01
INDICTMENTS BY
THE WHOLESALE
OVER A SCORE INVOLVED IN RE-
PORT AT MILWAUKEE.
Petty Bribery in Official Places Is
Charged in All Cases-Grand Jury
Has Further Grist to Grind, and
Grafters Still tUnwhipped' Are on
the Ragged Edge.

Milwaukee, July 1. - Wholesale
grafting'' which, it is alleged, has
been going on for several years in Mil
waukee county is expected to be laid
bare thru the result Of indictments
returned late yesterday afternoon by
the grand Jury, coupled with other IN
dictments which were handed down by
two previous grand iuries.
The grand jury, which convened ten
days ago, handed down thirty eight
indictments. Judge Brace, at the re
quest of District Attorney Frank E.
McGovern, ordered the issue of cap
Eases for the arrest Of those indicted.
The list of individuals for whom cap
Eases were issued is as follows:
Herman Haasch, ex-supervisor;
Frank Burkhardt, ex-supervisor; j. J.
Galewiski, ex7supervisor; Fred G..
Schultz, newspaper reporter; Peter j..
Mead, ex-supervisor; Charles Desfeld,
ex-supervisor; G.. F. Reichardt, super
county board; William H. O'Keefe,
supervisor; August Pulls, ex-supervisor;
Benjamin Badenx, SUPERVISOR; Charles
Bontleberg, ex-supervisor; j. F. Dit
mar, ex-supervisor; Albert G. Babe,
ex-supervisor; w. G. Wegner, ex-super-
visor; Frank Towle, supervisor; Fred G..
Oelfein, ex-supervisor; Arthur S: Green,
supervisor; Max Reinnold, ex-super-
visor; Julius Stamm, real estate dealer;
Fred Hartung, ex-supervisor and pres
ent assemblyman.
AS rapidly as, arrests are being made
bail is being furnished in the sum. of
$1,000 on the, first Indictment and $500
on each additional where more than one
been returned. = All the indictments
charge bribery. sa
Newspaper Man in List.
Perhaps the most sensational was an
Indictment against Fred G. Schultz, a
newspaper reporter, who is charged
with offering bride Of $3.50 to Edward
F. Strauss for his influence in the coun.
| ty board for the sale Of the old morgue
land site. to the Milwaukee Electric
Railway and Light company. The bride,
it is said, was accepted. The trans
fer of the property was made. Most
of the indictments charge bribery in
small amounts.
! The bundle of indictments handed
down yesterday is said to be the result
| of confessions obtained first by Dis
trict Attorney McGovern from Otto
Seidel, Jr., the register of deeds an6
former supervisor, and Edward F
Strauss, also an ex-supervisor. These
two men later went before the present
grand jury and, it is said, laid bare
/ the history Of many questionable
transactions of the county board.
! The investigation Of the two previ
Gus grand iuries resulted in the return
of 10 indictments against twenty
eight individuals. Of this number
fourteen have either been found guilt,
: or pleaded guilty, three were acquittet
, and the remainder are yet to be tried
Bigger Deals Later On
) The present investigation, it is said
will cover several big ''deals' Fou
years ago site for new morgue wa
purchased by the board Of supervisor
and it is said $4,000 was divide,
among certain members Of the boar
,, after the affair went thru.
: Another deal was executed, it is al
: legged, when large addition was bull
Ito the county hospital, and still an
other when furniture was purchased TO
: this addition. Repairs to the court
; house have been added at various time
in the last few years, and it is allege
eral amounts to members of the count
! ! board before contracts were awarded
! Another matter to come up is
( charge that in the last campaign on
or more employees of the count
E clerk s office was employed at the heat
5 quarters of the republican count
. committee and drew double pay.
The grand jury has not finished an
d other indictments are expected to b
It handed down at any time.