Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US) to engage in corruption, in graft, to bribe.

1888		A. Diehl Two Thousand Words in AS XXXV:4 (1960) 267: Boodledom The place where boodlism prevails. Boodleism The theory and practise of boodling. Boodlement The act of taking unlawful gain. Boodling. Taking money unlawfully by way of bribe or otherwise.
1894		Advocate (Topeka, KS) 5 Sept. 12/3: Lotteries, jonts and gambling houses, bawdy houses and boodling were first born [...] in the state of Kansas.
1903		Kansas Agitator (Garnett, KS) 18 Dec. 1/4: This seems to be an era of boodling and theft among men entrusted with power [...] Boodling and grafting is the order of the day.
1905		H. Lawson ‘Joseph’s Dreams and Reuben’s Brethren’ in Roderick (1967–9) II 112: He only boodled on the grand, / It must be understood.
1905		Mower County (Lansing, MN) 7 June 1/4: The graftin’ and boodlin’ alderman persisted in leasin’ the gas works to a company that paid ’em a big wad of boodle.
1908		Sun. Times (perth) 8 Nov. 2s/4: The Boodling of the Bull’s Beef [...] Hundreds of men [...] of the agricultural industry are being excploited by methods which bear a close resemblance to the ‘systems’ of foot-pads and highwaymen.
1914		Truth (Melbourne) 17 Jan. 5/4: In an effort to knock out the boodling landlord, he advocates a fair rent system.
1914		Day Book (Chicago) 6 Sept. 27/2: Cases of aldermen accused of boodling were continued [...] Ald. Rosenthal and Theisen were examined on a charge of accepting a bribe.

2. (US) to corrupt; to defraud.

1896		Guthrie Dly Leader (OK) 24 Oct. 2/1: The county commissioners will shortly be purged of rascality and thievery. The count has been boodled and slugged unmercifully during the past two years.
1910		Truth (Perth) 5 June 12/2: ‘You ain’t the fust,’ he sez, ‘she’s boodled; / And you will; not be the last’.