Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-08-13
Schreiter, Clerk of Detroit
City Council, Confesses
Crimes.
BY ACCUSED
Claim Marked Bills Are Found
on Several of Men Under
Arrest.

Detroit, Mich, Aug. 13.-Arraign-
ment in police court today of IS mem
bers of the Detroit common council,
charged with having accepted bribes
or with promise to accept bribe," is
expected to forecast to some extent
further plans of Prosecuting Attorney
Shepherd in his announced fight to
break up the alleged counclmanic
graft ring" All of the aldermen are
charged with having been implicated
in plot to force the Wabash railroad
TO pay them various sums for their
influence in putting through the coun-
Gil a resolution closing city street
for the benefit of the railroad.
NINE RECEIVE CASH.
II is alleged nine aldermen actually
received bribes, not. however, from
a railroad official, but from a detective
who posed as such. Nine others, it
is charged, agreed to accept certain
sums, but failed TO collect" at the ap-
pointed time. Prosecuting Attorney
Shepherd and the detectives claim
marked bills were found on several
aldermen after they We're arrested.
THREATS FOR SCHREITER.
Maledictions mingled with threats
and counter charges were heaped up
on Edward Schrieter, depOsed clerk of
the common councils committee by
| the accused officials when Schreiter ap-
peared in police court today with IS
aldermen for rearraignment on brib-
prNr oh
was the principal topic of conversa-
tiOn around the court room.
You dirty dog" said Alderman
I SETyzyeki 6ffe- Of the accused. when
he noticed Schrieter in the court
room. How could you say l ex-
changed words with you in regard to
the Wabash deal? You know it is
false. When you have taken a mans
honor away you may as well take his
life"
DECLARE CONFESSION FALSE.
What you lack is little more hair,
then you would really be a dog" said
Alderman O'Brien, shaking his fist in
Schrieter's face. AS the other alder
man began to hurl imprecations Pros
TO the private office Of another court
official. Each of the Is aldermen de-
Clared SChrieter's confession false.
The cases were continued until
Aug. 20. Nine of the rearested alder
men were dismissed from the second
charges but they already were sched-
uled to appear Aug. 20 on charges on
which they were arrested July 26.
CLERK IN CONFESSION.
All doubt that the alleged confession
of Edward Schreiter, clerk of the com
mon council, was the basis for the ar
rests made in the councilmanic graft
cases last week was removed when
! Prosecuting Attorney Hugh Shepherd
told the details of Schreiters confes-
sion.
SChreiter was then taken before PO-
lice Justice Jeffries to assist in max,
ing out warrants against the 16 alder
men arrested last Friday and two addi,
tional members of the common Coun
. Gil, making IS in all who will appear
: in police court today for examination
Some are accused OF accepting a bribe
and others of promising to accept d
bribe.
CONFESSION WAS FULL.
"Schreiter made a complete and de
tailed confession of all the deals he
said be had been in said the prosecu
tor He did this voluntarily three
years after the council had ousted hin
from his job He went TO a hotel witt
me and a stenographer and spent five
hours going over all OF his transac
tons
He told me that he wanted to hell
clean up the city. l figured he coulc
help US greatly. but l promised min
nothing He did want to know wheth
er il was a matter of just getting him
or cleaning up the city, and l assured
him that | wanted his statement I,
clean up the whole thing. The confes
sion takes up more than 100 pages
=, the details of which cannot be givel
out now. The city will be startle,
when the disclosures are made"
Schreiter talked freely Of his con
: fession today He said it was hi
mother, 20 years old. who finally in
duCed him TO tell all he knew.
4 told my mother and wife all tha
told Shepherd said Schreiter. AN
: mother said, Let the truth prevail
,, believed that she was right and I wen
= TO Shepherds Office. felt that
! would rather 90 down the street an
4 hear men say. Well. anyhoN. he ha
g manhood and courage enough to tel
9 all he knew, than 10 hear them say
! He escaped the law on a techuicality
would have told when the first a.