Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-22
Seven CounciImlen and Two
Bankers Arrested on Charges
OF Corruption.
MORE SURPRISES ARE. COMING \ {:
People Are Almost Dumbfounded
AT Sudden and Startling
Developments.

Prospects Arc San francisco Rolten-
ness Will be as Purity Compared
With smoky City's Showing.
pittsburg, Dec. %. Following the
sensational arrests here last night of
seven councilmen and two bankers on
charges Of alleged corruption in con-
Quoting the public affairs Of the city,
tits intimated today that even more
startling developments will transpire
either today or by early tomorrow
morning. The people are surprised al
most beyond description at the sudden-
ness of the arrest Of these men. Dur
g ing tho night and early day there was
apparently no sleep for those inter-
csted in the alleged scandal. The nine
defendants and their attorneys and
friends had many conferences for the
\ purpose of discussing the matter, while
the officials of the Voters league. who
worked up the charges together with
prominent attorneys and high munich
pal ottlciais of the city, also held a.
meeting at which, 1t Is said, plans were
perfected for the arrest of other men
alleged to be implicated in the bribery
scandal.
According to the best information
obtainable today 1t is possible the
municipal scandal of San Francisco
WILDE insignificant when compared to
the alleged grating here.
Atty. Leo Wall, president of the Vot-
8ers' league, stated today this is the
IT, s.,,t., l. - watt
.53a MEN ACCUSED.
Following are the men accused:
Coupcilmen William Brand, John
#. Klein. j. G. WATSON, Il. o. Atkin-.
son, Jacob Soffel. w. II. Melaney and
Hugh Ferguson.
Former President w. w. Ramsey and
former Cashier "A. A. Vilsack OF the
German National Bank. are also ac-5
cused.
Inforrnations against all the seven.
members OF the council charge.shem.
with conspiracy, corrupt solicitation
and bribery. 14 5953fs ii.
An additional information against.
Brand, WATSON and Klein charges them
With bribery and corrupt solicitation.
y From Brand, WATSON and Klein bail
in the sum of $4,000 each was de-.
Inanded. The bail OF the other four
q councilmen was fixed at $4,000 each.
The information against Ramsey and
NiIsack charges them with giving.
Klein S1f,500 as a bride. u
Bail demanded for each $4,000.
While all the defendants were taken
by surprise when arrested last even
ing each secured the necessary bail
which in the aggregate amounted to
s17S.00o.
THE 1NFORBATIONS.
All the inforrnations were sworn to
by Lensard Dewolf, secretary of the
& Voters league and formerly a political
writer on q local paper.
Robert Wilson, superintendent or the
municipal League OF Scranton, Pa, Is
described as the man behind the gun
Mr.. Wilson, assisted by q corps OF pri-3
Vate detectives whom he brought TO
this city from Scranton, gathered the
4! evidence against the defendants.
1t is explained that for this reason
the entire matter was investigated
without the least publicity The Pitts
burg police were not consulted until.
yesterday. when 1t was desired to
make the arrests. Then Mayor Guthrie,
4 Director of Public Safety Lang, Super
intendent OF Police NcQuade and
other city officials met in the public
safety building where Mr.. Wilson, his
detectives and members of the Voters
league, laid the evidence before them.
Previously some of the best known at
torneys in the city had been con-
suited and pronounced the evidence
sufficient to cause the arrest Imme-
diately Mayor Guthrie ordered the ar.
rests and the private detectives ac-
colnpanied by city detectives rounded
up all the defendants.
Mr.. Wilson says the Voters league
is back of the prosecutions, and 1t Is
the intention to make Pittsburg as
clean as Scranton is today III making
Z Scranton clean, Mr.. Wilson said promi-
nent men committed suicide or were!
sent to the penitentiary for long terms
A STATEMENT.
Concerning the case against Ramsey
and vilsack, of the German National
bany, Atty. Charles "A. Pagan, Vice
president of the bank, issued the fol-
lowing atement:
ION Saturday last, after banking
hours, the attention of the board Of
directors was directed by the National
bank examiner to the fact that a
charge had been made of the improper
use Of money to secure the selection
Of the German National bank as one
of the city repositories. This informa-
ton came as great surprise to the
members Of the board. 1t was deemed
Advisable. however. pending proper
Investigation. to secure the designations
Of Mi. Ramsey. the president. and Mr..
yilsack. the cashier. they being the
4otjeiaIs affected by the charge This
was done.
Tho seven councilmen, it is for.
1nally alleged, conspired with each
other and with other persons un-
+. known, to secure the passage, by
bribery OF the members of the select.
and common councils of ordinances
and resolutions designating the de-
histories of the city; bridge orttin-
ances, bond ordinances for freeing
bridges between Pittsburg and Alle-
.rheny. recently consolidated. an
ordinance for additional filter. beds
for the new liberation plant; Heber-
ton Street Railway ordinances: re-
solution to pave q portion of Fourth
avenue with wood block. and others
pending before councils.
CANDIDATES FOR REELECTION.
All the councilmen are candidates
fors recollection at the next election IN
pbruary. William Brand is president
of the Common Council; Ferguson,
Formerly a reform councilman: Was
ann. chairman of the finance COM
m1ittee; Soffel, chairman OF public
works committee and Klein, who ~
i,it, III ret term is q we'll