66
THE GREEN BAG
was Henry B. Folk, one of the foremost was enough to attract attention to the Cir lawyers of Tennessee. Joseph W. Folk was cuit Attorney, because it put a stop to fic born in Brownsville, Term., October 28, titious bonds and brought into the light men 1869, and after finishing in the common who were posing as wealthy, yet had naught. schools of his native city he attended Van- Five of these went to the penitentiary. The judgment of Folk as a lawyer, how derbilt University, where he graduated in law in 1890, returned to Brownsville, and ever, must rest entirely upon his prosecu built up a large and lucrative practice. tions in the bribery cases. Taking hold of From early life he took a deep interest in an uncertain clew, he forced his way through public affairs, and from his advent in St. a maze of corruption, indicted men high in Louis, fourteen years ago, he was recognized life, and brought to trial all that the law as a working Democrat with his personal in could reach. By way of explanation it is proper to terests subservient to the public good. His value as an organizer was apparent when he state here that when Folk took hold of the founded the Jefferson Club, one of the bribery investigation in the city of St. strongest political clubs in the West, of Louis, there had previously been but thirtywhich for a time he was President. In the five cases of bribery reported among all the summer of 1900 he came into the public authorities, and not one of these approached notice by his settlement of the great street near enough to the cases brought to offer a car strike, a strike that had paralyzed the guide to the prosecution. Therefore his business interests of the city and made life work is all the greater in the eyes of lawyers, unsafe on the public streets. What others because by his prosecutions the way has far more prominent and infinitely more con been paved and future prosecutors of cerned had failed to do, this young lawyer boodlers, if the necessity ever arises, will accomplished by force of his own personality, have plainer sailing. The law as to bribery and the work made him a logical candi is now established in Missouri and thereby date for office when a caucus of citizens met clarified in other states. Folk's career as an investigator began to determine on a clean local ticket in 1900. He accepted the offer of the Democra with the summoning to his office of the tic nomination for Circuit Attorney only members of the upper and lower branches after three refusals, and a declaration: "If of the municipal government. This oc I take office I do so uncontrolled, free to curred in the middle of January, 1901. do my duty as I see fit and under obliga There had been a small publication in a tions to no one," which was regarded as a weekly paper about the holding of $135,000 boodle money in two of the St. Louis trust jest. It was strange that his first act should be companies. In one concern, the Mississippi to bring to justice the very men of his own Valley Trust Company, $60,000 was laid party who violated the law. Election away for the members of the combine in the frauds were . charged and the new Circuit Council, and in the Lincoln Trust Company Attorney took up every case, saw that in $75,000 was put aside for the debauching dictments were returned where the evidence of the House of Delegates. The publica justified, and prosecuted in every case de tion did not specify the trust concerns, nor spite frantic appeals of the Democratic the amounts, but simply set forth that: "bosses," with threats and intimidation of "Unless that boodle comes down there will every sort. His work was so vigorous that be something doing, as the boys are getting the "ward-heelers" were forced into their uneasy." This was a very slight clue for holes. Then came his campaign against even -a Sherlock Holmes to follow up, but the "Straw-bondsmen," a work that alone Folk undertook it. He had no detectives
