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VOLUME XIV.
llOira
The Curtain Is Slowly Rising on the
Work of the Host Accom
plished Grafters.
The Slaves of the Book Trust Are the
Monarchs of the Boodle
Business.
A Gang of Fellows Over the Scfcooli Who Are
Enriching Themselves by
Robbery.
Every Week the Real Estate and Building
Graft Grows Worse and the
Grafters Bolder.
Even Among the Teachers the Tough Influence
of the Board Is Beginning
to Show.
Mayor Swift linn lutd his eyes opened
hi liiHt to the trim character of tin
present Umrl of Kduentlon.
The Mayor lit nil honest man. ami an
such cannot glvo countenance f the
doing of till branch of the municipal
government In so tar iih ihey inr. par
ticipated In ty tin' City Council. f
which lu U the presiding otlk-er. Last
Wednesday tint elder exccut'vc !!
covered that otic of tin neat little illck
. in which tills iiiH'r has liecn showing
iti for some time ptiHt had been consiini
mated. The Comptroller hail actually paid
out the cash for the real estate pur
chased as h school site !' the Hoard
r Kduentlon with the mine! Ion and per
.mission of the City Council. The May
or wan wroth because he hml Investi
gated this deal, which, by the way. was
first drawn to his attention by the
Hugh', and found It to lm rotfii to the
core. He saw a steal In It. and he had
made up his mind to veto the Council's
order nermlttltur the transaction.
Ills good Intentions were foiled by
the prcelpltnncy of the City Comptroll-
r. and hence Mr. Swirt' anger. The
Mayor should not allow the matter to
test there, however.
K It Is his honor's opinion tlm soma.
Ililng has been done with thetiixp-iyc-s'
money that outfit not to have Ihh-ii
done with It. then It Is Ids duty 'is Chi
.ago's chief executive to Irivy the en
tire traiisnctiJti Investigated, tnd ih"
.rullty' parties punished If they can be
teached by law.
The .Mayor should 110 his Influence
wllh'lhe Civic Federation to have HiIk
slpk of corruption placed under the X
rays of a public Investigation. The
Fa'gle has reason to believe that the
Civic Federation W willing to lake up
the City Hoard of Kducatlou ami In
vestigate home of Its shady .trnusuc
lions, The Mayor has had oue hroiitfit
ntllclally under lib attention In the
most marked manner. The Kaglo as
sures the Mayor that this Is not the
only shady transaction that the City
Hoard or KdticuHon hr.-i been mixed
up In.
"There are others."
It Is the Mayor's duty, as he Is par
tially responsible for the make-up of
the U:mrd of Kducatlon, to see to It
that the thieves are driven out of It.
The Katfe charges that there Is an
organized process or public swindling
in the Kami or Kducatlon, and It be
lieves, If the matter was brought un
der the notice of thu proper authorities,
the gang which conducts this scheme
could bet broken up and some or Its
members sent to the penitentiary.
These are a few or the thing that u
would pay the Mayor, the Civic Federu
lion and the grand Jury Jo Jointly or
separately Investigate:
The text Iniok contracts for the past
I hive or four years.
Tint purchase of school sites for the
past two year..
The let tint: or the adjustable desk
contracts within the past cltfitccu
mouths.
Tim conniption nii.l transact Ions con
dueled between a certain South Hide
cx-ulitcrmuii, whose name M In the tos
session or the Kngle, a member or the
school board anil an employe or the
school board, both or whose iimiuw itro
also In the possession or thu Katfe, In
LMRl!
regard to the purchase or school sltea
vlthln the past two years.
The renting or rooms for. temporary
schools during the past two years, and
the connection of n certain prominent
official or the honrd therewith.
In how far the school board has lice::
used to further the political ambitions
of certain iwlltlclniis, mainly by thu
distribution or patronage and promo
tions. The character or the persons appoint
ed as teachers and the influences
lliroutf i which such appoint incuts weru
secured.
Whether money and other considera
tions were used oil members or the
board to secure appointments and pro
motions or teachers.
Will the Mayor perform his whole
duty In the matter which has been
broutfit so emphatically under his no
tice? That Is the (juestlon that Is now Inter
estlng the Kcucral public.
