Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1910-03-28
ATTACK GRAFT
FROM PULPlTS
OF PITTSBURG
Pastors Urge People to
Attend indignation
Gathering
AFTER "HIGHER UPS"
Grand Jurors Will Probe
Methods of Banks to
Get City's Coin
IAssoclated Pressl

hITTSBURC, March 2I.-1ne Lenten
season, which ended today, has
n been too short a season of peni-
tence for Pittsburg, and it will be
continued with promise of even more
startling confessions of graft this
week.
In several hundred churches today
an unusual feature of the Easter
services was the reading of n circular
letter issued by civic committee yes
terday urging the members of every
congregation to attend huge indigna-
ton meeting TO be held some day this
week. Sermons, too, were designed TO
arouse public condemnation of such
practices as have been revealed. Les
sons in civic cleanliness were drawn
by many pastors.
1t having been pretty thoroughly
established. according to District At
torney W. A. Blakely, that at least
Sl02, 500 was used in influencing legis-
lation. the source of the money and
the dispensers of II are to be the focus
of the grand jurys attention tomorrow
morning.
After Brbe olvers
A considerable portion of the big
bribe fund is charged to certain banks
that sought to get city deposits. They
succeeded, but it Is the charge Of the
jury, as pronounced in it's report of
Friday last, that the bank deposit or
dinance be rescinded and the banks,
if found guilty. be deprived of the use
of city money 1t is known that some
representatives of the banks are to be
called tomorrow to testify.
The six banks named by the grand
jury as involved in the scandal are
the Columbia National, the German
National of Pittsburg, the Farmers
National Deposit bank. the Second Ma
tional. the German National OF Alle-
gheny and the Workingmen's Savings
and Trust company.
The directorate of tho Farmers Ma
tional has announced that IL will COM
ply with the district attorneys call for
information and the Second National
has prepared "A certified statement
which is to be presented to the grand
jury tomorrow. The other banks have
taken no action.
Ii was stiIl unlearned tonight wheth-
er Charles Stewat yesterday in his talk
with the district attorney told all he
is believed to know about the men
higher up. Stewart is n former select
councilman, who was declared by the
grand pury in its presentment Satur-
day to have been the man to whom
$4,000 of bribe money was given at the
Hotel Imperial in New York.
councllmen viii Resign
The city councils meet tomorrow:
Twenty of tho present members of
the councils are under indictment. 1t
is said that some will protest their in
nocence, but the majority are expected
to hand in their designations as meekly
as they confessed last week.
While the big show continues there
is "A lively side feature in a crusade
against all varieties of graft and
wrong doing. DisorderlNa houses are
being closed UP and every night lately
has seen roundup of women in the
tenderloin district.
A meeting of citizens in the Fort Pitt
hotel, at which a committee was
formed to further the mass meeting
plan, 1t was openly charged that the
graft collected i'm the red light district
amounted to $1.0O0,000 year.
John f. Klein, whose confessions
and exposure of others has netted such
a scandal, has been "muzzled" and Is
now kept in a room at the Fort Pitt
hotel pending disposition of his case
He Ia under sentence of three and a
half years. Yesterday he issued an
emotional appeal for clemency and aid
for his family. The authorities have
forbidden him to give out further pub
lie statements.