The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-04-07
men "H|GHER UP
WILL Be INDICTED
Climax of Investigation of Graft
in Pittsburg Furnishes
Genuine Sensation.
FRANK N. HOFFSTOT, BIG
BUSINESS MAN, ACCUSED
Said to Have Paid Many Thou
sands to Get City Funds in
Banks He Controlled.


PITTSBURG. Pa. April 6.-The climax
promised i'm the Pittsburg graft ex-
posure came. as promised, late today
with the presentmcnt by the grand jury
OF a lengthy report in which is recon-
mended the Indictment OF Frank N. doff-
stot. president of the Pressed Steel Car
company, and one OF the most prominent
business men in the country.
simultaneously in open court came a
plea of Emil Winter president OF the
Workngman's Savings and Trust COM
pany. that he had no defense to make
TO the charge that he gave n 100000 bribe
to former Councilman Norris Einstein.
The following. la abbreviated FORM are
some of the most startling findings in the
grand jury preSentment made pubic To-
night:
l. That Frank n. Hoffstot. president
OF the Pressed Steel Car company and
president Of the German National bank
of Allegheny. and prominently Identified
with other banks. paid TO Charles Stew
art former select councilman, the sum
Of $4,000,
Bribe Directly Charged.
. That the money was brbc used
In Influencing the votes of councilmen to
pass an ordinance naming three banks IN
which Hofstot was interested Off
cial repositories OF the city's millions
8. That the arrangement for the pay
rnent of money TO Stewart was made in
the spring of 1908, and the late James
w. Friend. at that time an official OF
the Pressed Steel Car company, was an
associate In the TRANSACTION.
4 That the original plan that Friend
had was to obtain the services OF Wll-
liam A. Blakeiy, then a practieing attor,
H.a,f IN
stakeholder OF the brfbe money until
That Attorney Blakely declined TO
all parties OF the criminality OF the
proposition and of the liability 10 prose-
cution il II went further.
6. That subsequent TO Mr. Blakcly
refusal, Messrs. Friend and Hoffstot com
pleted an arrangement with Stewart
whereby Eoffstot would pay, or cause TO
Ss $3.50! Rs.0' stewart 'll' sum
to be made in New York City and took
place there in June. 1908, in order, II
possible, to avoid criminal liability III
Allegheny county.
Favors Come High.
rom one James n. Young. cashier
of the Second National bank OF Pitts
nUIE 0oe eesoe TO oe o ofq the second Ns
tlonal one OF the favored city deposi-
tories.
now deceased Friend. who was acting as
agent for the Second National bank,
bribe for Stewards vote IN iaVor oil inc
10. That IN accordance with the ilnd-
ings il be recommended that indictments
charging conspiracy and bribery be re-
The banks named as ultimate principals
to profit by the bribes sileged to have
been paid by Hoffstot to Stewart are:
DeDOSit National bank,
the Second National bank, both Of Pitts
burg, and the German National bank OF
Allegheny. In addition, these three. the
ColIimbia National bank OF Plttsburg. the
German National bank OF Pittsburg and
the Workingmen's Savings and Trust
company OF Allegheny, were named as
city repositories in the ordinance passed
July o. 1908. over the mayors veto
Plea Causes Sensation.
The plea OF nolle contendre. made by
Emil Winter OF the Workingmen's saw
a sensation than the report, from the
grand jury He was charged with the
payment of 100000 bribe to Morris ,s Elm
When Winter appeared In court. Judge r.
S. Fraser who is presiding In the graft
cases. asked TO be excused from hearing
Judge Fraser explained that on ac-
count OF his long and intimate friend
ship with Mr.. Winter he wished to have
nothing to do with the case Winter
was then taken before Judges Thomas D.
Carnahan and ]. NJ. Swearingcn and en-
tered the formal plea. Sentence was post
poned.
Frank n. Hoffstot. as president Of the
Pressed Steel Car company one OF the
largest industries Of its kind in the coun-
try, recently figured prominently In the
public eye while strike was on at his
plant in McKees Rocks. During the long
months suspension there were many
riots, many persons were killed and the
state troops were called out.
The reference 10 the alleged plan to
have Attorney Bla1sely act stake
holder is as brief in the full report OF the
grand jury as Il Is in abstract giysn
would not comment for publication
upon II.
Indictments Ordered.
The court ordered indictments drawn
against Honstot, In accordance with the
grand jurys presentment namely. on two
counts OF bribery and one of conspiracy
TO defraud the city.
The presentment reads that Honstot
shall be ordered to appear as witness
and In case he does not do immediate
ly, the district attorney of Allegheny
county proceed forthwith to extraditc
him"
The presentment concluded with an or
der that the investigation continue along
the lines already pursued, which is taken
to mean more men higher up arc yet
Just before President Winters appear
ance in Judge Frazer's court James An
derson. the general bookkeeper of the
Workingmcn'9 Savings Bank and Trust
company OF Allegheny. had also pleaded
nole contendre to a charge Of falsifying
the books OF the bank In connection with
the payment Of S20.0 600 TO Einstein. The
pleas Of Winter and Anderson came op-
portunely. for the district attorney said
otherwise they were to have beer indict-
ed today,
Anderson. who for twenty years has
been a private secretary to President
Winter. was charged with having cut
from the banks ledger several pages on
which were special accounts" of Emil
Winter and Mrs Winter The district
attorney said the missing pages were
later found by State Bank Examiners
s;hafer and McBurne. who were present
before the grand jury as witnesses last
week Anderson waived a hearing on the
charges.
Winter is man OF 60 years. who has
worked himself up from local barber
shop
The foundation OF the Hoffstot fortune
was laid when the leather industry was