Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-08-26
JURIST TELLS OF BRIBERY
Attempts Made to Purchase De-
. cis,on in the Courts OF
Chicago.

That attempts TO bribe Judges are Of fire.
quent occurrence In Chicago was the decia-
ration made by Judge Gibbons OF the circuit
court The Judge stated that although fire.
quent attempts are made to influence Judges
in this manner. the bribers are careful to
make their proposals In a diplomatic man
ner in order TO escape punishment
1T venture to say that there is not a Judge
In Chicago who has not been offered
bribes," said Judge Gibbons II can also
say that never heard Of an instance
where the bride was accented. I havo
been offered a sum as high as $4,000 to
influence a decision. but the offers have
always been made in such q manner that
there was not SUFFICIENT grounds for punish
ment"
The judge declared that the $4,000 had
been rendered 10 him by persons connected
with the Garfield park race track shortly
before he's rendered the decision that closed
the gates OF that track. He refused to
consider the offer and decreed that a state
can cancel the charter OF corporation en-
gagged in any immoral practice. such as
gambling The Judge also stated that he
had been rendered an opportunity to pur-
chase place on the democratic judicial
ticket in 1897 for 5000 and that one OF the
candidates had offered to withdraw In favor
Of Judge Gibbons for that sum.
II am sorry that these matters have been
made public. as did not intend to mention
them" said the Judge recently. There
ir nothing that ! would not he willing 10
make known, but as these men never put
themselves in such a position that the Law
could reach them I thought II best to say
nothing about the matter.
"A short time before gave my decision
in the race track case a man called At my
house and told me that he was an intimate
friend of my cousin. John Gibbons OF Phila-
deiphia, who owns several stables and il
| interested In racing. The man told how an
adverse decision would Affect the business
interests In Chicago and said that many
| thousands OF dollars would be lost He
hinted that 1t would be worth $4,000 to
these interests II the track was allowed "a
remain open. He then asked me II he could
arrange another meeting with me and
told him he could see me the next Monday
on the bench. He was present when
handed down the decision against the In.
! terests he seemed to represent, but he made
no further attempt TO discuss the matter
After thinking the matter over I decided
hat II would be useless to attempt Ia
| rosecute him, as he had carefully re-
ralned from making a direct ofier OF tn,
! loney."
The Jurist refused TO dlvulse the name q
the candidate who had offered to resiEr
from the ticket in his favor on the con
sideration that he be presented with =. ooq
| The ofrer was refused and Judge Gibbons
entered the race as an independent and wa,
| elected.
II was not nominated by the democrats IT
1877 and four republicans were placed OF
the democratic judicial ticket" said Juds'
| Gibbons. "A protest was made and wal
placed on another ticket. One day q mar
came to me and told me that l could secnr'
a place on the regular ticket II my friends
would raise 5000. He said that one OF IN,
nominees would resign for that sum.
ordered him out Of my house and wouls
have nothing to do with him. A short tim
later friends OF the nominee who was will
| Ing to sell his position came TO me an,
asked II l would appoint him master n
chancery " he withdrew from the race
but I also refused this oier."-c.hieas,
| Chronicle.