THE CORRUPTION OF A SMALL TOWN

                       THE  CORRUPTION  OF  A SMALL  TOWN

                                                  Norman Kelly

In light of the indictments against our Illinois Governors, a look back at the history of Peoria, Illinois appears to be in order. Sadly, Peoria’s real history is never told as a whole, most articles zero in on the so-called. ‘Gangster Era.’ I am here to tell you that we never had a gangster era, even though I must admit that it certainly appeared that way to folks that did not live here.

 

Peoria became a city in 1845 and grew head and shoulders above all the other river towns.  The driving force behind our growth was jobs.  Those jobs came from multiple breweries and distilleries here within our city limits. To some folks that is all the information they needed.  How could a town that was totally dependent upon booze and beer not be a bad place to live?  Believe me that was the feeling of many people, thanks to the outside reporters that wrote about us over the years.

 

However, I can tell you that never…and I mean never was anything about corruption, gangsters, or evilness written about the great city of Peoria, Illinois for the first seventy-five years of our existence.  That’s right, 1845 through some of 1920.  Of course we had crime, a few prostitutes and very minor gambling going on, but certainly nothing out of the norm for a city our size.

 

It was not until the Roaring Twenties, the beginning of ‘The Nobel Experiment,’ which of course was Prohibition, did our city and its reputation begin to change.  The temperance movement finally managed to bring prohibition to America and with it came thirteen-years of the most corrupt, criminal era in the history of the United States.

 

Naturally, it would bring a negative change here in Peoria, Illinois.  But the truth is Peoria was only slightly adversely affected. One example is murder, which rose in certain parts of America very dramatically. Here we had seventy-two murders during those thirteen years, and only two of them were even remotely connected with bootlegging. One of those is doubtful.   Prostitution made a dramatic increase, along with all forms of gambling. The root of corruption, such as it was, can be traced to the middle of the 1920’s.

 

Over the years that I have researched Peoria’s history, I interviewed at least eighty so-called old-timers that lived here in Peoria during Prohibition, The Great Depression, World War 1 and World War 11. I was a teen during WW 11, and of course we heard what was going on, but we certainly knew nothing first hand.   I never found one person that would come out and say that Peoria as a city was corrupt, but they all agreed that our mayors, especially Mayor Woodruff, tolerated gambling in our town and every one of them agreed that collecting so-called ‘Funny Money’ from these gamblers was okay with them.  If you don’t agree with that how was it that the majority of voters in Peoria elected Woodruff eleven times?  Think of that and for a total of twenty-four years.

 

Let’s look at the years that woodruff was Mayor, maybe then we can trace this ‘corruption’ here in Peoria, Illinois and who was behind it.

 

Edward Nelson Woodruff was 83 years old in 1943, which was during his first four-year term.  The war was raging, and Peoria had the reputation of having a wild, wide-open reputation, which it deserved. If you think we had a reputation of being a gangster town during the war, then you have been misinformed. All that came in 1946, 1947, and 1948, as a result of a total of 6 very highly published, so-called ‘gangster or gang-land style’ murders. Let’s get back to the subject of Mayor Woodruff. If you want to talk about corruption then you have to talk about him. 

 

Two year terms:    1903-05,  1909-11, 1913-15, 1915,17,  1917,19,

                               1919,21 ( Prohibition)

 

After 1921, we have Mayors Michel, Mueller and David McClugage.

McClugage was mayor from 1937 until Woodruff took over in 1941.

 

Just think of this for a moment. Peoria, Illinois is 96 years old. I defy any of the so-called historians who are big on gangsters and corruption to show me any articles in newspapers that define Peoria, Illinois as ‘Being in a corrupt state.’  Where are the gangsters, the murders?  Remember, Prohibition ended in 1933, Peoria changed for the better. Gambling was scarce, prostitutes were not organized, and Peoria was a wonderful place to live and raise a family.  Then came WW 11.

 

Woodruff took over as mayor in May of 1941 and his final term ended in the spring of 1945.  So is this when corruption as folks my age and older now understand it started?   Mayor Woodruff knew that the voters that put him in office wanted a ‘liberal town.”  Most of the mayors knew that and most of them agreed with that idea.   A few of them were a little more liberal than the others. To me corruption has to do with under the table payoffs.  I can tell you that Woodruff never took a dime for his own personal greed. All of the money he collected from gamblers went to the infrastructure off Peoria, Illinois.  Did Peorians have a problem with corruption or major gambling before the war years of 1941-1945. Oh, sure, it was here for the two decades prior to WW 11, but not as powerful and controlling.

