Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 17.pdf/85

 THE GREEN BAG have the evidence and I know it. Let me tell you something. If you help me I will be your friend. But if you do not help me, I shall have to do something that will be very painful to yourself and your friends." "Will it hurt my race for Governor?" Lee asked. "If you have done no wrong, no. If you have, then the quicker you retire from public life the better for you." Lee studied hard, and Folk left him. He brought in several other senators, among them Senator Frank Farris, who was Lee's bitterest enemy. The sight of Farris brought Lee to time. "I only have the check," he said. "Ah, let me see it," Folk begged. Lee brought it forth. It was an ample check from Kelly to Lee for Lee's services as President of the Senate, in defeating a bill for the repeal of the nefarious Alum bill. The check was the ground-work for a State inquiry which resulted in many indictments and the resignation of Lee. It has had its fruit in the absolute elimination of the State Democratic Machine from political life, and the promises of a purer official era in the State. But in the Municipal inquiry Folk's work was greater. Stock and Turner could only give evidence against two men, Kratz and John K. Murrell, as those were the only two outside of Meysenburg with whom Stock had dickered. It was necessary to get other information, and Folk slowly and labo riously gathered it in. He knew that if he could get these two men to talk, he would be able to reach fully a hundred boodlers, and he exerted himself to two purposes. First, he wanted the men back to force them to turn State's evidence, and secondly, he wished other informers to rake in the bribe givers. But he found it impossible to shake the Combine. He managed to work on an outside matter which resulted in the indict ment of Edward Butler, a multi-millionaire blacksmith and Democratic 'Boss," on the

charge of attempting to bribe Drs. H. N. Chapman and Albert Merrell, members of the Board of Health, but his ambition wag to break up the clique which controlled Legislation in the Municipal Assembly. His inquiries led to the locating of Murrell and Kratz in Mexico. He learned that the boodlers had raised a large sum and sent it by another boodler to Mexico for Murrell, but that the boodler had kept it all and left Murrell sick and almost destitute in the City of Mexico. There was no treaty with Mexico, making bribery extraditable, but Folk tried it with Kratz and failed. On Murrell he worked differently. He reached! Mrs. Murrell and talked to her so earnestly that while he made no promises she was certain that mercy would be shown her husband if he returned and made a clean breast. With that understanding she went to Mexico, and inside of three weeks Murrell returned here under cover. He was taken before the Grand Jury surreptitiously on the morning of September 8, 1902, and that day the world was astounded with the reve lations. Fifty-four indictments, were voted. The boodlers were locked up and their bail fixed at an enormous sum. Edward Butler was the first to rush to the assistance of the indicted men, and he secured bail for them and hired their lawyers. Folk, in order to support the evidence of John K. Murrell, had to have corroborative evidence and he secured it from Edward E. Murrell, a brother of the fugitive, and George F. Robertson, both of whom had been mem bers of the Combine. These two had per jured themselves before the Grand Jury time and again. They went before the inquisition on the morning of the revela tion as firm as rocks. Subpoenas had brought them there as witnesses and they supposed it would be the same old line of question ing and the same answers were ready. But Folk met them outside and took them intohis office. "You boys ought to tell me the truth," he said.