Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1898-10-13
Shaking the Plum Tree in Pennsylvania.

Shaking the Plum Tree in Pennsylvania.
The phrase 'shake the plum tree" is
likely hereafter to havea good deal of
political significance in Pennsylvania.
U. S. Senator NJ. S. Quay, his son R. R. !
Quay, and Chas. H. Mckee, proml-
nent Republican of Pittsburg, who are
charged with conspiring to use the pub
lie moneys of the Commonwealth OF
Pennsylvania for their own benefit,
have just been admitted to bail in the
sum of 600 to appear for trial. The
public money which they are charged
with using, was deposited in the Peo-
PIES Bank of Philadelphia, the cashier
of which, John s. Hopkins, committed
suicide when the bank broke few
months ago. The New York papers pub
fish fac SMILES of the letters and teie
grams which were discovered among
the papers of the dead cashier by the
receiver appointed to take charge of the
affairs of the bank.
One is letter from the State Treas
urer at Harrisburg, B. J. Haywood, to-
the President of the Peoples Bank,
saying:
"On Monday we will mail you check
for 800, OO0, for credit of Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania General Fund, which
will make a credit to our account Of
$500, 900. The understanding is that L
am not to draw against any part OF this
100000 dep osit until the Hon. K. K.
Quay has paid, or arranged satisfactory
to you, the loan of 100000 which you
are to make to him next week.
B. J. HAYWOOD,
State Treasurer.
The next is a telegram from M. s.
Quay from st. Luce. Fla, to John s.
Hopkins, the now suicided cashier, as
follows:
IF YOU can buy and carry a thousand
Met. "a thousand shares Metropolitan
stock for me- will shake the plum
tree.
NJ. S. QUAY"
And the third is letter from Nj. s.
Quay written in Philadelphia, Dec. 10,
1897, to Cashier j. S. Hopkins of the
Peoples Bank:
Dear J. s. H.
have 1000 shares sugar at brokers
bought at 142, which l wish you to pay
for and take over the Peoples. l have
bought it for keep, but don't wish the
stock to be placed in my name just yet,
as will sell it if 1 find 1 can get it in
lower.
Get rid of the Met. and company
stock as rapidly as you can get figures
| fixed.
| Yours truly,
M. s. QUAY"
| That there was regular stock gambling
carried on with the State funds, is
shown by the following letter from
State Treasurer Haywood to Cashier
Hopkins:
| my Dear Sir: Y ours of the Goth
inst, with inclosure received, which
herewith return. Purchase additional
shares of some stock-100 shares at Lie,
100 shares at 100, 100 shares at LOS, 100
shares at 10Y, 100 shares at LOG. Of
course, purchase all for less if you can,
so that the average will be maintained.
|
higher in the near future. Your friend,
Mr.. ElZin. is a partner in this transac-
ton, as you will see by the signature on
the note. Mr.. M. is to have the use of
| fifty from November l, 1898. You and
he can arrange when he shall use it.
| b. J. HAYWOOD"
And by this letter from Quay to Cash
ier Hopkins:
| Dear John: l have at Huhn's 500
shares OF Met. | wish you to take out
! for me- 1t stands $40 e12. so Aug 81 j.
and with your S6l, 625 will make S172,
437 so ] will owe your bank. | have one
hundred Thousand New Jersey bonds.
/ htteen lunQreC S1gsESs -. New Jersey
stock, which / viii change into Met. as
soon ss the top notch in Jersey is
reached; that is to say, | viii sell the
Jersey securities and pay eff the indebt
edaess. The Jersey bonds ought to 20
to par within sixty days. When they
are par the stock will be at least fifty.
1t will pay small dividend next year.
Please write me on receipt of this.
Very truly yours,
Sept. q, 1897. NJ. s. QUAY"
This is a part of the evidence made
public il court by the prosecution.
Whist makes this rev to the country, is
the fact that Senator Quay and other
prominent Republicans have been az
rested. But the facts with regard to the
use of the State funds are not new to
Pennsylvania, Mr.. Wanamaker in his
exposure showed some time ago that the
banks selected as State repositories paid
no interest to the State on its deposits,
bat paid it to the Quay ring, and that
in six years that ring had received
1898 of such money. Ex-Congress-
man Darlington of that State testified
on oath, when the Chester County
Trust Company, a State depository,
broke, that the current expenses"
charged on the books of the bank were
political contributions to the Republi-
can committees. The Peoples Bank
was a pet political bank of the Repub-
lican politicians for State and city
funds, and Mr.. Wanamaker showed
that it always carried from quarter of
million to million and quarter of
State money, even when the STATED
school teachers could not get their pay.
Outside CT Penns lvania this will be
read as startling history, and we'll it
may be, for the evils of the 'bossn sys-
tenn haye had no better illustration
since the conviction of Tweed in New
York.
1t Will Be Investigated.
Notwithstanding the existence of