The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1891-07-17

PHILADELPHIA. July 1.-THE Barlsley
Investigating committee held another ses.
sion In the afternoon, at which Postmaster
General Wanamaker attended and testi-
fed concerning his transaction with the
Keystone bank, and the statement made
by ex-City Treasurer John Rardsley to
Editor McWadc, of The Ledger, was for
the first time made public. 1t proved to
be an interview between McWade and
BartAley on two different occasions at the
prison. In it Bardsley again went over
the story Of the Keystone bank, and
stoutly maintained that he put the 1890, ,OOC
In the bank, but did not know what be.
came Of 1t any more than he believed that
President Marsh got it. Bardsley said
that Bank Examiner Drew had been q
heavy borrower from the Keystone bank
aud was completely under Lucas and
Marsh's thumb.
A Charge Against wannmaker.
In regard to John Wanamaker, Bards.
ley said that Marsh told him that he
knowingly held overissued shares OF
bank stock, and demanded s1OO, 900 for
them and upset the plans for reorganizing
the bank. Bardsley then said that he ad.
vised Marsh to engage counsel and make
a demand on Wanamaker for the over is.
suedshares, as he was guilty Of crime in
holding them. Marsh retained Mayer
Sulzberger and John &. johnson as his
counsel, and they made n demand on
Wanamaker, which he refused. Wana.
makers proposition was that the Lucas
estate should pay him $4,000, Marsh so5,.
ha h., eel, L.
then notified Mr.. Wanamaker that if the
fraudulent shares were not delivered to
them by a specified date they would resort
to legal measures to get them.
wannmnker's Alleged Threat.
The shares were then turned over with
out delay. Wanamaker made a threat
that he would see Controller Lacey in
Washington and have the bank closed be-
fore they expected it, "In March, 1890 ("
said Bardsley, Marsh came to me and
said Wananaker wanted s2OO, 900 at once.
Marsh told him he didn't have that
amount on hand, and Wanamaker told
him where he could get it. Two days
later Marsh came to me, saying that Wan
amaker was persistent and must have the
money. l loaned him the money and
Wanamaker got it."
Postmaster General Wanamaker. who
had entered the room while Barlsley's s
statement was being read, then stepped
forward and requested that he be allowed
to testify. 'Ihave," said he, "been anxious
to appear ever since the question was raised
regarding the stock of which l previously
testified"
In answer to questions, he said that his
interest in the Keystone bank arose out Of
his acquaintance with President Lucas and
his brother when they were young merch-
ants. He stated that he never pledged the
overissued stock after he was told it was
an oyerissue, and it was out of his hands
ut the time. He did not know II. Fl. Yard
and had never met Mr.. Lucas but once,
and that was at an interview about the
Overissued stock. He was asked to give an
account of what transpired between him
and Marsh at Washington and did so say
ing matters must take their course. AS to
the story told by Bardsley to McWade that
he had threatened to close the bank unless
he was paid for the overissued stock and
that Lawyers Sulzberger and Johnson had
forced him to return it, Nh. WanamaSer
said it was absolutely false.
BArdsley Accused OF Fabrication.
Granville B. Haines and Samuel B.
Huey came to Washington to see him
about the overissued stock, and he told
them that they must settle for it and that
if they did not, in justice to himself, he
should inform the controller of the cur
rency. After the bank closed he gave up
the stock. Bardsley's statement that
Marsh obtained from him $500, 900 for
Wanamaker III March, $780, he said was
absolutely untrue and without the slight
est foundation, and invited the committee
to inspect his books.
More stock In wanamnker's Name.
Mr.. Wanamaker was then informed by
member of the committee that during
their examination of the stock book of the
Keystone bank they had found 3, 200 shares
of stock in his name in addition to the
2,5l5 shares which he testified had been
given by Lucas to use as collateral for q
deal in Reading stock. "When appeared
before this committee before" said Mr..
Wanamaker, II confined myself princi-
pally to the business of the firm in my
deals with Lucas in Reading. l had in
my head certain private matters, but did
not suppose the committee wanted to hear
of private operations"
Mr.. Wanamaker then again referred to
the 2,5l5 shares which he had held as col
lateral, and gave the committee list of
estate. s
Always Doing Such Things.
In regard to the stock which had been
found in his name, 625 shares of it, Mr..
Wanamaker said was held by Irwin g.
Toland, his bankers, rs collateral. This
reduced it to $3.50 shares OF stock. OF these
five blocks of 200 shares each We're dated
March 3, 1886. and while issued in his name
the power OF attorney had never been in
dorsed by him and they could never have
been used. or these shares he had abso-
lutely no knowledge. The next lot, five
blocks of 200 shares each, was dated four
weeks earlier, Feb, 3, 1885, He was di-
rector in the Girard Trust company and
Lucas came to him and asked him to OBJ
tain u loan of 10000 on the stock.
II have been just foolish enough" said
Mr.. Wanameker. "all my life to do those
things, and got the money on the stock
and gave it to him. A considerable time
afterward it was paid off by the Lucas es-
tate, and they got the stock back"
Placed In His Name.
Mr.. Wanamaker also presented the COM