Here are the facts or this particular
deal, as set forth In the Kvenlng Jour
nal or Wednesday last:
.Notwithstanding the exposure In last
week's Katfe or the Catalpa place and
Kdgcwuod street Hoard or Kducatlou
Job, the city has paid for the lots!
City Comptroller Wetherell did a few
hint's while Mayor Swift was faraway
In the woody wilds of Wisconsin. While
It Is uncertain whether he left undone
those things that he outfit to have
dime, It Is mi assured fact that he did
those things that he outfit not to have
done.
While the elder executive or the city
was gaining muscle and n supply or tlsh
yariu Ills comptroller was combining
the functions or paymaster and pur
ebasliigjigeiit. Had he stuck to his
oi'ltf imrjoli or paymaster there would
lave hecu no storm lu the Mayor's of
r.ce. Certain property owners residing on
the North Side Intimate that the city
treasury Is $8,700 worse off for this
lapse on the part of the Comptroller.
Ileal estate men who outfit to know In
sist that the Heboid Committee or the
Council and thu Comptroller aided and
abetted lu a transaction by which the
city paid twice as much for a piece or
property as It wns worth.
Some time lust week Mr. Wetherell
paid to C. II. I'. Dose $13,000 ror seven
ots front Inn on Kdgowood a venue anil
Catalpa place, lu dolug this he had the
iHthorlly or the City Council, that body
having recommended the purchase or
he property on the suggestion or tilt)
School Committee. The lots are to be
used as a site ror a new school and
were recommended after tiresome nego
tiations. Had Mayor Swift been In Chicago the
purchase would not h.ive been made.
The Mayor intended to veto the incus
me ami his signature was not attached
to the order Mr. Wcihrrcll paid.
While the school site measure yu;i
being coiMldered In the Council com
mittee a body of properly owners ap
peared ami protr.Oed against the pur
chase or the Kdgewnod a venue property
tor any such sum as ir,00. They an
nounced that the lots were worth lu tlci
neighborhood of !7,tHlO ami that $15,
(hio was mi exorbitant sum, One man
declared he had been offered the licrt
oue of the tots for iu(J0 and had ptir-
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, 1896
HON.
One
chasid a similar holding lu the same
nthillvlslou ror that sum.
These objections did not deter the
ismimlttfc from iveoinniendlug the pur
chase. The nuttier went to the Coun
cil, and at Its last meeting that body
authorized the Mayor n ml Comptroller
to buy the lots. The order then went to
the Mayor ror his signature. There It
rested, and Mr. Swirt went on his vaca
tion. . Hefoii' leaving he announced
that he would not approve the pur
chase. Then the agent who had made tin
sale ror Mr. Dose became anxious,
''his man's name is Heppler. Mr. Hep
pier went to Comptroller Wetherell nnil
brought with him President Hullo of
the school boa id. The Comptroller was
assured that the order was legally pass
ed mid could he paid. He mld the
ir.,(MM, and the transfer or the prop
erty was made.
Mayor Swirt learned or the deal only
Tuesday last. He was surprised and
angry, and sent for Mr. Wetherell post
haste. What he said to the Comp
troller will probably never be recorded,
but that he severely scored the man of
money Is certain. Then the Mayor
suggested that the heat .might have
been responsible, ami Mr. Wetherell
,vii s rclea led.
Later Mayor Swift said: "I am sorry
the purchase was made, but it can't be
helped now, I dou'l think Mr. Wether
ell understood my wishes, for I cer
tainly would not have let t lie order pass.
,Ves, I urn led to believe ijtl.'i.lMM was too
iiuch for the lots."
The gang of grafters In Hie Hoard of
Kducatlou lobbied the following
through Hie City Council at its last
meeting:
Ordered, That the proper olllcers of
the Hoard or Kducatlon be and they are
hereby authorised lo erect for the use
or schools a four-room frame building
on the site coiner or Central ami Hid
den avenues, at a com not to exceed
fill.""".
What do you think or that, tax-payers
V
Teii thousand dollars ror a four-room
fin me building!!
Xi wonder a lot or poor scalawags
have grown rich since they went on the
School Hon id.
Here Is crookedness run wild, as per
Council proceedings of .Inly (I:
Ordered, That the pioper olllcers of
the Hoard or Kdiicatioii be and they
are hereby aiitluirl.cil to erect an eight,
room addition to the West Pullman
school building, at a com not to exceed
fl.t,IHM),
Thirty-live thousand dollars for an
eight-room addition!!
