Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1891-07-18
BARDSLEY's CHARGES.


Interviews Made Public.
PHILADELPHIA, July 1.-THE sub |
committee of the finance committee of |
the city council that is inquiring into |
the failure of the Keystone national
bank and the affairs of ex-City Treas
-urer John Bardsley held protracted
session Friday afternoon. The main
witnesses were Robert M. McWade,
city editor of the Public Ledger; viii
liam v. 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. 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 full statement,
particularly as to what became of
the S945,000 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 a 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
said that as editor of the Ledger he had
charge of the interview which Mr.. Nc
Wade had obtained. He 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 fire. proof safe,
and had so far as he knew, never been
out of the Ledger Office until brought
to the committee-room 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 2 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
tence June % 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 $3.50, 900 in the bank,
but did not know what became of it
any more than he believed that Presi-
dent Marsh got it. Bardsley said that
Bank Examiner Drew had been heavy
borrower from the keystone bank and
was completely under Lucas and
Marsh's thumb.
In regard TO John Wanamaker Bards
ley said that Marsh told him that he
knowingly held overissue shares Of
bank stock and demanded S1OO, ,O0(
for them and upset the plans for re-
organization of the bank, ther
Bardsley said he advised Marsl
to engage counsel and make
u demand on Wanamaker for the
overissued shares, as he was guilty o
II crime in holding them. Marsh re
tanned Mayor Sulzberger and JohI
O'Johnson as his counsel and they
made demand on Wanamaxer whicl
he refused. Wanamaker's position
was that the Lucas estate shoulC
pay him $4,000, Marsh SIS, ,O0
and the bank $4,000. The law
yers then notified Mr. Wanamake
that if the fraudulent shares were no
delivered to them by a specified dat
they would resort to legal measures t.
get them. The shares were then turne'
over without delay. Wanamaker ha
made threat that he would see Comp
troller Lacey in Washington and hav
the bank closed before they expects
it. I'm March, $780," said Bards
ley, Marsh came to IN
and said Wanamaker wante
$500, 900 Mt once. Marsh told him tina
he did not have the amount ON han
and Wanamaker told him where
could get it. Two days later Mars
came to me saying that Wanamake
was persistent and must have tin
money. / loaned him the money an
Wanamaker got it."
Postmaster General Wanamaker er
tered the room while Bardsley's stat'
ment was being read. In answer
questions he said that his interest
in the keystone bank are out of h
acquaintance with President Lucs
and his brother when they wei
young merchants. He said tn;
he never pledged the overissue
stock after he was told it was an owe
issue and it was out of his hands at til
time. He did not know H. II. Yal
and never had met Mr.. Lucas but one
and that was at an interview about IL
,overissued stock As to the stoi
told by Bardsley to McWade thi
he had threatened to close tt
bank unless he was paid for IL
,overissued stock, and that LaN
yer Sulzberger and johnson hi
forced him to return it, Mr. Wan
maker said it was absolutely falls
BarNsley's statement that Marsh o
tained from him 100000 for Wan
maker in March, 1890, he said was a