The Winchester news. [volume] (Winchester, Ky.) 1908-19??, 1908-12-24
SAN FRANC ISCO
PUT TO SHAME
Pitsburg Takes Lead As Graft Gen.
ter-Bankers Also in Trou-
BILE in Smoky City.


has moved into first place in the role
OF corruption and municipal graft.
After thunderbolts in the shape Of
sensational testimony had been ex-
ploded, the trials of San Francisco APP
peared tame in comparison. And it Is
stated that the shocking develop
ments are mere preliminaries, and
that subsequent proceedings against
additional councilmen and business
men will not only startle Pittsburg,
but the whole country
From testimony offered in court,
the city's council is corrupt in every
sense of the word 1t was intimated
that over three score councilmen are
easy to reach" and the reaching"
necessitated only small sums ranging
from 500 to SIS. Out of a mass OF
testimony it was CLEANED that a ma
jority of the council members have
been reached In the passage Of
one ordinance alone it was testified
that sixty councilmen had divided
$4,000.
Bankers Tried First.
w. W. Ramsey and A A. Vitsack,
former president and cashier of the
German National bank, were first
placed on trial. 1t was testified that
they had been approached by Coun-
Gilman John Klein, one of the ac-
cused, who stated the bank would De
made depository for the city's funds
In the event 'the German National
bank would do as other banks have
DONE" After several conferences the
bankers placed $17,500 on table in
room of the bank Councilman
Klein and a companion entered the
room and a short time later left the
bank The bankers then visited the
room and the money was gone They
were held for court in the sum Of
$4,000 bail each.
The seven councilmen, President
Brand and Members Klein, Soffel, Me-
laney. WATSON and Ferguson of COM
mon council and Atkinson of select,
were then called for trial. The princi-
pal witness was Robert Wilson, pri-
vate detective. Mr.. Wilson's testt
mony was sensational in the highest
degree. Aided by an assistant, VIII
son engaged a room in local hotel
and, he testified, cut holes in the door
and walls Of an adjoining room. Then
q series of meetings were arranged
with councilmen. His assistant posed
as a business man desiring certain or
dinances passed, and during his con-
ferences with the councilmen Wilson
and stenographer were stationed In
the next room.
Tell of Conference.
During these conferences Council
man Klein had great deal to say
regarding how complete councils
were controlled by the accused men,
the detective said 1t was also testi-
fed that Klein and Brand each ac-
cepted $500 from Jones in payment
for securing the passage of an ordi-
nance.
At a meeting held in another local
hotel Klein, it was testified, told VIII
son how hard it was to divide money
among the councilmen. To illustrate
his remarks, Councilman Klein told Of
how $4,000 had to be split between
sixty councilmen. This money was
received In connection with the con-
struction of filter beds at the new fl
tration plant.
Councilman Klein, Mr.. Wilson tes-
titled, said that the councilmen had
different prices. Some councilmen,
Klein told him, wanted 500, some
SIS, some $25 and some S.. Accord
ing to Councilman Klein, Wilson re-
lated, the S. councilmen were known
as "hoodlums." 1t was also possible
to secure some councilmanic votes on
some measures in return for a suit Of
clothes or streetcar tickets.
With the exception of Klein and
WATSON, all of the defendants imme-
diately renewed their bonds for ap-
pearance to court trial and were re-
leased. In the aggregate the bond
amounted to $118,000.
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