The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1908-12-23
in THROES OF
GREAT SCANDAL
Corruption Charged in
Pittsburg.
PROMINENT MEN ARE HELD
City Councilmen and Bankers Are
Accused.
--
Vetsrs League starts ost to Purify
Pebble Affairs. ana enc CITY 1.
shocked By Deve.op-
meats.
PROMINENT MEN ARE HELD

| +55s
photograph of member OF Councff In
the act Of accepting money from a
promoter, liz one Of the strongest
features OF the evidence to the pre-
sented tomorrow morning when sew
erai members OF Council aid two for
( mer bank officials are 10 be given a
preliminary hearing on charges OF bfib-
cry. corrupt solicitation, ana other IL
legal acts brought by the Voters,
League This picture, Il II said. was
taken In private room IN a down
town hotel last night Immediately be-
fore the Councilman was arrested.
No additional arrests we're made TO-
day. and 1t Is said that none are likely
to be made until after the trial to-
morrow.
The photograph is said 20 show the
detective who worked up the cases
This man Is reported to have posed
as member OF arm anxious 70 sell
wooden paving blocks to1the city and
to have been erimihalty intimate with
the Councilman. With other detoee
tives concealed within hearing dta-
lance. the counciiman is alleged 10
have been induced to tel Of the mcgee
tiations OF the passage OF legislation
to the 9th er members who were to
share In the brfbe and to say that
the members were tired Of promises
and wanted to see some real money.
The detective pulled ten $500 bills
from large roll and just as the
Councilman reached for his allotment.
the fash was ignited The ConneiI-
man. Il f. said, broke and wept. ard
when he accused his companion on
trapping him. there was no denial.
Then an officer appeared and made
the arrest. Bank Examiner Noyea Is
ovn Gd IN. f..4S~
entry IN the books accounting for tbs
first 8i7.S00. and President A. A.
Yillsack, upon being summoned before
the directors, admitted that this sum
had been expended to secure the 6eleps
ton Of the bank as city depository.
The directors repudlated the f1nds and
asked his feglgnationa II fe eebortaa
that some os the brtb4 money wab paid
n cheelxs and thst the ehae<N ard
ktues wflf 10 oftexa4 Ia evidence 81
Is practically admitted that 4 nugsabae
Of decoy contractors ana prornafneN
were introduced @ trap Conhsilmqn,
ana that many temptations have been
offered members during the past sax
months.
In some quarters II Is believed thar
Mayor Guthrie was. back OF the probe.
he having been an attorney for the
Voters League aorne years ago, when
II made a winning SIGHT against
~ &
The Mayor declines to discuss any
of the details Of the PROBE, but aimee
the AFFAIR was given publicity. all de-
partments have been very active n
the matter
Friends Of some Of the aeeused men
charge thar the whole probe Il 8 part
OF scheme TO elect an independent
candidate for Mayor. yet TO be uaEna4A
six Leave CITY.
Pittsburg, Dec. 22--Late this after
noon reports we're In circulation that
owing 20 an alleged leak In the. pun-
lie safety department Of Pittsburg =
number OF men said to be six. haws
left the city as q result Of this dis
closures In eonneetion with the graft
scandal
Edwin T. SfcGough, captain Of de-
tectives whose resignation was de-
manded when pressed for q statement
regarding his dismissal said:
"There is nothing criminal against
me-"
u All Hlfsburg Surprised.
Pittsburg. Pa, Dec. 22--Following the
sensational arrests here last night OF
seven Councilman and two bankers on
charges OF alleged corruption in con-
Quoting the public affairs OF this city,
Il Is intimated today that even more
startling developments will transpfre.
In the meantime people of Pittsburg
are surprised almost beyond descrfpt-
ion at the suddenness OF the arrest OF
the nine men. who are we'll known.
According to the best information OBJ
tainable today II is possible the NUM-
cipaA scandal OF San Francisco will be
Insignificant when compared TO the al
legged grating here
Following are the men accuseds
Councilmen William Brand. John r
Klein. J. c. Watson. T. o. Atkinson, Ia
cob Sofell, w. II. Melaney and Hugh
Ferguson. Former President w. w
Ramsey and former Cashier A. A. WI
sack. OF the German National Baalx are
also accused.
information against all the seven
members Of the Council charge them
with conspiracy. corrupt solieitation
and bribery
An additional information against
Brand. Watson and Klein charges
them with bribery and corrupt Solicit
alton, ~
From Brand. Watson and Klein bail
in the sum Of $4,000 each was demand
ed. The bail OF the four members OF
the Council vas axed at $4,000 each.
The information against Ramsey ana
Viisack charges them with giving Klein
S17,5o0 as q bribe. aEil demanded from
While all the defendants were taken
by surprise when arrested, each, secured
the necessary bail. which in the aggre-
gate amounts to $4,000.
All the informations were sworn BY
Leonard De wolR. secretary of the
Voters League and formerly a political
writer on a local paper.
"HEan 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 q corps Of pri-
vate detectives, which he brought 70
this city from Scranton, gathered the
evidence against the defendants. It 10
explained that for this reason the entire
matter was investigated without the
least publicity. The PiStsburg police
were NOT consulted until yesterday.
when Il was decided to make the arr
rests.
Mr. Wilson says the Voters League Is
back OF the prosecutions and Il fs the
intention to make Pittsburg as clsan aB