The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1908-12-25
SAYS The END
is not YET
@2E4sLsB h .y 49, f Is
Voters League Of Pittsburg
Promises More Arrests.
CHARGES AGAINST NINE.

~ .E If.stGH - lg.-s- .F- s.t-a. .-
CHARGES AGAINST NINE
seven city counci'men and Two
Bankers Arrested on Allegations OF
Corruption in Conducting the Pub.
lie Affairs Of the city-Men Behind
fProsecu<on Assert That Conditions
Are Worse Than lat Frisco.
Pittsburg Dec: 23-Following the
sensational .arrests here of seven
fcouncilmen and two bankers on
charges of alleged corruption in con-
iducting the public affairs of this city
Ut is intimated that ever more startling
Developments will t~ranspire shortly.
III the meantime the people Of Pitts
burg are surprised almost beyond de.
scription at the s%uddenness of the ar
rest Of the nine men, who are all we'll
known. According to the best infor.
nation obtainable it is possible the
municipal scandal of San Francisco
will be insignificant when compared
ito the alleged grating here. The fol
lowing are the men accused: ..
Conncilmen William Brand, John F..
Klein, j. G. WATSON, T. o. Atkinson,
Jacob Soffel, w. Fl. Melaney and Hugh
Ferguson. Former President w. w.
Ramsey and former Cashier A. A. Vii
sack of the, German National bank
are also accused.
Information against all the seven
members of the council charges them
with conspiracy, corrupt solicitation
and bribery:
An additional information against
Brand, Wasspn and Klein charges
them with bribery and corrupt solicit
tation.
From brand. WATSON and Klein bail
in the sum. of $4,000 each was de-
manded. The hail of the other four
members OF the council was fixed at
$4,000 each. n
The Information against Ramsey
and Vilsack charges them with giving
Klein $4,000 as a bride. Bail de-
manded from each is $4,000.
While all the defendants were taken
BY, surprise when arrested each Sc
cured the necessary bail, which in the
aggregate amounted to $17S,000.
All the iniormations were sworn to
by Tensard de Wolf, secretary of the
Voters league and formerly q pollt-
ical writer on a local paper.
The Man Behind the Gun.
Robert Wilson, superintendent Of
the Municipal league OF Scranton. Pa.
is described as "the man behind the
gun Mr.. Wilson, assisted by a corps
of private detectives which h%etbrought
to this city from Scranton, gathered
the evidence. against the defendants.
It is explained that for this reason
the entire. matter was investigated
+. without the least publicity. The Pitts
burg police were not consulted until
it was desired to make the arrests.
Then MayorGuthrie, Director of Pub
lie Safety Lang, Superintendent OF Pc
lice McQuaide 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:Hbest known attorneys in
the city had: been consulted and pro-
.nounced the evidence sufficient to
cause the arrests. Immediately Mayor
Guthrie ordered the arrests and the
private detectives. accompanied ny
city detectives, rounded up all the
defendants.
Mr.. Wilson a Y the Voters league
is. back of the prosecutions and 1T us.
the intention to make Pittsburg as
clean s Scranton is today. In max
ing Scranton so, Mr.. Wilson said,
prominent lei committed suicide or
were sent to the penitentiary for
long terms. 49,,
All the councilmen. are candidates
for reelection at the next election in
FEBRUARY. William Brand is president
I OF. the common council; Ferguson. for
merlys a reform councilman; Wasson,
chairman Of the finance committee;
Sonel, chairman Of. public works COM
m,ittee, and Klein, who Is serving his
first term. ist we'll known river man.
Another sensation developed when
4 became known that Director, OF U
lie Safety Lang had demanded the
resignation Of. Captain Of Detectives
Edwin Il. McGough. Captain McGo'ugh
Is wen known throughout the country
as a clever detective.
rsyT73ENE@ H.EI. S-{h -
state Presenting Case:
Kansas city, Dec, 23.vvThe stats
has begun the Introduction Of evidence
to- support its side in the Missouri
rate case, which has been dragging
along here III the United States dis
-trict court before Judge Smith Nc: