Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-07-16
SENSATIONAL CHARGES.
The Alleged Confession Of Phila-
delphia's Late Treasurer.

Bsrdsley's Story of His Defalcation-The
Keystone Bank Failure and the Parties
Who Bled It-A Statement by
Wanamaker.
PHILADELPHIA, July 1.-THE sub
Committee of the finance committee of
the city council inq curing into the fail
ure of the keystone national bank and
the affairs of ex-City Treas urer Bards-
ley. held protracted session yesterday
afternoon. The main witnesses were
Robert Nc Wade, city editor of the Pub
lie Ledger; William Mexican, editor in
chief of the same paper, and Post
master-General Wanamaker. The tes-
timony of McWade and Mexican had
reference to two statements obtained
by the former from Bardsley on June
Is and 19-four days before the accused
city treasurer made his public state
ment in court when brought up for
sentence.
McWade was the first witness. He
said in answer to questions that he
went to the county prison on Thursday,
June 1S. and interviewed the impris-
! oned ex-city treasurer. Bardsley talked
freely and understood that the inter
view 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 full statement, par
! ticularly as to what had become of the
| S945, 900 deposited and which had disap-
| peared, the charge being made that it
had been stolen.
| After Mr. McWade had written out
the first statement he said a consulta
tation was held between Mr.. Mexican,
himself and another member of the ed
| itorial force of the Ledger and after
full deliberation and discussion it was
decided not to publish it. because
strongreference, unsupported by facts,
| was made to certain people.
Both interviews were submitted to
the committee, and it was decided by a
vote of five to two to at once listen to
the public reading of the statement.
Mr.. McWade. being familiar with the
manuscript, was asked to read the pa
pers, which he willingly consented to
do.
Much that Bardsley told McWade
was afterward Incorporated in the
statement he read in court when called
| up for sentence June %, and which has
| already been published In these
Bardsley again went over the story of
| the Keystone bank and stoutly main
tanned that he put the $3.50. 900 in the
| bank. but did not know what became
of it any more than he believed that
President Marsh got it.
Bardsley said that Bank Examiner
Drew had been a heavy borrower from
! the Keystone bank and was completely
under Lucas and Marsh's thumbs.
In regard to John Wanamaker Bards-
! ley said that Marsh told him that he
knowingly held over-issued shares of
| the bank stock and demanded 500, 900
| for them and upset the plans for re-
| organization of the bank. Bardsley ad-
vised Marsh to engage counsel and
make a demand on Nanamalker for the
| over-issued shares, as he was guilty of
a crime in holding them Marsh re-
tanned Mayor Sulzberger and John o.
| Johnson as his counsel, and they made
a demand on Wanamaler, which he re-
fused Wanamaker's proposition was
that the Lucas estate should
pay him $4,000, Marsh SIS, OOO
and the bank $4,000. The law
yers then notified Wanamaker
that if the fraudulent shares
were not delivered to them at speci-
| fed date they would resort to legal
measures to get them. The shares
were then turned over without delay
| Mr.. Wanamaker had made a threat
that he would see Comptroller Lacey in
Washington and have the bank closed
before they expected it.
In March, $780, said Bardsley,
Marsh came to me and said Waaa-
maker wanted 5000, 900 at once. Marsh
! told him that he did not have the
amount on hand, and Wanamaker told
him where he could get it. Two days
later, Marsh came to me saying that
Wanamaker was persistent and must
have the money. 1 loaned him the
money and Wanamalxer got it,
Bardsley also talked a great deal
about his connection in the past with
several prominent Philadelphians and
blamed them for the stand they had
taken against him. He is accredited
by Mr.. McWade with having spoken OF
Col Mcclure, of the Times, in the fol.
lowing terms: ''When was a candi-
date for city treasurer called on Col
Mcclure and told him everything in my
past life and said that if he would say
so would withdraw. He said: Go
dnc8Q, Tue 41n0S Will De 1Of you. but
he weakened afterwards. You remem.
Der the scheme to get the gasworks
from the city? Well Mcclure was in
that Mcclure was 20 get big bloch,
of the stock for his advocacy in his
paper and was not to pay q cent for it.
Mcclure was also in a number of other
| ;chemes."
when I became city treasurer. -
Bardsley declared, Colonel Mcclure
called on Mayor Filter and asked for
the appointment of Magistrate Bob
Smith as one of the magistrates to col
lect delinquent mercantile taxes Mr..
Filter said to me: 'Bardsley, there is
some money for the magistrates in the
| collection of those mercantile taxes,
| isn't there?' answered: Yes, have
heard So Well he continued, Col
Mcclure has been to see me about hav-
ing Magistrate Bob Smith appointed as
one of the fellows Mr.. Mayor !
answered. Il can not appoint him for
Mr.. Mcclure. do not want to appoint