 

The war years were brutal.  Just over 23,000 of our young men in Peoria County went off to War.  Final tally of injuries were quite severe with 662 being killed.  The war years brought an influx of men and their families into the city of Peoria and into the county. Our population in the city alone was over 105,000 people.  The county grew by leaps and bounds.  Our police force suffered, a lot of our young doctors left for the service and believe me the face of Peoria’s people changed.  It was the time of Rosie the Riveter, and a different Peorian in town taking the abundant jobs.  We had 242 taverns, and People worked ten and twelve hour days, and when they were off work many, many of them headed for our taverns.  We had 72 restaurants, and downtown was so busy that I remember not being able to cross the street on the first green light. It was frantic and chaotic, but fun, I can tell you that. Of course I was just a kid…the adults had the real fun.

 

We were a magnificent town, a God-fearing, hardworking town and extremely patriotic.  Mayor Woodruff was the perfect man for the job and what was going to come down the pike.  It was during this time that we had 9 actual casinos among those 242 taverns, and gambling was as common as going to a movie.  Who were these gamblers? Why every male in town old enough to drink.  Certainly my dad and all my uncles were among those present.   I remember punching the punch board for my dad and pulling the handle on the slots. It was who we were, it was accepted, common as cracks in the sidewalk…It was Peoria, Illinois. Were all those guys gangsters?   Of course we had real bad guys in town, but if you want to just lump them all in one “gangster pile, you go right ahead.   

 

Peoria was not just gambling…we had numerous churches, 12,000 kids in school.  We had movie theaters, great restaurant, hundreds of businesses of every description. We had jobs, and horse racing and bike races, and a wonderful river recreation area. Railroads were major here, and our stockyards were immense. It was a great city of breweries and distilleries and war factories.  It was a great, great place to live.

 

Mayor Woodruff loved this town.  All he ever wanted was to be mayor. He did make a weak run for governor in 1920…but lost. He was a wealthy man with fish and ice markets as well as a coal company.  He lived on North Jefferson Street and the only move he ever made was to build a new house across from where he lived.  He was a family man, a beloved dad and a wonderful husband. He was loved and hated along political party lines.  He never took a dime under the table from anyone ever…he had all the money he ever needed, and he was a generous, powerful man, and he loved his town.  Was he corrupt?  Of course people that hated him knew he was.  The People that voted for him and loved him knew he was NOT.  Did he take money from the men that owned and ran the gambling casinos and taverns that had gambling? Absolutely.  Did he keep this money a secret, somehow using it for his own benefit? NO!  Did he use it to improve and maintain the infrastructure of the City of Peoria?  Yes.  How do I know that?  Because,  it was openly written about in our newspapers and discussed at the mayor and alderman meetings on Tuesday nights.  Here is a little sample of the public record.

If you want to spend a year checking into this the printed version of the alderman’s meetings they are available at the Peoria Public Library.  Remember this is just a ONE Year Sample of some payments to our city clerk.

 

Empire, $18,500    Saratoga, $5,250   G.C. Rooksby, $500.00  It Club, $4,475.00    Club Gig-Gallaux, $4,250.00   Sportsman Club, $5,250

John Smith, $250.00   H.L. Lamp, $250.00.  Next was Talk O’ Th’ Town, $500.00  Lyceum, $4,750  J. Swain,  and $4,500 from  J. Snyder, $250.00.  Some guy named Roscoe gave $500.00, and another John Smith contributed $125.00.  All of these payments are  part of the public record…all used by the mayor for the city.   Sound like under cover payments to you?

 

Here is a Woodruff Quote when he was running for mayor in 1941: 

“There is bound to be vice. Under regulation, such activities will be required

to defray costs of civic maintenance and improvements.” That was the source of the   so-called ‘Funny Money’. Are you catching on yet?

 

A quote from Alderman Hammond:  “The treasurer tells me that the city is receiving only $300.00 a month from punchboards. It seems to me that many more punches are being sold.  But...where is that money I don’t know?”