How many are lu on this JoliV
Here are two orders passed .Inly (I.
which real estate men say are scandal
ous. Ordered. That I he Mayor ami City
Comptroller he and they are hereby
authorised lo purchase ror the use of
"INDEPENDENT IN ALL THiNQS. NEUTRAL IN NONE."
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ALEXANDER H. REVELL,
oi Cnlcago's Foremost Merchants.
schools, at a cost not. to exceed $1MM).
lot ill. block it. Merlgold's subdivision,
Sec. . T. ill). N. It. I.'l, situated on 41st
court, north or and adjoining the
P.ryaut school lot, having u frontage of
." feet by a depth of 1 ''.. 7."i reel,
Ordered. That the Mayor and City
Comptroller be and they are hereby
authorised to purchase for the line of
schools the north -II feet or Sub. Lot 11
or the sub. or lot 11! ami part or lot II
lu block -I. Culled States Hank Atlilu. to
Chicago, being the W . r the W. ! S.
K. ii See. as. T. !ltl X.. It. 14 K. !ld P. M..
adjoining the Ward Schorl on the
south, at a cost not exceeding $1.1100
The prices are said to be exceedingly
high ror the propertymeiitloued.
The Kagle U eoulliilng Its present In
wstlgutloiis lo the crookedness lu the
business dealings or the Hoard or Kd-u.-atloii.
These ure rotten enough to Justify
lynch law.
Hut It appears that even In the mat
ter of school maiiagemeiit the lough
lutliieiice iff tough members Is showing
Itself.
Willi dear superintendents to con
duct examinations, boozy teachers to
teach classes, humoral principals to
mislead children, the condition or af
fairs Is bad enough lo Justify a public
tprlstug.
President Halle of the Hoard of Kiln
cation on Wednesday received a let
ter from Frank II. Williams, the late
principal of the Maniuelte ScIiiniI, In
leply to Mr. Halle's letter calling for
.lis resignation. Considering that Mr.
Halle to'.d him never to how hl.t face
Ui Chicago again, ami threatened If he
did so to turn him over to the State's
Attorney. Williams' letter Is a curios
ity. Mr. Halle permitted It to be read,
but refusedJo give a copy or It ror pub
Ili'lltlOII.
Williams' letter Is written as ir it was
a purely voluntary matter, and makes
uo meiitloii or Mr. Halle's letter, nor
or any reiiiesl ror his resignation. It
loiitalus no reference to any miscon
duct nor to any charges of any kind,
It eulogises the Chicago public school.,
speaks or "the dear old Mariitetle,"
and Is Just such a letter as a pastor
would write to a church he was leaving
ror a larger Held.
What will be done with the resigna
tion remains to be seen. It will be laid
In-fore the school maiiagemeiit commit
tee next Tuesday and before the board
next Wcilucsday night, and as the
board did not ask ror It, possibly II will
not receive It, hut prefer charges
against Willams and summon him to
answer, ir a trial should bo ordered
t will bo to keep the record straight
in regard to a pension. It' the resigna
tion Is accepted Williams, it Is said,
will clearly he entitled to a pension tie
curding to the law.
The charge made by a prominent high
school principal, and published lu The
Tribune of Weilur.nl.l.v iM.it there were
other principals or teachers In the Chi
cago M'lirals as bad, or nearly as had,
- TWELVE. PAGES.
as Williams created a sensation lu
school circles. There Is no doubt that
this principal will be called on lo give
more specific Information, lu fact.
I'eiijamlu .1. Itiiseuthal. a member of
the board, said yesterday he had been
in consultation with other members of
the school maiiagemeiit committee on
this general subject ami an Invent Igu
tlmi may follow.
This revival or hilerest hi the morale
or public school teachers, says
the Tilhuiie. has caused remarks
to be made about I lie tocher lu
the North Division High School, who
has been ncctMcd or going lie fore his
class too drunk to teach the Ics.iou.
There Is a difference of opinion as to
how often he has done this, one as
sistant superintendent nnylug it ;i four
times, while Supt. I.aue said yesterday
It was only twice. The general Impres
sion seems to be that If he gets drunk
many more times he will be lu danger
being discharged.
