The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1891-07-18
tthy Tells u Story That Re
More Explanation from
Postmaster General.
ne Ex2<a1ses at the Great Convention
Y. Z. :. G. +. in Min.
neapolis.
J KEYSTONE BANK.
ost6 Wanamaker ON the Anxious
k<He Explains His Connection
With the Institution.

PHxt4DELpHIA, July l0.-The sub
of the city council that is in
quirinS into the failure of the Keystone
3 National bank and the affairs of ex-City
d Treasurer John Bardslcy held Il pro
tracted session this afternoon. The main
h witnesses were Robert NJ. McWade, city
4 editor of the Public Ledger. VIM. Y. Nc
, Kean, editor-in chief of the same paper
Z and Postmaster General Wanamaker.
. Mr.. Wanamaker after denying en-
c phatically statements made by>Barsley
to McWade which reflected rather
severely on his (Wapamakcr'sl actions in
connection with the Keystone banks
troubles, Explained fully his connection
with the 2,625 shares of the keystone
bank stock which stubs in the certificate
book showed had been issued in Wanna
makers name.
McWade was the first witness. He
said In answer to the questions that he
went TO the county prison THURSDAY,
june 10, and interviewed the imprisoned
.ex-city treasurer. Bardsley talked freely
and understood that the interview was
for publication. He told Bardsley at the
beginning that in view of certain charges
that had been made in the newspapers
he thought it proper for him to make a
full statement, particularly as to what
became of the 59ij,000 deposited and
which had disappeared, the charge be-
:r- ~co1o +l,t - LII ln,, ct,1,o f+.,
McWade had written out the first state
ment he said a consultation was held be-
tween Mexican, himself and another
member of the editorial force of the
Ledger and after full deliberation
it was decided not to publish it because
strong reference unsupported by facts
was made to certain people. Mexican
was not sworn. He said that as editor
OF the Ledger he had charge of the in
terview which McWade had obtained.
He said that because the statement i'm
plicated a number of reputable citizens
upon the testimony of a witness not
credible, it was decided that it was not
proper to publish it. 1t was locked up
in the office tire-proof vault and had so
far AZ he knew never been out of the
Ledger Office until brought to the COM
mittee room today. No member of the
committee had ever seen it. in fact no one
except the three editors of the Ledger
had ever seen it.
Both interviews were submitted to the
committee. 1t was decided by a vote of
five TO two to at once listen to a public
reading of the statements. Bardsley
again went over the story of the Key
stone bank and stoutly maintained that
ne put the 593O.GOO in the bank, but did
not know what became of it. Bardsley
said that Bank Examiner Drew had
been a heavy borrower from the Key
stone bank and was completely under
Lucas and Marsh's thumbs. In regard
TO John Wanamaker, Bardsley said that
Marsh told him that he knowingly held
over issued shares of the bank
stock and demanded 100000
Tor them and upset the plans
Tor recognizing the bank. Bardsley
then said that he advised Marsh to en-
gage counsel and make IL demand on
Wanamaker for the over issued shares as
AZ was guilty Of a crime in holding
them. Marsh retained Mayer Sulzber-
ger and John q. johnson as his counsel
and they made Il demand on Wanamaker
which he refused. Wanamaker's propo-
eition was that the Lucas estate should
pay him $4,000. Marsh $4,000 and the
bank S25,0OO. The lawyers then notified
Mr. Wanamaker that if the fraudulent
shares were not delivered to them
by a specified date they would
resort to legal measures to
meet them. The shares were then turned
over without delay. Wanamaker had
made a threat that he would see Comp
troller Lacey in Washington and have
b bank closed before they expected it.
In March, 1890, said Bardsley, Marsh
came to me and said Wanamaker wanted
S2OO,OOO at once. Marsh told him that
he did not have the amount on hand and
Wanamaker told him where he could get
1t. Two Gays later Marsh came to me
saying Wanamaker was persistent and
must have money. | loaned him the
money and Wanamaker got it.
Bardsley also talked a great deal about
his connection in part with several prom
inent Philadelphians and blamed them
ior the stand they had taken against
MN: lie is accredited by McWade of
having spoken of Col. Mcclure of the
Times n William Singerly of the Rec
ord in the following terms: "When /
was a candidate for city treasurer |
called on Col. Mcclure and told him ev-
erything in my past life and said that If
nc Woui' say 50 WOULD He
said. go ahead! The Times will be for
you But he weakened afterwards. You
remember the scheme to get the gas
works from the city? Well, Mcclure
was in that. Mcclure was to get a
big block of stock for his
advocacy in his paper and was not to paw
a cent for it. Mcclure was also in a
number of other schemes
Regarding the payment Of $500 to
Hugh Mullen Bardsley said: 1.-The mayor
wanted Richard j. Lennon appointed to
the same place. Afterward Bardsley
learned that Matt Quay was pushing
Albert II. Crawford for the place aid
that Crawford was the auditor general,s