The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-03-29
PITTSBURG CRAFT
CONFESSION

er Pittsburg is again in the midst of
a Councilmanic esaft scandal. Cap
tain Johnny Klein, about to be taken
to the Western Pennsylvania Peni-
Tertiary under sentence for receiving
money in 1908 for his vote in the
selection of a city depository, has
made good his threat to pull down
the props and let the sky fall"
District Attorney Blakely told the
whole story to Judge Fraser and
Cohen in Criminal Court today.
The Public Prosecutor told the
court that Klein made statement,
which covered a period of years, ex-
posing the whole system Of graft in
former Councils of this city He said
six banks had in 1908 paid 100000
to be selected city repositories. He
also told the court that street work
frauds were covered in Kleins state
ment.
The entire matter is now under
consideration by the grand jury assem-
bled today, of which Harrison Nesbit,
president of the Bank of Pittsburg, is
foreman.
Klein appeared at the City Hall I'M
der guard.
81 made this confession first because
l owe it to the public" he said, Il
have malice toward none
A large number of informations al
ready have been made by the District
Attorney before Judge Fraser, sitting
as committing magistrate, but the
names of the men mentioned in the
informations have not as yet been
made public.
District Attorney Blakely asked the
court that he be allowed to promise
immunity to all those who would enter
pleas of guilty to the charges he
would later bring against them.
Judge Cohen consented and imme-
diately after the District Attorney ap-
peared before Judge Fraser, sitting i'll
another department of Criminal Courts
as committing magistrate, and entered
an information against j. H. Shaes-
ley, a former Councilman, charging
him with having received 5000 of a
certain alleged graft sum during 1908.
Shaesley, being present at once en-
tered plea of not guilty
PITTSBURG, Pa, March 21.-Holy
Week has begun as confessional
; season among men who sit or have
! sat in the legislative councils of Pitts
burg and it is to experience, says
! District Attorney William A. Blakely,
an exposure of municipal graft SO
malodorous that citizens will gasp.
The ball which Little Captain
John X. Klein set rolling by con-
fession of his bride taking and of the
alleged implication of sixty or more
councilmen of his day and this, mas
already drawn with it up to today an
admission of guilt, in one degree or
another, from a dozen of his asso-
ciates,
About a hundred thousand graft
tainted dollars, it is alleged, were in
volved in the effort of six banks in
! Pittsburg to buy counclmanic votes in
1898 in favor of ordinances making
/ banks repositories of the city's money.
Klein, convicted as a principal in the
bride taking, would have gone to the
penitentiary today for a three and a
half years term, but at the eleventh
hour he turned back in wrath at his
friends whom he charged with deser-
ton and told all.
A wife and twins, Klein was to
leave behind with a mere 5000 fol-
sustenance during his prison term, he
said, and when none of his partners in
guilt would pass the hat to provide
for his family he thought it time tc
tell. Now Klein is in fair prospects
it is said, of getting an early pardon
or escaping punishment altogether, fol
his exposures.
An extraordinary session of the
grand jury was called today to hear
Klien's story but the probe is to &c
further, said the District Attorney to-
day, and a variety of petty CRAFTS are
to be brought to light. Evidence is a
hand, he said, to the effect that coun
cilmen have collected money on liquol
sold to disorderly houses, an on jew
elry, furniture and clothing purchased
by the inmates. The privilege of gamb
ling, it is said, was also sold by thu
cou cilmen an the rake off" varied
from $3.50 to $1,000 a week,
/ r.,