The r.Mtcncst ring that ever existed
lu America Is to he found In the Chi-
cago Hoard of Kducatioii.
How many members or the School
Ilea id have become rich slme ihclf ap
pointment on thai body'; li Is not hard
to tlmi oat.
County Attorney lies Is making a
splendid iccoid for himself lu that
otitic, lie Is a most competent olllclal.
Commissioner llowuey N right In re
fusing to allow extras to Mime of the
big contractors In his department. Sev
eral of them have already stolen enough
from the city.
Mr. William .1, lliyaii. the Demoe iiie
and Pnpultsilf enii.llduif for PrcMdcut,
was given a rousing reception mi his
arrival lu Chicago last Saturday even
ing. The Democrats will put up an excep
tionally strong ticket for County Cum.
iilsslouers this fall.
Aid. .loliu Coiigldlu, of the First
Ward, lias been promised the position
of Consul in cork by Mr. llryau. Mr.
Coughllii will not leave for Ills new
post for some lime.
The bargain by which Mr. Heck, the
regular nominee or the Democratic par
ty for Stale Auditor, was taken off the
ticket Is an outrageous one.
Kvery Tom, Dick and Harry on the
.'.on n Mite was asked to sign for Og
ilen gas. Hardly any or the household
els signed, however. They had and
Iiave no faith lu the scheme,
Pulled Stales Internal Heveiiue Cnl-
lector Mlso has Issued licenses to 0,1lM)
saloons in Chicago. The city author!
ties have licensed Just half thai num
ber. Herein lies a mystery as well as
.oss ot local revenue.
RED HOT AFTER B0QHLERS!
The Civic Federation Has Issued a
Gall for All Good Citizens
to Help.
Crooked Officials and Crookeder Contractors
Are to Be Prosecuted Under
the Criminal Law.
The Notorious Ogden Gas Company Is Still at
Work Ruining North Side
Streets.
Reports Are Current that the Gang Who Own
It Are Making a Flay to
Sell Out.
Miles of Crooked Paving Charged to Its Ac
countThe Grand Jury
May Act.
The Civic Federation has determined
to get after the Department of Public
Works miscreants with a hot stick. It
lias sent the following letter lo business
men and taxpayers, and the days of
crooked con tract ins ami tough ofUelals
will be numbered when the ball opens:
The Civic I-'ederalioii or Chicago, -1-I--t.'-lii
I'lrst National Hank Hulldliig.
Tehphime Main '-'"srj. Chicago. Aug.
HI. 1SIMI: Dear Slr-Thc Civic I'edera-
tloii has two Important jilt s or work
on hand lu which every good clllr.cn
and tax-payer or Chicago Is vitally In
terested: 1. Pushing to a sttccessrul Ismic the
present Investigation of payroll si lif
ting and corruption In public oitlce.
. Securing the elect Ion of members
of the l.cgMatiirc who will support
mcasitiis ilemnuileil by Chicago at the
coming session of thai body.
Tile success or the roriuer effort
means the exposure and uprooting of a
ystcumllc plundering or tin city treas
ury which has continued many years In
lids city under different ailmlulstr.i
tlous. The .success or the latter means a
new ami Jiixi revenue law, the coiwnll
datloii or the towns, an effective pri
mary law and an amendment, to the
elly charter that will prevent boodlers
from rushing valuable fratichlscK
through Hie Council without the peo
ple having ii chance lo he h.'ard thereon.
While the I'ederatlou Is able to enlist
the services of ninny earnest citizens
without pay. It icipilrcs a large amount
or money lu addition lo piif'.i these mai
lers to a finality. The (.'hie Federal Inn,
therefoie, begs your fullest co-operation
and asks that you kindly send
your check for as large an amount as
convenient, to l.ymaii .1. Huge. Treas
urer. Awaiting your prompt and kindly
consideration, we beg lo remain yours
truly. KDWA1ID It. IM'TI.KII.
Vice President.
It. M. KASI.KV. Secretary.
Commissioner of Public Works Dow
ney has turned his attention to city
Kuglueer .lai'lisou' bureau and as a
preliminary step Wednesday ordered
all work slopped on section of the
new northwest land tunnel, of which
.loscph Duffy Is the i oiitractor. and nl.m
the discharge of lx men employed on
Hie tunnel work.