 

A quote from Alderman Mittleton:  “I don’t know of any other city in the country which thinks it is necessary to go to gamblers for money.”

 

Hammond:  “He’s right. We should give that $42,275.00 in our treasury back to those gamblers and their ‘Privileged Interests.’”

 

Woodruff:  “I’ll never sigh a voucher for the return of this money…never.”

 

So you see right there out in public in those meetings they argued about this funny money…but Woodruff always won. So…if you want to blame him…fine…believe me he would probably laugh at you.

 

Every once in awhile for reasons both politically and private Woodruff would not accept money from these places of business.  It was rare...but here is what he said once when he was questioned about it.

 

Woodruff:  “ I’ll tell you this much, when payments are resumed for gambling privileges, the money won’t be put in any special fund.  I am going to use that money to pave the alleys.”

 

The mayor, chomping on a big Havana cigar loved to meet with the press. They asked him anything they wanted. Here they asked him if he is going to run again.  This is a profound statement…only they just laughed. Think about what he said here.

 

“As a cow marks with her eyes only the man on the haystack, so does a conscientious voter view the acts of a city servant.”  Does this sound like a man who has a tendency to hide things?

 

A man named Madden was going to run in the 1945 election against Triebel and Woodruff.  Listen to what he told the potential voters. Can you judge Peoria by this statement?  I can.

 

“Gambling will be supervised and prostitutes will be licensed.”  Imagine a candidate saying that out in public…why would he do that?

 

Our “Great Reformer”…  Mayor Triebel, now the mayor elect said this shortly after he won and was waiting to take the office.

 

“There is propaganda going around that I will close this city. I have lived here too long. I know Peoria and I know what the people want.  We will continue to have a good city and a lot of fun while I am mayor.”

 

Are you catching on yet…have you heard anything that really sounds like corruption to you?  Just because religious people say drinking and dancing are sins that don’t make it so.  Who says gambling is a sin?  WHO? You?

 

Mayor Woodruff is mayor until May 1945.  One alderman is complaining during the Tuesday Night meetings… Here is what he said to Woodruff.

“I am on the liquor commission and yet I have never ruled on even one case.”

 

Mr. Woodruff, with a grin said, “And YOU never will.” It appears Woodruff is in charge, so if you want to blame him for all that ‘corruption’ I wonder if you would have had the guts to run against him?   You think?

 

                                       WOODRUFF  IS  FINISHED

 

There is standing room only when Triebel takes over from Woodruff…Let’s get a bit closer and listen to what’s going on.  It’s May of 1945 and over 4,000 people are jammed in over at the Armory for the ceremony.

 

MAYOR CARL  O TRIEBEL:  “I do not know anything about running the city affairs. But I know the citizens want an intelligent, honest administration. That is what they will get.”

 

WOODRUFF:  “The city is $335,915.00 better off than it was four years ago.”

 

Mr. East:  Peoria’s first and most honest historian.  “In 1845 we had 27 firms here, including two book stores.  Today we have 1,934, and a population of 105,000 people, 

 

GOVERNOR GREEN:   “There is no more glorious chapter in Peoria’s history than its contribution to the United States.’

 

Sure, they’re just politicians…but does this sound like corruption? Remember this is just after Woodruff’s four years in office and the so-called gangster days in Peoria, Illinois.

 

A national historian and writer…Mr. V.Y. Dalton said of Peoria, Illinois:

“Peoria may not be without vice but her jewels are magnificent, and her virtues without number.  A nice town with a lot of nice people.”

  

                                    THE  END  OF  1945

 

Well it’s 1946, things are pretty much the same.  Triebel is NOT collecting any “Funny Money” but gambling is still going on.  It has dropped off, and many taverns just got out of the business. It seems to have marched out in the county and over in East Peoria…but not because of any mandates by Mayor Triebel.  Folks quit going to the Tuesday Night Fights over at city hall. It’s boring without the wit, humor and sarcasm of Woodruff.

 

September 3, 1946 , over at the Alderman’s Tuesday night meeting, Mayor Triebel shocked the alderman with his “NO MORE GAMBLING SPEECH.”

