Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1908-12-25
SAYS THE END
IS not YET
Voters League Of Pittsburg
Promises More Arrests.
CHARGES AGAINST NINE

Seven City counciImen and Two
Bankers Arrested on Allegations Of
Corruption in Conducting the Pub.
lie Affairs Of the city-Men Behind
Prosecution Assert That Conditions
Are Worse Than at Frisco.
Pittsburg, Dec. 23.-sFollowing the
sensational arrests here of seven
councilmen and two bankers on
charges of alleged corruption in con-
Quoting the public affairs of this city
it is intimated that even more startling
developments will transpire shortly.
In the meantime the people of Pitts.
burg are surprised almost beyond de-
scription at the audiences of the ar
rest of the nine men, who are all well
known. According to the. best infor-
nation obtainable it is possible the
municipal scandal of San Francisco
will be insignificant when compared
to the alleged grating here. The fol-
lowing are the men accused:
. Councilmen William Brand, John F.
Klein, J. c. WATSON, T. O. Atkinson,
Jacob Soffel, w. H. Melaney and Hugh
Ferguson. Former President w. w.
Ramsey and former Cashier A. A. Vii
sack of the German National bank
are also accused. ~-.. ..:s
Information against all the seven
members of the council charges them
with conspiracy, corrupt solicitation
and bribery. ..' :. Z
An additional information against
Brand, WATSON and Klein charges
them with bribery and corrupt solicit
tati0n.
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
Sit, 900 each.
The information against Ramsey
and Vilsack charges them with giving
Klein. $17,500 as bribe. 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,O00.
All the informations were sworn to
by Tensard de Wolf, secretary of the
Voters league and formerly a polit-
ical writer on local paper.
The Man Behind the Gun.
Robert Wilson, superintendent of
the Municipal league of Scranton, Pa,
is described as "the man behind the
gum" Mr.. Wilson, assisted by a corps
of private detectives which he brought
the evidence against the defendants.
1T 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 Mayor Guthrie, Director Of Pub
lie Safety Lang, Superintendent of Po-
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 best 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 by
city detectives, rounded up all the
defendants.
Mr.. Wilson says the Voters league
is back of the prosecutions and it is
the intention to make Pittsburg as
clean as Scranton is today. In max.
ing Scranton SO. Mr.. Wilson said,
prominent men committed suicide or
were sent to the penitentiary for
long terms.
All the councilmen are candidates
for reelection at the next election in
February. William Brand is president
of the common council; Ferguson. for
merly reform councilman; WATSON,
chairman of the finance committee;
Sofel, chairman of public works COM
mittee, and Klein, who is serving his
first term. is we'll known river man.
Another sensation developed when
It became known that Director of Pub
lie # Safety Lang had demanded the
resignation of Captain of Detectives
Edwin r.. McGough. Captain McGough
IL well known throughout the country
Is a clever detective. :,