Evening star., 1908-12-22
Revelations of Graft Complete
Surprise to Citizens.
CHIEF DETECTIVE RESIGNS
Seven Councilmen and Two Bankers
Charged With Bribery.
IRREGULARITIES LAID BARE
Wrongdoing in Connection With
Depositories of City Funds and
Municipal Improvements.

PITTSBURG. Pa. December pa SEN
sational scandal Of municipal graft
which, 1t is intimated, will cause the re-
cen: graft revelations at San Francisco
to fade into insignificance. and which be-
came known here last night with sud
denness that waSy dumfounding, when
seven councilmen and two bankers were
arrested, is the main topic in all circles
today.
Furthermore; it is stated that other
arrests will follow.
In this connection Director Lang Of the
public safety department said:
tomorrow morning at 10 O'Clock the
men arrested last night will be given a
hearing. They will not be permitted to
waive hearings for court.
After these hearings more arrests will
follow. However, no arrests will be
made today.
The nine defendants, by furnishing an
aggregate bond Of $17SOOO. have been re-
leased.
The scandal has startled this city as
nothing else has done In years.
Keeping even the police authorities and
officials of the city in ignorance of their
intentions, the officers of the Voters
League, aided by officials of the Munich
pal League of Scranton, Pa, and a corps
of private detectives from that city, quiet
en- councilmen and two bankers.
Trap Is Sprung.
Yesterday the officials of Pittsburg were
assembled in conference. The evidence,
which was indorsed by prominent attor-
neys as sufficient to take action. was laid
before them by the Voters League. The
arrests followed within a few hours.
In the meantime the two bankers, Pres
Z sl~Nk De- w I,f IL % %I,4
German National Bank, had rendered their
designations to the directors last Satur-
day when the bank examiner made the
alleged discovery that they. without the
knowledge Of the directors. had ar
ranged to pay a large sum to councilmen
as one Of the city repositories.
The bank issued q statement today that
the two officials had been replaced and
that the bank was in no way affected.
cilmen are charged with irregularities in
connection with number of ordinances
pending in councils calling for municipal
improvements.
1t is stated there are many points in the
scandal not yet made public, and the sub
sequent developments will be of an inter-
esting character. All the coupcilmen are
at sea, they say, concerning the mat
ter.
Coming right after these developments
Detectives McGough. While it is stated
this has no connection with the graft
scandal, there are, however. many ru-
mors. none of which can be confirmed.
Attorney A. Leo Well. president OF the
Voters League. stated today: t., MT
yet"
Following are the men accused: Coun--
cilmen William L: Brand. John F. Klein.
John Wasson. :,.os + o; atkinson TIKI In.b JACOB Esq
guson and former President w. W
Ramsey and former Cashier A. A. Viii
sack Of the German National Bank.
Bribery Is Charged.
Information against the seven members
Of the council charges them with con-
spiracy. corrupt solicitation and bribery
An additional information against Brand,
Wasson and Klein charges them with
bribery and corrupt solicitation.
From Brand, Wasson and Klein. bail in
the sum Of $4,000 each was demanded.
The bail Of the other four members Of
councils was fixed at $4,000 each.
The information against Ramsey and
vilsack charges them with giving Klein
1900 as a bribe. Bail demanded from
each is $4,000.
While all the defendants were taken by
surprise when arrested last evening. each
secured the necessary ball, which In tue
aggregate amounted to $17S.O0O
Investigators From Scranton.
All the informations were sworn to by
Tensard de Wolf. secretary Of the Voters
League and formerly political writer on
q local paper. Robert Wilson Of the Mu-
nicipai League of Scranton, Pa, is de-
scribed as the ''man behind the gum"
Wilson, assisted by a corps of private
detectives. which he brought to this city
from Scranton gathered the evidence
A. A@S~ 1@An
1t is explained that for this reason the
entire matter was investigated without
the least publicity.
The Pittsburg police were not consulted
until yesterday, when it was desired to
make the arrests.
Then Mayor Guthrie, Director of Public
Safety Lang. Superintendent Of Police
McQuaide and other city officials met In
the public safety building. There Will
son, his detectives and members Of the
Voters League laid the evidence before
them.
Previously some Of the best known at
torneys in the city had been consulted
and pronounced the evidence sufficient to
cause the arrests. Immediately Mayor
Guthrie ordered the arrests and the pri-
tectives, rounded up all the defendants.
Wilson says the Voters League is back
Of the prosecutions. and 1t is the inten-
ton to make Pittsburg as clean as scran-
Wilson said. prominent men committed
suicide or were sent to the penitentiary
for long terms.
The seven councilmen. 1t Is alleged. did
wickedly. corruptly conspire with each
other and with divers persons unknown.
to secure the passage. by corrupt and un-
lawful means and bribery Of the members
of the select and common councils of
Pittsburg, ordinances and resolutions
designating the depositaries Of the city;
bridge ordinances; bond ordinances for
freeing bridges between Pittsburg and
Ailegheny, recently consolidated; an or
dinance for additional filter beds for the
new filtration plant: Heberton railway
ordinances; a resolution to pave q portion
of Fourth avenue with wood blocks, and
others pending before councils"
Councilmen Seek Reelection.
All the councilmen are candidates for
reelection at the next election in Febru-
ary. William Brand is president Of COM
mon council. Ferguson, formerly a reform
councIlman; Wasson. chairman of the
finance committee; Soffel, chairman of
public works committee, and Klein. who
is serving his first term, is q well known
rtverman.
Among the attorneys who approved the
prosecutions are Thomas Patterson. J..
ROSS Sterrett, NJ. w. Acheson. jr.. and
David T. Watson. an attorney Of interna-
tiouaI fame. All these attorneys have
the defendants without compensation.
The councilmen and bankers will be
xiyen a preliminary hearing before Mag
istrate Brady at 10 o'clock tomorrow
morning. In the meantime the greatest
secrecy is maintained by the Voters