Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1906-12-27
J.k. MURRELL.

st. LOufS.-The violent death or
Robert M. Snyder, Kansas City mil
lionaire, has written fms after the
worlds most remarkable crusade
against bribery. The death of Snyder
Is the climax of a series of misfor-
tunes and tragedies that has pursued
30 relentlessly the men who were
caught in the Doodle trap sprung by
Joseph w. Folk four years ago, that
the question HIS been asked whether
fate has not joined hands with the
law to heap punishment upon their
heads.
Twenty-Five men were indicted by
st. Louis grand juries for participation
IN three great briberies, in which more
than 100000 was paid for the votes
Of assemblymen. Misfortune of some
kind-death, insanity, want or loss of
tortune-has visited the families of 16
Of them. Three of them are dead.
Snyder, whose case was probably
the most celebrated OF all, was under
indictment in st. Louis when he was
thrown out of his automobile within
few blocks of his magnificent home,
On Independence boulevard, Kansas
City, on the night Of October 81, and
killed. When the circuit attorney of
st. Louis few days later entered
nolle prosequi in the case the docket of
the criminal courts was cleared of all
the Doodle cases which Folk instituted
during the two years that he had brib
cry under investigation.
pYtf To fhn
ttentiary for bribery. One other is
under sentence, but his case is pending
In the supreme court. But not one of
the men--even those who escaped the
penitentiary by turning states evil
uence-would pass through the ex-
periences of the last four years for all
the bride money that the wealthiest
corporation of the country could put
up to buy votes. The lawmaker who
is tempted to sell his vote may learn
something to his advantage by study
ing carefully the unpleasant expert
ences of the men who gave and re-
ceived brides in st. Louis.
Began Doodle Crusade.
If the st. Louis boodlers sowed the
wind they reaped the tornado. Next
to Snyder, Charles H. Turner, who
died broken-hearted in New York last
summer, a virtual outcast from st.
Louis, where he made fortune
amounting to millions of dollars, was
the most lavish bribe giver exposed
during the fight against corruption.
He was the first man caught When
the late Red" Calvin, a veteran news
paper reporter walked into the Office
of Folk early in January, 1902, and
told him that Charles II. Turner and
Philip Stock, his legislative agent,
had placed $147,500 in escrow in two
trust companies vaults to bride the
municipal assembly to pass a fran
chise bill for the Suburban Street Rail-
way company, the Doodle crusade be-
gan. Two days later Turner was vir-
tually on his knees before the circuit
attorney begging for mercy. The only
alternative to the penitentiary was to
go on the witness stand and tell the
whole corrupt and shameful story. He
chose the alternative. At the time OF
his exposure he was president of big
trust company as well as Of the street
railway company. He WAY promptly
retired, and pretty soon the stock.
holders OF the trust company decided
that they needed another man at the
head OF the institution
Turner found that he could not re.
main in business in st. LOUIS. in spite
of his big fortune, He went Go New
York and was almost forgotten In his
old home-save for his perfidy in brib.
Ing the city's ADMINISTRATION he
died, Of broken heart.
Snyders last days were full of
trouble. Within the month of his
death the bleaching bones OF his son.
Cary NJ. Snyder, were found in lone.
ly spot near HIllsboro, Ore The
young man, fugitive from justice for
two years, had probably been muir.