Evening journal., 1891-06-09
FOR ElGHTY-FIvE YEARS.
That Is the Maximum Penalty
for Bardsley.
JOHN wANAMAKER's STATEMENT
He Was Only a Depositor in the keystone
Bank and Not an Onieer-His Dealings
with President Marsh aud the Late John
G. Lucas.

what many people think would be his just
deserts, he will pass the remainder OF bis
life behind prison bars He has just been
indicted 10y the grand jury upon seven
teen counts.
EIghty-five Years in Jail.
If he should be convicted upon each
count, which seems quite probable, and
should suffer the maximum penalty,
Honest John" would have just eighty.
five years in prison for his alleged mis-
deeds.
The indictments charge the prisoner
with misappropriating $4,000 of city
money and embezzling over 100000 Of
state funds The district attorney has
abandoned the charge Of official perjury
as 1t Is now believed that Bardsley never
took the oath OF Office The only oath he
appears 10 have taken is the one attached
TO his bond to the state.
Tho Postmaster Generals Testimony.
At the investigation into the keystone
banks affairs Postmaster General Wnna.
maker was the chief witness, and big
crowd Of prominent business men listened
attentively 70 his tale, which he presented
In writing before the cross-examination
Mr. Wanamaker said he had never been
an officer Of the Keystone bank, but was
simply a depositor Although his conf
dence In the bank was shaken at the time
OF the run, he continued to make deposits,
and in the five months previous TO the fail.
ure placed 81, 25o,0Oo there.
Never Knew OF IrreguIarities-
Il never knew" said Mr. Wanamaker,
''of any Irregularities in the keystone bank
until after the run, when Mr.. Lucas in
debtedness was made known to the di-
rectors, and 1t was said that his estate in
tended TO reimburse the bank, which was
informed il had means to do. was told
by Mr., Marsh that he feared some Of the
stock held as collateral was not properly
issued
81 had no knowledge that the bank was
going TO close when 10 did. All discounts
granted TO my firm or myself were made
in the customary manner. II the directors
were ignorant of the fact we were not
aware Of their Ignorance.
he Wanted SEQ, 900.
son one occasion Mr.. Marsh called on
MS, saying that he wanted 10000 Of ouI
paper, not for the Keystone bank, but foi
| county banks. We gave it to him. For
l NHtAAN NtAAFN w EANNAAA Ah1 HHtHN " tulH
over the proceeds, and finally got them by
| piecemeal. Before this paper was paid We
learned il was ia the Keystone, and ",
had an intimation that II had been secures
from us under some pressure for use a
the clearing house.
His Connection with Lucas.
II never suffered any person, directly Of
indirectly. to 80 TO the secretary Of tn,
treasury or the controller for the receiver
ship Of the Keystone bank, or to any on,
else, nor did in any way endeavor TO in
| fiuence the appointment, remotely oi
| otherwise. never had business trans
action with Mr.. Bardsley, individually oi
as city treasurer, or with any one repre-
senting him in either capacity" Then came
the most important part OF Mr. Wana
makers statement about his connection,
with Lucas, the dead president Here i.
what Mr.. Wanamaker said
During 1887 upon the belief that Mr.
Lucas was rich man, told him Of m,
desire to assist in preserving the indspen
dence OF the Reading railroad, and that
thought the purchase Of certain holdings
OF the stock would be profitable and use
/ ful, and invited him 10 join me in such
| purchase. The agreement between us wa
/ NtfUdls anu W AAt tiAtiN AHAI I4NfflN Wl|
to personally supply sums of money as
called for them and deposit the same to m,
| personal account ia the Keystone. II
accordance with that agreement / drew
checks to the extent Of 100000 against tn,
money which | believed was deposited b,
him
He Irreguiarly Issued stock.
upon several occasions, when / noti
II Hs.I hot
money was needed, he brought me stool,
of the Keystone bank TO use ia lieu Of the
money, as it was not convenient for him
to furnish cash at the time. AS result
when he died had in my possession 25.
shares Of the keystone bank. After his
i death found that he had not made The
deposits to my credits as be agreed and
/ that my account stood overdrawn. / i'm.
mediately made the amoHnt good by clos
i ing it with commercial paper received 10
nay busines, which was ali duly paid.
Lucas therefore did not furnish penny
/ for the purchase OF the Reading stock
hold, and all had for his share in the
/ operation was the certificates of stock OF
the Keystone left with me as collateral
No intimation was ever given that the
stock was irregularly issued until Marsh
shortly after the run on the bank Ia De
cember, called it in question and desired
i to have the stock returned to the bank
/ This declined to do because had not OBJ
tanned 1t from the bank, aud because | did
not believe the stock was overissued.
Finally found the stock was overis
sued, and / returned is to the Lucas estate
In brieS, ! was a depositor. but not an
| officer of the baIk. / did not know the
bank would fail, nor did l delay or touch
in any way the appointment of a receiver
am absolutely ignorant Of any transac
tion with Bardsley, within or without tbs
/ bank. Instead of the bank losing peuny
| by me have only been its profitable Gus
TONER"
HIS Dealings with Marsh.
In regard TO his dealings with Marsh
Mr.. Wanamaker said: 81 never had any
business operations with Mr.. Marsh indi
vidually or with any firm or corporation
with which he was connected, except the
keystone bank / knew him but slightly
until after Mr. Lucas sickness and death
when he became the active manager OF the
bank, and had most to do with settling the
Lucas affairs. For the last two years and
a half have left my mercantile business
almost wholly TO my partner. Occasionally
/ Mr.. Marsh would call on me.
Last autumn he claimed that the ban
had strained itself to help it's customers
and that he wanted help and we paid of
all our discounts as they fell due Later
on the run came and he gradually lost by
the withdrawal, not only his discounts
but all but Que or two Of his directors. He
used to come to me and try my firm, say.
ing that he had no one to go to. He
assured me everything was right, precise