The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-07-16
BARDSLEY'S CHARGES.
They Are Emphatica ~ Denied by POST
master General Suppressed
Inte views Made Public.

They Are Emphatica ~ Denied by POST
master General Wanamaker Suppressed
Interviews Made Public.
PHILADELPHIA, July 1.-THE sub
commit &c of the finance committee of
the city council that is inquiring into
the failure of the keystone national
bank and the affairs of cS-City Treas
urer John I:arlsley held protractcd
session Friday afternoon. The main
witnesses were Robert M. NcWade,
city editor Of the Public Ledger; VIII
liam Y. Mexican. editor in chief of the
same paper, and Postmaster General
Wanamaker.
Mr.. McWade was the first witness
lie said in answer to questions that he
went to the county prison June IS and
interviewed the imprisoned ex-city
treasurer Hards'ey talked freely and
understood that the interview was for
publication. lie told Bardsley at the
beginning that in view of certain
charges that had been made in tho
newspapers he thought it proper for
him to make full statement,
particularly as to what became of
the so45,00O deposited and which
had disappeared, the charge being
made that it had been stolen. After
McWade had written out the first state
ment he said consultation was held
between Mr.. Mexican. himself and
other members Of the editorial force of
the Ledger, and after full deliberation
and discussion it was decided not to
publish it because SO strong reference,
unsupported by facts, was made to
certain people.
Mr.. Mexican was not sworn. He
aid that as editor of the Ledger he had
charge of the interview which Mr.. Nc
Wade had obtained. lie said that be-
cause the statement implicated num-
ber of reputable citizens it was decided
that it was not proper to
publish it. 1t was locked up
! in the Office firc-proof safe,
| and had, So far as he knew. never been
! out of the Ledger office until brought
to the committeeman now No mem
ber 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 COM
mittee.
| 1t was decided by a vote of 5 to . to
at once listen to the public reading of
the statements. Mr.. McWade, being
| familiar with the manuscript. was
asked to read the papers Much that
Bardsley told to Mr.. McWade was after
! ward incorporated in the statement he
read in court when called up for SEN
tcncc June a3 and which has already
been published. In these Bards-
ley again went over the story of the
keystone bank and stoutly maintained
that he put the Sa3o 900 in the bank.
but did not know what became of it
any more than he believed that Fresi-
| dent Marsh got it. Earasley said that
Bank Examiner Drew had becn heavy
(, borrower from the keystone bank and
was completely under Lucas and
Marsh's thumb.
In regard to John Wanamakcr Baras-
Icy said that Marsh told him that he
knowingly held everissuc shares of
bank steek and demanded Sloo, 900
for them and upset the plans for re-
organization of the bank, then
Bardsley said he advised Marsh
to engage counsel and make
demand on Wanamaker for the
ovcrissued shares, as he was guilty of
u crime in holding them. Marsh re-
tanned Mayor Sulzberger and John
O'Johnson as his counsel .and they
made demand ON Wanamaller which
he refused. Wanamaker's position
was that the Lucas estate should
pay him $4,000, Marsh $4,000
and the bank $4,000. The law.
yers then notified Mr.. Wanamal,cr
that if the fraudulent shares were not
delivered to them by specified date
they would resort to legal measures to
get them. The shares were then turned
over without delay. Wanamahcr had
made a threat that he would see Comp.
trollcr Lacey in Washington and have
the bank closed before they expected
it. In March. $780," said Hards.
ley, Marsh came to ne
and said Wanamaker wanted
500, 600 at once. Marsh told him tha,
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 Wanamakel
was persistent and must have tine
money. / loaned him the money ane
Wanamaker got it."
Postmaster General Wanama!1cr en-
tered the room while Bardsley's state
ment was being read. In answer t,
questions he said that his interest.
in the Keystone bank are out of hi.
acquaintance with President Luca.
:nd his brother when they wer,
young merchants. lie said tha
he never pledged the overissuet
stock after he was told it was an over
issue and it was out of his hands ut tn.
time He did not know ii. Ii. Yart
and never had met Mr. Lucas but once
and that was at an interview about tn,
overissucd stock. As to- the stor,
told by Bardsley to McWade tha
he had threatened to close tn,
bank unless he was paid for til,
overissued stock, and that Law
yer Sulzberger and johnson ha,
forced him to return it, Mr.. Wana
maker said it was absolutely false
Bardsley's statement that Marsh oh
tanned from him 100000 for Wana
maker in March, 1890, he said was all
solutely untrue and without the slight
est foundation, and invited the com
mittee to inspect his books.
Mr.. Wanamaker was then informe'
by member of the comraittce tha
during an examination of the stock
book of the Keystone bank the.
had found $500 shares of stocl
in his name in addition TO tn
2,515 shares which he testife
) had been given him by Lucas to ITS
. as collateral for deal in Readin
stock. when appeared befcrs thi
/ committee before" said Mr.. Wana
, maker, Il confined myself principal
to the business of the firm in my deal
with Lucas in Reading. did not SUI
. pose the committee wanted to hear q
private operations"
| In regard to the stock which has bee
found in his name, $50 shares of it, Nh
Wanamaher said, was held by Irwin
Toland, his bankers, as collatcl a
This reduced it to 1000 shares of stocl
| OF these five blocks of 900 shares eac