The Detroit times., 1910-11-21
HOW THREE CITIES
WERE bONCOEO BY
SAND LOT VOTE
Glaring Manipulations Blossom in
Settles Service Co. and Tax
payers OF Denver, Spokane
and Joplin Are Victims.
They Have Been Bilked Into Paying
Dividends ON $4,000, 900 in
Watered Stock.

DENVER, Nov. 19.-The further
away from Denver Spokane. or
Joplin, Mo-, YOU live, the more likely
you are TO see the advertisements OF
The Cities Service Co"
One million dollars is being spent
in newspapers and magazines to float
the common and preferred stock of
the Cities Service Go.
The Cities Service Co. is New
Jersey corporation lt Is a holding
compaRy", and has absorbed the Den.
yer Gas n Electric Co. the Spokane
Gas Fuel Co. and the Empire District
Electric. Co. lJopiinD.
he formation OF the Cities Service
Co. didn't add a foot OF gas main nor
an inch OF electric wire nor light an
other light in any OF the three cities.
The first thing. however. that the
merger did was to pay TO Henry l..
Doherty and his pals 100000 as a pro
motion fee.
Doherty was president of the Den.
yer company. He was the custodian
of his stockholders interests. He has
sold his company TO the Jersey corpor-
alton.
Four years ago the franchise of the
Denver Gas 4 Electric Co expired
When the city came 70 renew the
company demanded extortionate rates
The city officials didn't fight very
hard, but the people were angry. A
new 2o-year franchise was drawn up
and with great flourish II was said
that this was TO be submitted 10 the
people for popular vote.
Then the lawyers and the courts got
busy. First IL was arranged that only
Taxpayers" could vote at this cleo.
ton, and second the court held that
the mere possession OF a tax receipt
should be final proof of right to vote
In the edge of Denver were acres
OF sandlots. The treasurer was sick
and NOT in his officc The public rec
ords-the tax books of the people
were carted TO the offices OF the gas
company.
Lists of names were drawn up. The
grating police furnished the names
of the women of the tenderloin and
their male parasites The employees
OF The gas company who were active
In church work furnished the voters
OF the bible class. SO the lists were
turned in and thousands OF tax re-
ceipts were ont for amounts ranging
from 6 10 As cents. and on election
day from the slums and innocent fire
side the mysterious hidden power or
the gas company marshaled the votes
that overruled the bona fde taxpayers
OF Denver and saddled them with rob
bers rates for 20 years
An attempt was made to enjoin the
swindle. Judge Lindsey called Doher-
~ before him Doherty refused TO
answer questions. and for three days
he was in Jail for contempt Then.
as usual. Colorado's famous SUI
preme court reached down and opened
the prison door ruling that frauds in
franchise elections did not fall under
the regular election laws and could
not be judicially investigated.
Frank W. Frueauff. Doherty's first
lieutenant. lost his notebooks showing
how thousands Of dollars had been
paid to candidates on both party tick
cts and the political leaders and ward
heelers OF both parties
Mayor Speer got $4,000. but, OF
course. II was explained that he didn't
keep any OF IT, Speer will probably
be Colorado's next United States SEN
ator CDemocratie) TO SIT with Simon
Guggenheim republican,. as the pres
ent Democratic senator, Hughes. is
not TO be a candidate for reelection.
Hughes was attorney for the gas COM
pany.
Among others whose names were
in the doughbook of Frueauff was
Chief OF Police Delaney, Democrat,
and Oil Inspector Russell. Republican.