Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1910-04-01
.GRANOJURY|ND|CTS
81 P|TTSBURG MEN
ORDERS BANKS TO INVESTIGATE
THEIR DlREcToRATEs AND RE-
PORT NAMES OF THOSE PAY
ING OVER BRIBE MONEY.
CIVIC UNR|GHTEOuSNESS TOLD
Fttsburg's Comptroller Orders the
Withdrawal of the $3,64o,ooo Of
City Funds Now In the Six
epositories-some Other
Interesting Facts.

Pittsburg, Pa.-The most startling
summary of civic unrighteousness
ever made by an American
grand jury was the presentment
just made by the Pittsburg jury which
has been investigating councilmanic
graft. In addition to indicting 81 past
and present councilmen, including the
president of the present common coun-
Gil, the grand jury ordered six of the
most prominent banks In the city to
investigate their own directorates and
report on Monday the names of the di-
rectors guilty of paying over the $102,-
900 bribe money to the council collect
ing clique. On top of this the city
comptroller ordered the withdrawal of
the S3,640,000 of city funds now in
the six repositories. Legal steps will
be taken at once to have the ordi-
nance making them repositories de-
clared void.
Withdraw City Funds Gradually.
To prevent runs on the six banks
concerned-the Farmers Deposit Ma
tional bank, the Second National bank
of Pittsburg, the German National
bank of Pittsburg. the German Nation
al bank of Allegheny, the Columbia
National bank of Pittsburg and the
Workingman Savings & Trust Co. of
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Morrow GER
titled that the banks were solvent.
The city funds will be withdrawn
gradually in order to prevent the en-
barrassment of any institution. The
whole inside story of the graft over
in the grand jury presentment. The
five national banks involved paid over
S17,500 each and the Workingman' s
Savings & Trust Co. $4,000. The
money was received by q clique com
posed of William Brand, Charles
Stewart, John F. Klein, Joseph c.
Wasson and Hugh Ferguson. The plan
in the spring of 1908. The price was
first fixed at $4,000, but later raised
to s17,50O.
Grand Jury's Account.
The deal for several of the banks
was arranged by the late James w
Friend, who attained some notoriety
and sustained considerable loss by
acting as Angel" for Mrs. Cassie
Chadwick, the Cleveland swindler. An
other man of prominence mentioned
in this connection Is eX-Mayor James
Wyman of Allegheny, who died early
In, hn Ac Of hn inb
bankers feared to pass the bribe
money in Pittsburg it was arranged to
hand it over in New York. Here is
the grand jury's account of the New
York transaction:
Pursuant to an arrangement made
between Charles Stewart, the sait
Friend and his associates, who repre-
sented three banks, Charles Stewar
was introduced to a man in the city o
Pittsburg some time in May, 1908
whose name to this grand jury inques
is at present unknown, but whose
name we intend IN the future to ascer
tain. Two cards were made out IL
duplicate; one was given to the sait
Charles Stewart, the other was givel
10 IHe uuHdIieu DeTsoH.
Stewart made several trips to New
York and finally engaged a room il
the Hotel Imperial in the city of New
York under an assumed name; tn,
stranger aforesaid came to this room
at the time appointed Stewar
showed him his card and the strange
then left upon bed package con
tanning the sum of $4,000"
List of Bribes Received.
The grand jury published a long lis
of bribes received by cpuncilmen ant
opposite the amount paid to each wa
the amount allotted to him. Th
list showed that somebody had shave,
most of the bribes from 25 to SO pc
cent. One 5000 man only got $50 o
this particular bribe. The publication
has caused no end of Ill feeling amon
the accused lawmakers. 1t also dc
veloped that some one had stolen 81
TOO set apart by the collection cliqu
to bribe Pittsburg newspapermen.
Orders to arrest eX-Councilma
Simon Mathies and Frank II. BONN
came as clap of thunder to thes
worthless and their friends. Mathie
is butcher who on the first day fo
confessions OF grafters created sue
scene in court, falling on his knee
in terror when he thought he was to
late to have his confession accepted
1t is claimed now that Mathies PEI
| jured himself: that he did not tell tn
whole truth. The same charge apple
| 20 Bonini. a rich Italian fruit dealer