The record-union., 1891-07-11
PoStmaster-General Wanamaker
on the Witness Stand.
HE RELATES HIS TRANSACTIONS
WITH THE BANK.
Horrible Tragedy Enacted In Ellis,
Neb. = John Puterbaugh, Crazed
From the Effects of La Grippe,
Murders His Wife and Children,
and then Sends q Bullet Through
His Own Brain.
Special to the REcoRD-UNros.

| PHILADELPHIA, July 1O.-Ino BafQS-
ley Investigating Committee held another
session to-day, at which Postmaster
General Wanamaker testified concerning
his transaction with the keystone Bank,
and statement made by Bardsley to edi-
tor McWade of the Ledger was for the
first time made public. It proved to be a
long interview, in which Bardsley again
went over the story of the keystone
Bank, and stoutly maintained that he put
the S930,000 in the bank, but did not
know what became of it. Bardsley said
that Bank Examiner Drew had been a
heavy borrower from the keystone Bank,
and he was completely under the thumb
of Lucas and Marsh.
In regard to John Wanamaker, Bards-
ley said that Marsh told him that Wana-
maker knowingly held over-issued bank
! stock, demanded 500, 600 for it, and upset
the plans for recognizing the bank
| Marsh retained Sulzberger and Johnson
as counsel, and they made demand on
! Wanamaker, which he refused, propos-
ing that the Lucas estate should pay him
! S50, 900, Marsh S25, 900 and the bank S25,-
900. The lawyers then notified Wana-
maker that if the fraudulent shares were
not delivered at a specified date they
would resort to legal measures The
shares were then turned over without
delay.
Bardsley asserted than Wanamaker had
made threat that he would see Comp
! troller Lacey and have the bank closed
before they expected it. In March, 1890,
Marsh came TO him and said WanamalIer
| wanted SOC, 900 at once, and Bardsley let
Marsh have the money. Bardsley also
talked a great deal about his connection
IN the past with several prominent Phil
1afT
stand they had taken against him.
Speaking of the scheme to get the gas
works from the city, Bardsley asserts that
Colonel Mcclure. of the IT0teS, was in it.
Mcclure was to get big block of stock
for his advocacy in his paper, and was
| not to pay cent for it.
regarding the payment of $500 to Hugh
Mullen, Bardsley said Mayor Filter
wanted Mullen appointed Mercantile Ap-
praiser, and William NJ. Singerly, of the
Record, wanted Richard j. Lennon APP
! pointed to the same place. Afterward
Bardsley learned that Mat Quay and the
Auditor-General were pushing General
| Albert Crawford for the same place. The
result was that overtures were made to
Singerly TO draw Lennon out of the fight,
and he was promised that if Lennon was
taken out 100000 State money would be
deposited in the Chestnut-street Bank.
This was done, and Mayor Filter got an
| CRY at what he claimed to be a broken
promise. Bardsley then paid Mullen
$500 to redeem the promise to the Mayor
Bardsley said B. b. Yard got great
deal OF Keystone money. He was in the
pool with Lucas and Mash, and Marsh
| allowed him to overdraw his account
$50, COO, even when the run on the bank
was going on.
The remainder of the statement was
simply long story of Bardsley's
trouble, containing no new facts.
Yard was then called, but did not re-
| Spond, his counsel announcing that his
case had been appealed.
The committee instructed the City
| Solicitor to take steps to compel Yard to
appear.
Then Postmaster General Wanamaker er
appeared. He said he never pledged
oyer-issued stock after he was told it was
an oyer-issue, and it was out of his hands
at the time. He did not know Yard, and
| had never met Mrs. Lucas but once.
Asked what transpired between him
and Marsh at Washington, he said Marsh
asked him to assist the bank, and he de-
| clined. Wanamaker said his firms bal
ance in the Keystone bank at the time of
| the run was Sl0,000 and when it closed it
was much larger. The last money re-
celved from the bank was about a year
| before the bank closed, and the last dis
count was obtained in October, 1880.
AS to the story told by Bardsley about
4
yers compelled him to return the stock,
| Wanamaker said it was absolutely false.
| Granville Haines and Samuel B. Huly
came to Washington to see him about
over-issue stock, and he told them they
must settle for it. and if they did not, in
| justice to himself he should inform the
Comptroller of Currency. After the bank
closed he gave up the stock.
Bardsley's statement that Marsh OBJ
tanned from him SOC, 900 for Wanamaker
| in March, 1890, was absolutely untrue;
without the slightest foundation, and
| Wanamaller invited the committee TO in
| spect his books.
| Wanamaker was informed by mem
Der of the committee that during their ex-
| animation of the Keystone stock book
| they found $500 shares of stock in his
| name in addition to 2,5l5 shares which he
testified had been given him by Lucas to
| use as collateral for deal in Reading.
"When l appeared before the commit
tee" said Mr.. Wanamaker, 81 confined
myself principally to the business of the
| firm. In my deals with Lucas in Read
ing / had in my head certain private
| matters. but did not suppose the commit
tee wanted to hear of his private opera
/ tions."
Wanamaker then again referred to the
! 2,5l4 shares which he had held as collat-
! eral, and gave the committee q list of
| those he had turned over to the Lucas
estate. That some of those shares had
been at one time in his name he did not
state, as he had not used them in any
/ operation. In regard to the stock found
| in his name, 625 shares of it, he said was
| held by Irwin 6 Toland, his bankers, as
collateral. This reduced it to 1900 shares
of stock. OF these, five blocks of 200
shares each were dated March 3, 1856.
and while issued in his name, the
| power OF attorney had never been in
| dorSed by him, and they could never
| blocks of 200 shares each were dated four
weeks earlier. He was Director in the
/ Grand Trust Company, and Lucas came
to him and asked him to obtain him a
loan of $40 900 on stock.
II have been Just foolish enough all
my life,r continued Mr.. Wanamaker. s.to
do those things, and got the money on
the stock and gave it TO him. A consider
| able tirne afterward it was paid off by the
Lucas estate, and they got the stock
| back
| Wanamaker also presented the COM
mlttee with letter from Lucas of May
q, 1856, 1nclosing money to pay interest
on the loan.
Of the other unused five blocks of
stock said Wanamaker, '.my Impress
| ion is that Lucas first intended to ask for
larger loan, and so issued them. 1t was
| never used, however, as it could not have
been without my Endorsement. I know
of no other stock, but remember that ten
years ago, when Lucas was securing con-
| troll of the bank, he came to me and said