The southern argus., 1891-07-16

The Alleged Confession of Phila-
delphia's Late Treasurer.
Bardsley's Story of His DcfaIcation-The
keystone Bank Failure and the Partfes
Who Bled It-A Statement by
Wanamaker.

s the city council inquiring into the fai
. ure of the Keystone national bank an
the affairs of ex-City Treas urer Bards
, ley, held protracted session yesterda
8 afternoon. The main witnesses wer
; Robert Nc Wade, city editor of the Pub
, lie Ledger; William Mexican, editor il
! chief of the same paper, and Post
master-General Wanamaker. The ties
timony of McWade and Mexican haC
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 Is. 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 ont
the first statement he said a consulta-
tation was held b etween 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 q
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 BardsIey 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 $780, 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 Tor re-
of the bank. Bardslev ad- I
Vlscd Marsh to engage counsel and
make demand on Wanamaker for the |
over-lssued shares, as he was guilty Of {
crime IN holding them. Marsh re-
.ained Mayor Sulzberger and John o.
Johnson as his counsel, and they made [
demand on Wanamalzer, which he re- [
used Wanamaker's proposition was
nat the Lucas estate should r
'ay him $4,000, Marsh s25. 900 a
md the bank $25,OO0 The law a
yers then notified Wanamaxer +
hat If the fraudulent shares S
we're not delivered to them at a speci- n
led date they would resort to legal d
we're then turned over without DELAY. A
lr Wanamaker had made threat s.
hat he would see Comptroller Lacey in n
'ashington and have the bank closed v
efore they expected it. "
'In March, $780," said Rardsjev 81
Marsh came to me and said Wanna CT
laker wanted $500, 900 at once Marsh
I'D him that he did not have the
mount on hand, and Wanamaker told
I'm where he could get it. Two davs ~
ter, Marsh came TO me saving that
anamaker was persistent and must
ave the money. / loaned him the 4.
oney and Wanamaker got it" ~
Bardsley also talked n great da.l
bout his connection in the past with :"
veral prominent PhiIadclphians and
AIMED them for the stand they had ~
ken against him. lie is accredited NJ
Mr. MeNade with having spoken Of ~
H. Mcclure, of the Times, in the fol- 5o
wing terms: when was a candi- n,
tie for city treasurer called on Col ~i
colure and told him everything in my I'll I'll
ST life and said that If he wonld say
would withdraw. lie said: On "
cad; the Times will be for vou.' But -
weakened afterwards You remepn. Ssr
the scheme to get the pasworks ~
'm the city? Well. Mcclure was a. "a
It, Mcclure was TO get a big block n
the stock for his advocacy in hix ~. ~
per and was not to pay a cent for ii. m ln'
Clure was also in a nun Der of other sia
emes." Iat
" hen ! became city treasurer. I'D in@.
rdsley declared, Colonel Mcclure
led on Mayor Filter and asked far MI.
appointment of Magistrate Rob aaf
ith as one of the magistrates to col. !.
delinquent mercantile taxes. Mr.
Ter said TO me: 'Bardslev. tbera Il -
he money for the magistrates in the -
eetion OF those mercantile +aras -
tnereT ] answered. .yos 7 h.x~ sa.l. saDn
I'd So. Well he continued. 4ro1 80.
us,-;s,-..., ~ -, e me aoout nav hcal
Of the feIlows' Mr.. Mayor !. n
"ered, / can not appoint him far 80
# Il Il 4