The following are the men ills
charged: O. W. Dnlrymplc. mason Inspector;
Thomas Mayer, mason limpcctor: John
Hauer, mining Inspector; Thomas Fo
ley, mining Inspector: Michael 'aulow
leu, milling Inspector; William Itowley,
milling Inspector.
Commissioner Downey followed this
change with a sweeping order to ills
chargi; all mining experts and the or
der, which will go Into effect Aug, l,,
will drop from the city service the fol
lowing men, who, 1 1 lie those discharged
Wednesday, had been paid a salary of
l a day:
Section :i, Weir - McKechney, con
tractors .loliu Parrucker, .lolin l.avlu,
Salell Polseu, II. !'. f Ice, .1. A. Duuhaill,
Michael .Melslierger, Victor I'Icotte,
Seel Ion 1. I'llzSlinons V found, con
tractors (I cargo liiiuasuu, A. It, An
derson, .lames Hullcr.
Fur some time complaints have been
made that Hie work upon section of
the new iiorthweM laud tunnel was not
NUMBER 358.
being properly intended in. The city
had a costly Mtaff of mason Inspectors
and mining experts itt work In Duffy's
tunnel ami It was siipHwed that they
would protect the city's Interests, It
has been the practice In tunnel work
for the city to give the tolnts ami carry
the line and the level for the contrac
tors. In deciding that lids could un
longer be done at the city's cxpcue
hut at the contractor's. Commissioner
Downey has made a new departure ami
In so doing rendered unnecessary the
presence or so many employes lu the
city engineer's otllce. "
.lust the extent of the faulty work In
Duffy's .section Is not known. Ills sec
tion extends from tin1 (Ireen street
shaft to a point west of Itockwell
street, once having satisfied himself
that the tunnel was not being construct
ed as It should he Mr. Downey decided
io stop work ami remove the men. A
lull Investigation will be made, ami
whatever alteiatloiis will have to he
put lu will be done at the expcu.ie of
the contractors.
F. 0. Kwale.'the in-Hlstant city en.'l
iicer lu charge of Duffy's section, thus
far retains his olllclal head. The claim
It- set up thai Mr. Kwale. although In
charge or Hie inline!, was not in hlauio
.'or negligence on the pari of Hie mason
.mil milling experts, as he had lo spend
milch of his time outside of the tumid
In making surveys.
The auiioiim-euieiit that Commission
er Dowue, had stopped work on .loo
Duffy's section caused considerable
talk throughout Hn elly hall. It was
pointed out that ll was but a few days
ago slme Mr. Downey had laken a
contract from Tom Seiiimit. who. like
loe Duffy, enjoyed I he friendship of
Mr. Kent when the latter was Cumin's
slonei of Public Works. Then, too, It
tuts a mailer of comment that Hie men
discharged were all employes of the
City Knglucer's otllce, piosldcd over by
.Mr. .laclvMin, who, uh Is well kiinwii
about the city hull, was ami Is still iii.
fi lend of W. D. Kent. All thev mat
tcrs i.iUeu into consideration gave the
polltlelnus soiueihliig to talk about and
considerable (.peculation was Indulged
lu as to whether any more of Hie men
who had enjoyed fnt tilings under the
llrst purl of Hie swift administration
were to he turned down.
Following Ik ii piii'lliil st of the
streets tin Ii Up by the notorious Ogden
lias fompiny. Most of them were
newly paved (.treets in good coudliloii.
The notorious Ogden Ons foinpany
has absolutely destroyed the pavement
and lu every street the poor property
owners will hitve to pay heavy s la' I
"SM'hsn is to repair the damage done
by Hie Ogden gang. Paving blocks
Hint were dug mil wllli pick axes have
been put back loosely, without tar or
gravel, ami a hu of dirt put mi top of
the blocks to hide the shameful work.
It Is hale to say thai not one proper,
ty owner on the streets named will
lake Hie gas lino his home, even If It
Is ever placed lu the maliis-whlch Is
doubted.
Following aie the streets Injured to
dale by Hie Ogden gang:
North avenue, from Orchard street t
Sedgwick street; Wells streel, from
from North avenue to flaik strcej;
.'lark mi eel, from Wisconsin street n
Wrlghlwooil avenue; Hurling street,
(Continued on Paged.)
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