The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-11-02

!
! planned and dominated by the steel
trust is true. then revelations may be
expected at the trials THAT viii rele-
gate the political grafters in some of
the big cities to the shelf reserved for
"pikers."
Record for Ten Years.
! The city of Gary has yet to celebrate
its tenth birthday, but despite its
youth il is a city in all that the word
( implies. Where scarcely a decade ago
there was nothing but the long sweep
of sand dunes on the shore of Lake
Michigan there are now located the
greatest steel mills in the country, to-
gether with numerous other industries
that have been attracted by the excel
lent transportation facilities and other
advantages offered by the new city
But with the virtues also came the
vices of a metropolis. For several
years the newspapers have told of the
moral and political corruption alleged
to flourish in the model town" Many
of the vicious element driven out of
Chicago from time to time are said TO
have found in Gary a most desirable
haven. Gambling houses are said to
have been conducted almost openly,
Frequent arrests by the Federal au-
Ithorities have given rise to the belief
that the little city also has been a
center for the white slave" traffic.
Knott Has Made Fortune.
/ of hot a
clean up" the place long proved un-
Iavailing. The authorities were un-
movable At the head of affairs was
Thomas T.. Knots. who held the may
orally. it is alleged by virtue Of an
election i'm which thuggery held the
winning hand. Knots came 20 Gary a
few years ago from Hammond, where
he conducted a newspaper and was
prominent I'm town politics. So far as
is known he was not overburdened
with worldly goods when he stepped
off the train i'm the model town" To-
day he is reputed TO be in the near
millionaire class, with heavy interests
in realty. manufacturing. public utili-
ty and banking corporations in and
around Gary.
Failing to make any progress i'm the
crusade against vice. the reformers
i'm the town turned their attention t.
the political corruption alleged to ex-
list. Their progress along this line
promised better results from the mo-
ment they hit the trail The climax
came early i'm September when Mayor
Knots and several members of the
city council were placed under arres'
charged with bribery.
Strong Evidence.
II is charged by detectives, who have
carefully worked up the case, that tn,
mayor and those arrested with him So
licited a bribe of $4,000 from represent.
atives of a utilities company to pu
through heating franchise whicl
would have entailed an expenditure o
many thousands Of dollars by the city
and public.
, Dictagraph records will play a stel
!, liar part i'm the coming trials. 1t il
said that dictagraphs were connectec
lup i'm the hotel room occupied by T
. b. Dean, the applicant for the fran
chise. and also that one had been in
> stalled even in the mayors private Of
!. fee.
> Dictagraph Records.
q one extract from the dictagraph rec
ords made public purports to be
4 conversation between Dean and Alder
Imam T.. l.. Bowser. The conversation
. lis thus recorded:
y Dean-What did the mayor sa
9 about my matter Mr. Bowser?
Bowser-I started TO tell you that
G told him there was $4,000 in it for u.
a Right here is where he got interested
:. He wanted to know what ! knew abou
= YOU personally and II you were a
a right. and II you had the money to g
y ahead and build the plant told hin
. YOU were. and asked him how he stoo
n on the \. T.. franchise. Tom said, -
r.. he don't get me any money TheT
% Is nothing i'm this matter for me.
~ Dean and his franchise are all rigi
n we will put It across"
,ol Mayor Knots was arrested in III
- city hall just after Dean came fro'
10 1.-THE executives office with the heatin
!. franchise In his pocket Dean alleg'
he paid the mayor $4,000 Before er
10 tering the mayors Office, Dean ha
40 himself searched by four persons as
~ proof that he had the $4,000 in h
% ipocket when he entered Mayor Knott
no room. when he left the room he h'
himself searched again. He told 4