The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-07-11
But What He Told Was Merely Hearsay
and Lacked All the Elements of Truth.
His Interview with McWads Concerning the
Keystone Bank Read Before the Philadel-
phia Councils Investigating Committee.
Statements Involving Wauamaker Wig
OrOusly Denied by That Gentleman.
Never Threatened to Close the Bank Unless lie
Was Paid for 0vsr-lssued Stock. and Was
Never Paid $500, 900 BIZ President Marsh.

July 10.-The Bardeley
Investigating committee held another ses-
sion this afternoon. at which Postmaster
general Wanamaker attended and testified
copterning his transaction with the Key
! stone Bank. and the statement made by
ex-City Treasurer JOhn Bardsley to editor
| McWade, of the Ledger. was for the first
time made public. 1t proved to be an in
terview between McWade and Bardsley on
two different occasions az the prison. In
the interview Bardsley again went over
the story of the Keystone Bank and stoutly
maintained that he put the S9SO.O0O in the
bank, but did not know what became of it
any more than he believed that President
Marsh got if. Bardsley said that Bank
Examiner Drew had been a heavy bor-
rover from the keystone Bank. and was
completely under Lucas's and Marsh's
thumb. In regard to John Wanamaker.
Bardsley said that Marsh told him that no
knowingly held over issued shares of bank
stock and demanded S1CO. 600 for them and
upset the plans for recognizing the bank.
Bardslcy then said that he advised Marsh
to engage counsel and make a demand on
Mr.. Wanamaker for the over-issued shares,
as he was guilty of a crime in holding them.
Marsh retained May or Sulzberger and john
". johnson as his counsel. and they made
"a demand on Mr.. Wanamaker. which he re-
fused.
MIR. Wanamaker's proposition was that
the Lucas estate should pay him $50, 1000.
Marsh 25.00o, and the bank SIS, 900. The
lawyers then notified Mr.. WaDamake that
If the fraudulent shares were not delivered
To them by n specIfied date they would re-
sort TO legal measures 10 get them. The
shares were then turned over without de-
lay. Mr.. Wanamaker had made q threat
that he would see Controller Lacey In Wash
ington and have the bank closed before
they expected it.
in March, 1902 said Bardsley, Marsh
came to me and said MIR. Wanamaker
wanted 100000 at once. Marsh told him
that he did not have that amount on hand,
and Mr.. Wanamaker told HIM where he
could get it. Two days later Marsh came
TO me, saying that Mr.. Wanamaker was
persistent and must have the money. L
loaned him the money, and Wanama6ar
got it."
BARDSLEY'S EXPERIENCE WITH EDITORS.
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. Heis accredited by Mr.. McWade with
having spoken of Colonel Mcclure. of the
Times. aud William 81. Singerly. of the
Record. in the following terms: when i
was q candidate for city treasurer / called
or Colonel lecture. and told him every
thing in my past life. and said that if no
would say so ~qqld withdrsw. He sa,d;
But he weakened afterwards. You remem-
her the scheme to get the gas-works from
the cItyi Well, Mcclure was in that. Nc
Clure was to get a big block of the stock
tor TO p als a se esDs foT it, It. MI Mcp pHsRss' w Hna a Tas in nO a
number of other schemes"
Regarding the pay ment of $500 to Hugh
Mullen Bardsley said: The Mayor wanted
Mullen appointed q mercantile appraiser,
and William NJ. Singerly wanted Richard
j. Lennon appointed to the same place.
Afterwards Bardsley learned that Mr..
Quay was pushing Albert II. Crawford for
the place, and Crawford was the eAuditor-
generals man for the place. Martin and
Porter and all Mr.. Quay's people were
working for Crawford, and the result was
that o%yertures were made to Singerly to
draw Lennon ont of the fight. He was
promised that If Lennon was taken ont
S100, 600 of State money would be placed on
deposit In the Chestnut-street Bank. This
was done. Lennon was taken out of the
light. and the $780, 600 is in the bank now.
Crawford got the place and Mayor Filter
got angry at what he claimed to be a
broken promise. Bards1ey then paid Hugh
Mullen $500 to redeem the promise to the
Mayor"
H. II. Yard. he said. got q great deal of
the Keystone Bank money. He was in the
pool with Lucas and Marsh. and Marsh al
lowed hlm 70 overdraw his account $4,000
even when the run on the bank was going
on. Wldener and Elkins, the traction mag
mates. he said, never sold him any traction
stock or had any dealings whatever with
him. Now ade also asked Bardsley If j nd ge
Wilson had ever borrowed money of him
as. city treasurer. He said no.; and being
asked what judges had borrowed money he
answered in q whisper. Finletter and Ash
man. The money. he understood. was sim
ply an advance on their salaries: they did
not know whether he was lending them
State money, city money or his own.
The remainder of the statement was SIM
ply a long story of Bardsley's troubles
given In his own words, with numerous
comments. all of which contained no new
facts. III. H.. Yard. who was then called.
did not respond, and a communications was
received from his counsel stating that his
case had been appealed to the Supreme
Court. The committee voted to instruct
the city solicitor to take measures TO CON-
pei Yard to obey the order of the lower
court and appear before the committee.
DENIED BY MIR. w~ANAMAKER.
Postmaster-general Wanamaker, who had
entered the room while Bardsley's state
ment was being read, then stepped forward
and requested that he be allowed to testify.
Il have" said he, "been anxious TO appear
ever since the question was raised regard
ing the stock of which l nave previously
testified" In nsw to questions he said
that his interest in the keystone Bank
arose ont of his acquaintance with Presi-
dent Lucas and his brother when they were
young merchants. He stated that he never
pledged the over-lssued stock after he was
told il was an Over-issue. aud IL was out of
his hands at the time. He did not know
IL. Ii. Yard and had never met Mrs. Lucas
but once. and that was at IN interview
about the over-issued stock.
lie was asked To give an account of what
TRANSFERRED between him and Marsh at
Washington and did so, stating that he
asked him 10 assist the bank and he de-
clined, saying matters must take their
course. MIR. Wanamaker said that the bal
ance of his firm in the keystone Bank at
the time of the run was $4,000, and when il
closed it was much larger. The last money
received from the bank WAS about q year
before the bank was closed and the last dis
count was obtained in October, 1890.
AS TO the story told by Bardsley 10 Me-
Wade that he had threatened to close the
bank unless he was paid for the overissue
of stock. ana that lawyers Sulzberger and
johnson had forced him to return it. Mr..
Wanamaker said il was absolutely false.
Greenville X. Haynes and Samuel b. Huey
came to Washington to see him about the
overissued stock, and he told them that
they must settle for 1t, and that If they did
not, In justice TO himself be should inform
the Controller of the Currency. After the
bank closed he gave up the stock.