The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1909-01-01
SAYS the END
IS not YET
Voters League Of Fittsburg
Promises More Arrests.
CHARGES AGAINST NINE

gnAkuES AuAlNSl NINE
Seven City couneiimen and Two
{ Bankers Arrested on Allegations Of
Corruption in Conducting the Pub.
Tic Affairs Of the. .city-Men Behind
Prosecution Assert That Conditions
Are Worse Than at Frisco.
Pittsburg, Dec. 23-Following 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 suddenness of the ar
rest of the nine men, who are all we'll
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 r the men accused:
Councilmen William Brand, John F.
Klein, ]. G. Wasson, 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 hank
are also accused.
Information against all the seven
members of the council charges them
with conspiracy. corrupt solicitation
and bribery.
An additional information against
Brand, WATSON and Klein charges
them with bribery and corrupt solici.
tation.
From Brand, WATSON and Klein bail
in the sum of $4,000 each was de-
manded. The bail of the other four
members Of the council was fixed at
$4,000 each.
The information against Ramsey
and Vilsack charges them with giving
Klein $17,5Oo as a bride. 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 317S,0D0.
All the informations were sworn tor
by Tensard de Wolf, secretary of the
Noterx league and formerly. = polit
teal writer On q 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
to- this. city from Scranton, gathered
the evidence against the defendants.
It 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 Pc
lice McQdaide and other city officials
met in the public safety building,
where MI. 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, Mi. Wilson said,
prominent men committed suicide or
were sent to the penitentiary for
long terms.
All the .scouncilMen are candidates
for reelection at the next election in
February. William Brand is president
ofsthe common council; Ferguson. for
merly q reform councilman; WATSON.
chairman of the finance committee;
Sohel, chairman of public works com.
mittee, and Klein, who Is serving his
first term. is a well known river man.
Another sensation developed when
Il became known that Director of Pub
lie Safety Lang had demanded the
resignation of Captain of Detectives.
Edwin T. McGough. Captain McGough
80 we'll known throughout the country
as Z clever detective.
.9 &tAN E3F1r
.$ state Presenting Case.
Kansas City, Dec. 2s.-The stats