The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-27
AIR OF EXPECTANCY
sENsATTONAL DEvEL0Ps1ENTs DUE
 IN PIFrsBURG GRAFT CASE.
Seventeen ConnciImcn Have Been Or- dered Not to Leave City, as They are Under Sur
 vefllmnee.

Pfttsburg. Dec, 26-COntrary to eN- pectations there were no additional arr rests today in the councilrnanic bribery cases which have furnished Pittsburg with a number of sensational develop- ments since the arrest Monday night of seven councilmen and two former bankers on charges of corrupt prae- tices.
 However, an authoritative statement that other persons will be arrested was made by Attorney A. Leo Well. Presi- dent of the Voters League.
 These additional arrests (the number Is estimated at from seventeen to forty1 are not expected to be made now. perhaps until Monday and prob ably not until the first of the yeaf. According to the officers of the voters league they have plenty of evidence against many persons. who it Is saiJ, eventually will be taken into custody. In a statement issued today, T. D. Har- mon. a member of the executive com mittAe of the voters league said:
 -Pittsburg's counciImanic corruptors. the real root of the bribery evil here. will suffer equally with those who fell before their temptations We intend to clean tip the city andg this is the first move. Other sensations will fol- low" al
 Many rumors were in circulation and a few Interesting deveIopments oc- cured today. Among the rumors was one to the effect that number of local banks were undergoing thorough sx- animation in connection with the rumor that certain financial institutions had paid siTe.90e for the privilege of hand ling the eity's funds, but the govern- ment officials refused to either com firm or deuy the story.
 It was also claimed that the accuad councilmen that are now being investi- gated were simply playing game or politics for the purpose of seeing hoy far the detectives would deal with them This. 1t Is said. will be their court.
 Au air of expectancy prevailed here as to next steps to be taken in the iH-l vesttgation of the graft scandal by the voters League. x sensational de- veiopments being expected. It is be- Aeved the investigation will ba thor- ough and widespread and that every person implicated will ba in. custody by the first Of the year. A
 Those Interested in the prosecution ences today, but the meetings were behind closed doors. ss
 It was reported today that several men connected with the charges of corruption have become frinhteFlad at the avray of evidence claimed to be in the poskesslou of the Voters League, and have # is' .saids decided to make their culpability. together with what they know cencerning the guilt of others.
 It also was reported that a search ing examination of number of Ptttsburg inanctal institutions is un- der way for the purpose of asceFtain- ing the truth of a report that Si7e.000 has been given certain persons in re- turn for the privilege of beinr' a de- pository for the eity's funds.
 Every ordinance passed by the Copnctlmen within two years was be- tng closely scrutinized for evidence of irregularities,
 According to a report published here today, seventeen members of Councils have been notified that they are under surveillance, and that they must not leave the city. It Is also alleged that the seventeen men have been told defi-- nitely that they win be called upon to answeP charges in connection with the bribery prosecutions. Another report says these men will be arrested either today or Monday the Voters League, said this after noon!
 
 'We have sufficient evidence Co make other arrests and also sufficient avi. denee to prove our case against those to be aFrested.''
 ghat they were simply playing game of politics and wanted to see how far, the detectives would take them, it Is reported. will be the defense of some of the accused Councilmen when their cases are tried in court It was learned today that the hashlight picture taken of a Councilman in the alleged act of accepting g. hrihe from Robert Wilson of the Scranton Muni- cipal League, turned out to be no good, but that. a second picture was taken showing the Councilman making a. hasty retreat down a corridor of a ho- tel.
 It s reported that Robert Wilson. Superintendent of the Municipal League of Scranton, Pa. who investigated con- dtttons here, has heen in secret con- ference yesterday and today with two Federal authorities who are said to have come from Washington in connee. ton with the disclosures.