The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-12-09

TIE violent death OF Robert NJ.
Snyder. a Kansas City million
aire-called the king Of western
boodIers-has written inis after
the worlds most remarkable crusade
against bribery. The death Of Snyder.
who spent a quarter OF a million dol
lars in 1893 70 corrupt the Municipal
Assembly OF st. Louis to pass a street
railway franchise bill, out OF the sale
OF which he cleared s1,25o!ooO. is the
climax Of series OF misfortunes and
tragedies that has pursued so relent-
Iessly the men who were caught in the
Doodle trap sprung by Joseph ". Folk
four years ago, that the question has
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 I'm
three great briberies. in which more
than $4,000 was paid fer the votes of
Assem- blymen. Misfortune of some kind
death. insanity, want. or loss Of for
tune-has visited the families Of six
teen OF them. Three of them are dead.
Snyder. whose case was probably the
most celebrated OF al. was under in
dictnent ia ST Louis when he was
thrown CUT 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 a nolle prose
ouj in the case the docket of the Grim
final courts was cleared of all the
doodle eases which Folk instituted dur
ing the two years that he had bribery
un0cr Investigation.
But seven men were sent 10 the pen
itentiary for bribery. one other is un-
der sentence. but his case is bending
in the Supreme Court. But not one of
the men--cVcn those who escaped the
penitentiary by turning States evil
dence--wouid pass through the expe-
Yience OF the last four years for all the
bride money that the wealthiest cor
poration Of the country could put up
60 buy votes. The lawmaker who is
tempted 10 sell his vote may learn
something TO his advantage by study
ing carefully the unpleasant expert
ences OF the men VINO gave and re-
ceived brides in ST. Louis.
II the St. Louis boodlers sowed the
wind they reaped the tornado. Next to
Snyder, Charles II. Turner. who died
broken hearted in New York last sum-
rner, a virtual outcast from St Louis,
where ne made a fortune amounting to
millions OF dollars, was the most Law
Ssh bride giTer exposed during the
fight against corruption. He was the
FIRST man cauSht-and the first man
who ran TO Folk TO save himself from
the pcnitentiary. When the late Red
Calvin, a veteran newspaper reporter.
walked into the office Of Folk carly in
January, 1902. and told him that
Charles n. Turner and Philip Stock,
bis legislative agent, has placed sl47,-
500 in escrow in two trust companies
vaults TO bribe the Municipal Assem-
~ n f>
Suburban Street Railway Company
the Doodle crusade began. Two days
later Turner was virtually on his knees
before the Circuit Attorney begging for
mercy. The only alternative to the
penitentisry was to go on the witness
stand and tell the whole corrupt and
shameful story. He chose the alter
native. At the time of his exposure he
was president Of a big trust company
as well as Of the street railway COM
pany. He was promptly retired, and
pretty soon the stockholders OF the
trust company decided that they need
ed another man at the head of the in
stitution.
Turner found that he could not re-
main fin business IN st. Louis. in spite
OF his big fortune. He went 10 New
York and was almost forgotten in his
old home-save for his peridy in
bribinR The city's ADMINISTRATION he
died OF a broken heart.
Tragedy Is Complete
snyders last days were fun of
trouble. Within a month OF his death
the bleaching bones of his son, Cary NJ.
Snyder, were found in a lonely spot
near Hillsboro. Or. The young man.
fugitive from justice for two years, had
probably been murdered by one Of a
band Of robbers OF which he was a
member. On the very night that the
elder Snyder died the widow OF his
son confessed that her dead husband
was q member OF an organized band
Of robbers, who had been cracking
safes throughout the Western country.
Cary Snyder kept his father in constant
trouble for nearly three years before
he was killed