The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-03-01
Several Corruption Trials Have Been
Held and Graft Charges Haye
Been Easily
Proven.
BRIBERY VERY COMMON
Three-Fourths of the Population of the
World is Sick According to
New Book by
Rhbert.
by Karl H. Wiegend, Berlin Cores
pondent OF the United Press.

l.
pondent of the United Press
BERLIN, Feb. 2S.--Germany. has
just had two police corruption trials
that disclosed two things. One is that,
in the words OF David Harum, there
is as much human nature in some.
folks as there is in others" The 9TH
er is, that the effect OF temptation on
poorly paid policemen Is precisely the
same in Germany as in America. In
cidentally the trials have caused Ger
man newspaper editors to distribute
the type composing the standing
headlines about the corruption of po
lice officials in America, until thel.
readers forget that such things occur
also in Germany.
Herr Sollman, editor of the socialis-
, Rheinische Gazette at Cologne some
months ago published an article at
lacking the Cologne police. In true
/ American style. he started to show
lup" Cologne's finest He accused
them of accepting brides and declar-
! ed that in order to get the attention
fof the police and interest them jn
4 burglaries. robberies and the recovery
/ Of stolen goods. it was necessary to
/ throats and dummies with wine and
viands. Herr Sollmann quickly got
4 the attention of the police. There was
no investigation Of the police but
i Sollmann was arrested on the charge
of criminally libelling the police de-
1 partment Fortunately for the social
4 list editor he had the goods or he
probably would have gone to Jail. AS
lit was he fully proved his case and got
off with fine of 1925 for his reform
Il zeal.
4 The owner of one saloon testified
to presents" of 100 bottles of wine,
j hundreds of cigars and $3.50 in cash to
policemen. Quite number of saloon
keepers testified to sending baskets
of liquors, and fruits with hundred
mark bill tucked away in the bottom.
The Cologne racing club testified to
paying $125 to the public whenever
: race meets we're held in orGer to get
the police TO prevent unauthorized
bookmakers from doing business. A.
brewer who also is an alderman, re-
fused to answer questions as to pres
ents made by him 10 the police on the
ground that it might incriminate him.
About a score Of policemen followed
his example and declined To testify
Ii developed that the expense allow
anee OF policemen In criminal iu-
vestigation was seven cents day
1t is not surprising that there was
testimony showing that II was ncces-
sary to pay the police TO follow up
burglaries and thefts in order to get
action.
, The court rendered a verdict that
passive bribery" had been proven by
Sollmann against three inspectors and
two commissioners. AS the result OF
the socialist EDITORS attack the head
of the police has begun disciplinary
measures against score OF his men
: and the court held that Sollmann's in
tentions were good but that unfor-
tunately he went too far in his sccusa-
: lions.
The other police bribery trial took
place at Halle, large city and import
ant railway CeulSG seventy live
: from Berlin. Three students were ar
rested some time ago for disorderly
conduct. On the way to the police
station the policeman remarked:
J. Each of you give me a filter and
l. I'll let you 60" A ''fftier" is 80 pfen-
= nings-about twelve cents. The stu
d dents paid and were released Week
T. or SO later one of the students was
g again arrested for disorderliness. At
n the station he made contemptuous re-
1t marks about the ''bribe taking police"
g An investigation followed. The po-
liceman was tried. The court decided
that as there was some doubt whether
the students had been guilty of any
"a crime or offense, the policeman did
n his simple duty in releasing them.
r. The acceptance of gift" however
IS was contrary to the law and police