The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-12-29


st. .Louis.-The violent death OF
Robert M. SnydaS. IL Kansas City NIL
Eionaire. has written fms after the
worlds most remarkable crusade
against bribery. The death Of Snyder
Is the climax of q. series Of misfof-
tunes and tragedies that has pursued
10 relentlessIy the men who were
caught in the Doodle trap sprung by
Joseph w 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 mem We're 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 If some
kind-death, insanity, want or loss OF
fortune-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 Then he was
thrown out of his automobile within
a few blocks of his magnificent home,
on independence boulevard, Kansas
City, on the night of October n, and
killed When the circuit attorney Of
st. Louis few days later entered q
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.
But seven men we've sent to the pen
Etentfary 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
0ence-wou1d pass through the ex-
periences of the last four years for all
the bribe 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.
III the st. Louis bood1ers sowed the
wind they reaped the tornado. Next
to Snyder Charles Fl. 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 bride giver exposed
during the fight against corruption.
He was the first man caught. When
the late Red Calvin, veteran news
paper reporter, walked into the Office
Of Folk early in January, 1902, and
told him that Charles Fl. Turner and
Philip Stock, his legislative agent,
had placed s147,500 in escrow in two
trust companies vaults to bride the
municipal assembly to pass fran
chise bill for the Suburban Street Rail-
way company, the Doodle crusade be-
gan. Two days later Turner was yir-
tually on his knees before the circuit
attorney begging fer mercy. The only
to the penitentiary was to
80 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 was 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 to New
York and was almost forgotten In his
old home-saye for his perfidy in brib-
ing the eity's Reconsideration he
died. of a broken heart.
Snyder's last days were full of
trouble. Within the month of his
death the bleaching bones Of his son,
Cary NJ. Snyder, were found in a lone
" spot near HIllsboro, Ore. The
young man. a fugitive from justice for
two years. had probably been muir
Gered 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 member of an
band of robbers, who had
been cracking safes throughout the
western country. Cary Snyder kept
his father In constant trouble for near
" three years before he was killed.
r. ny. Snyder went to st. Louis in
The spring Of 1898 and consummated
daring and colossal bribery, in street
railway franchise bill, says the New
York Herald.
Snyder Convicted.
After one of the most notable legal
battles In the west, in which Folk
fought against an array of the finest
legal talent that money could hire,
Snyder was convicted and sentenced
TO Ave years in the penitentiary. 9het
ease went to the supreme court and