Ogden Gas scandal

The Ogden Gas scandal was a political scandal in Chicago in February and March 1895^[1] that concerned the formation of the Ogden Gas Company for the purposes of forcing an existing gas franchise holder to purchase it and thereby enrich members of the city government.^[2] Of the ten aldermen who had voted for the ordinance forming the company and ran for re-election in April, only two received another term; another six pro-ordinance aldermen declined to run.^[3] Democratic Mayor John Patrick Hopkins declined to run for reelection and supported Democratic candidate Frank Wenter, who was heavily defeated by Republican George Bell Swift.^[4] Upon taking office Swift signed ordinances repealing the franchises of the company and shortly thereafter revoked the company's permits to do business.^[4]

John Patrick Hopkins was born in Buffalo, New York, and dropped out of school at the age of 13.^[5] He met and befriended Roger Sullivan, and the two constructed a political machine.^[6]

On February 25, 1895, the Chicago City Council met and discussed many trivial items on the agenda; the companies later subject to scandal did not appear.^[7] Hopkins left early in the meeting and gave the gavel to alderman Mike Ryan, who recognized fellow alderman John McGillen.^[8] McGillen introduced an ordinance to grant a franchise to the Norwood Construction Company for the construction of an electric plant, before substituting for it an ordinance granting the Cosmopolitan Electric Company a 50-year franchise.^[9] The Cosmopolitan Electric Company's franchise passed despite the concerns of several aldermen unaffiliated with the scheme and the fact that the company itself was unknown to the council.^[9]

Ryan gave the gavel to McGillen, who recognized alderman John Powers.^[9] Powers introduced a motion to reconsider a failed 1892 franchise to the City and County Gas Company.^[9] After an attempt to delay this was shelved, Powers substituted for it a franchise to the Ogden Gas Company, which also passed despite objections.^[9]

The ordinance was called "the most disgraceful act" in the history of the City Council by a local paper.^[5] Attempting to determine the identities of those who operated the mysterious companies became fashionable throughout Chicago.^[10]

Hopkins's career was ruined in the aftermath of the scandal.^[5] He was castigated by opponents as the most corrupt mayor in Chicago's history to that date.^[5] He died of Spanish flu in 1918.^[5]

• Hogan, John F. (2018). Chicago Shakedown: The Ogden Gas scandal. Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press. ISBN 9781467139519.