The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-24
People of Cib Are AstOunded By the Revelations of
 Corruption
SIXTY COUNCILMEN
 DIVIDE UP S45,0OO
Sensational Testimony Is Given By a Bank Examiner and Detectives of the Discovery of Graft and
 Exposure of Grafters.

Pittsburg, December 23.-With sud- denness that startled Pittsburg fsom end to end. this city today moved into first place in the role of corruption and mnniei- pal graft.
 Late tonight, many hours after thun- derbolts in the shape of sensational testi- mony were exploded, the people of Pitts burg are dumbfounded
 It is stated the shocking developments here today are mere preliminaries, and subsequent steps against additional coun- cllmen and business men will not only startle Pittsburg but the whole country
 It was intimated strongly in the testi- mony in court today that over three-score councilmen are "easy to reach" and the reaching" necessltated only small sums, ranging from s1OO to $5.
 In the. passage of one ordinance alone 1t was testified that 60 oouncilmen had divid- ed s45.0O0. Sensations followed one an- other in rapid succession during the hear ing of the seven councilmen and two for i mer bank officers arrested on charges Of bribery, corrupt solicitation and conspir- acy last Monday night
 Court Room Filled.
 Sitting with Magistrate Brady when the case was called were Mayor Guthrie and Director of Public Safety Lang. The courtroom was filled almost to suffocation with prominent men of Pittsburg.
 Bank Examiner Nesbit said he visited the German National bank last wednes- day to make an examination He com 1,f, time he received a note for S17,5o0, feat ures of which. he said, aroused his sus- picions. He asked Cashier Vilsack about the matter At first Vilsack denied any knowledge of the note, saying 1t was pure ly personal matter between his brother and himself. Examiner Nesbit told him he did not believe it, and asked him again for an explanation, threatening to use his authority if an explanation was not forth coming Finally Vilsack, he said, ad- mitted the money was used to secure city deposits and that the $760o had been paid to a councilman. Then the bank ex- aminer told a remarkable story as to the manner in which the $l75OO disappeared from the bank.
 How the Money Went
 According to Examiner Nesbit, Kleine approached Cashier Vilsack and said the German National would be made city depository if the bank was willing to do as other banks had done. Vilsack con- ferred with President Ramsey of the bank, and later went to the reserve vault and, taking out the money, placed it on a table in one of the rooms of the institu- tion.
 At this time Councilman Kleine and a companion were in the bank. Some time later Vilsack and Ramsey went to the room and the money was gone. Kleine and his companion left the bank together. Ex- aminer Nesbit said he also talked with President Ramsey concerning the trans action and said Ramsey had first denied 1t was banking business. but later told the same story as had Vilsack. Saturday afternoon MT Nesbit called a meeting of the directors at which he explained the matter The directors immediately re- quested both president and cashier to re- sign and filled their positions.
 Monday evening they were arrested. along with Klene and six other councii- men This ended the case of Vilsack and Ramsey, and they were held for court trial under s1400o bail.
 Remarkable Testimony.
 The seven councilmen President Brand and Members Klene Soffel, Wasson. Me- laney and Ferguson of common council, and Atkinson of select council, were then called for trial The principal witness was Robert Wilson. a private detective and superintendent of the Municipal
 <CoNmrNvrun oN nACn saN