The San Francisco call., 1908-12-23
.F[ASHL|GHT OF
ACOUNC|LMAN
SHOWS GRAFT
Decoy ''Promoter" Traps Mem
Der of Pittsburg's Municipal
Body With Money
Voters League Unearthed Sys-
TEN of Bribery and C0rrup-
ton, 1t Is Charged
Seven City Fathers and Two
Former Bank Officials Ar
rested for Crimes

PITTSBURG, Dec. 22.-It became
known today that President Roosevelt
brought about the revelations of Pitts
burg's councilmanic bribery, which
promises TO outdo the San Francisco
bo0dIing scandal. The president was
in formed of certain suspicious entries
ON the books of Pittsburg banks. He
got into communication with Mayor
George w. Guthrie. A special examiner
came and looked over the books of GER
tain banks and last nights sensational
arrest of seven councilmen and two
bankers followed.
PITTSBURG, Dec. ga flashlight
photograph of a member of the city
council in the act of accepting money
from decoy promoter" it is said. will
be one of the strongest features of the
evidence to be presented tomorrow
when seven members of the council and
two former bank officials are to be
given preliminary hearing on charges
of bribery. corrupt solicitation and
other illegal acts.
Besides the councilman, the f1ashlight
photograph is said to show an agent
for the Huf1ing detective agency of
Scranton, Pa, which worked up the
case.
BRIBE MONEY PASSED
This man is reported to have posed
as member of firm anxious to sell
wooden paving blocks to the city and
to have become very intimate with the
councilman. With other detectives con-
cealed within hearing distance, the
councilman is alleged to have been in
duced to tell of the negotiations to Sc
cure the passage of the legislation, to
name the other members who were to
share in the bribe and to say that the
members were tired of promises and
wanted to see some real money. The
detective peeled off 500 and $500 bills
from a large roll and just as the coun-
Gilman reached for his allotment the
flash was ignited When the council
man broke down and wept and he ac-
cused his companion of trapping him
there was no denial, but an officer ap-
peared and made the arrest.
DETECTIVE UNDER FIRE
Director of Public Safety Lang de-
manded the resignation of Captain of
Detectives Edwin T. McGough today.
This action followed a conference be-
tween Lang and Mayor Guthrie while
they were in attendance at the meeting
of the Voters league, which caused the
prosecution against the councilmen and
bankers. Director Lang said today:
MY reason Tor asking captain Nc
Cough for his resignation has nothing
to do with the arrest of the council
men. There was another reason and a
more serious one, but what it is 1 will
not discuss"
Five of the accused councilmen, Was
son, Ferguson, Brand, Klein and Me-
laney, issued statements today saying
they were greatly surprised and all at
sea regarding their arrest.
MEN ACCUSED OF CRIMES
Following are the men accused
Councilmen William Brand, John f.
Klein, J. C. Wasson, r. C. Atkinson,
Jacob Siffel, w. II. Melaney and Hugh
Ferguson.
Former President W. w. Ramsey and
former Cashier A. A. Vilsack OF the
German national bank are also accused
From Brand. Wasson and Klein bail
in the sum of $4,000 each was de-
manded. The bail of the other four
members of the council was fixed at
5000 each.
The information against Ramsey and
Vilsack charges them with giving ST.
500 as a bribe. Bail demanded for
each is $4,000.