Chicago's

"Well, there's one thing about Big Bill Thompson," Chicagoans are wont to say, "and that is that he never grafted."

Last week the Mayor of Chicago was declared guilty, with six other men, of conspiring to defraud Chicago of $1,732,-279.23. Judge Hugo Friend of the Circuit Court wrote the decision, ordered the Mayor and his fellows to restore the boodle.

The case dated back to 1920-21, when Mayor Thompson and his friends (many of whom have since been his enemies) were making themselves popular by making Chicago beautiful. To widen streets and boulevards, they had to buy land. To buy land they had to have it appraised. Instead of paying fixed salaries to the appraisers, they had the City Council vote to pay the appraisers on a percentage basis. Thus, the higher the price fixed by the appraiser on a site, the higher the appraiser's fee. The appraisers, in turn, paid fat sums to the fund with which Thompsonism tried to keep itself in office.

Suit was brought by the Chicago Tribune, loud antagonist of louder Thompson. Other guilt-branded members of the conspiracy: George F. Harding, the county treasurer; Michael J. Faherty, president of the board of local improvements; Percival B. Coffin, public administrator.

Said Conspirator Thompson: "Judge Friend's decision is beyond my comprehension."