 

Keep in mind he took over office in May of 1945 and now this is September 1946.  He said, “There recently appeared in the newspaper and over the radio that slot machines could operate in the city if certain individuals palms were properly greased.”

 

He then went on to talk about the complaint the American Legion had made about not being treated like everyone else. They suggested that all gambling stop. He then went on a bit further before he said:

 

“I know all of you will be in full accord with me and my plan.  Therefore I have ordered the chief of police to stop all gambling of every kind and description which might be done publicly.”

 

In the paper the next day Alderman Grant said: “ We will always have reformers…it is a proven fact that when they need funds they prey upon the taverns and gambling interests.”

 

Five days later Mayor Triebel wrote a letter to the chief telling him that there are gambling cheaters in town. He instructed the chief to crack down and rid the city of gamblers.

 

HERE is the real reason Triebel stopped gambling. In a press conference the reporters question Triebel to find out if he was really serious about stopping gambling in the fair city of Peoria, Illinois.

 

“I have received too many complaints from working men complaining about losing their paychecks on Friday and Saturday.  Also hundreds of wives and mothers have complained to me about heads of families coming home without funds to support their families.”

 

His final comment:  “When I ordered all gambling to cease I meant just exactly that.”

 

 

AND… He did. However any man or woman my age will tell you that they know slots were here beyond 1946...truth is we never really considered slots gambling...it was just a silly game that you usually lost at. Gambling was poker, blackjack, punchboards, baseball numbers and casino style activities. Believe me it all stopped in Downtown Peoria.  It did go out in the county and across the river but it stopped here. It stopped because the MAYOR wanted it stop.  All that talk of payoffs to keep it going is just our grandfather’s myths he loved to perpetuate..

 

So there it is…gambling was Illegal in Peoria, Illinois, like it was elsewhere. During Prohibition it got a very good start.  Mayor woodruff was the mayor during a some of Prohibition and his Miracle of allowing the taverns to stay open with a Soft Drink Parlor License…was brilliant  ( that’s another story.)

 

If we are looking for someone to blame for all this gambling and so-called corruption…Woodruff should be the target. To me he gave the people what they wanted and this town THRIVED because of him.

 

CORRUPTION  if that means gambling and accepting money from the casino and tavern owners then we had plenty of it.  Gambling was stopped when the ordinary wife, woman, disgruntled gambler and the voters got tired of it.  They got rid of Woodruff…and got Triebel.  He was not a reformer...he had no mandate to end ‘corruption’ or gambling, but he simply got sick and tired of the complaints.  He felt that Peoria was changing and that they wanted gambling GONE…so he ordered it ‘Gone’ 

 

Moral; if the people want decent, honest government they have to seek it out. They have to be consistent and diligent in the People they elect. If the elected official shows signs of going bad…Folks have to rise up and DEMAND that the bad apples be thrown out. Voters  can do that with recalls and by the power of Attorney Generals.  Truth is the average person just don’t care if things are going well for him or her then ‘let ‘er roll.’

 

The do-gooders, the self-righteous Temperance people shoved Prohibition down America’s throat.  They told America they were doing God’s work.  What it wrought was thirteen-years of the most corrupt, murderous, violent time in the history of the United States.  They had their own political agenda and they could have cared less the adverse effects it had on American and its people.   Take a look at this little ditty.

 

Prohibition is an awful flop.

We like it.

It can’t stop what it’s meant to stop

We like it.

It’s left a trail of graft and slime,

It don’t prohibit worth a dime,

It’s filled our land with vice and crime.

Never the less we’re for it.

 

Franklin P. Adams   1931

 

You love quotes from Abraham Lincoln, well here is one of my favorites”

 

“Prohibition will work great injury on the cause of the Temperance.  It is a species of intemperance within itself, for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man’s appetite by legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A prohibition law strikes at the very principle upon which our government was founded.

 

Lincoln:  1840

 

Here in Peoria the people…my family and relatives…not only participated in gambling…and who knows what else…they liked it.

Remember the folks of Peoria did not live ‘Downtown’ we just used it for entertainment…since all of the gambling and most of the fun things were ‘down there’ why not leave them alone?  If a person wanted to participate he always knew where it was…get it?  Well then, now you know about Peoria and Peorians. STOP CALLING US GANGSTERS.