Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-03-22
Pittsburg Sees Unique
Panic After Indict-
ment of 40.
IMMUNITY is GIVEN
Members Vie in Telling of
Crimes After Klein Tells
What He Knows.

Pittsburg, Pa, March 2z.-Nine for
mer members of the city council to-
day confessed acceptance OF bribes for
votes In street vacation and bank OF.
| dinances.
Forty Indicted.
Pittsburg, March 22.-Forty present
common councils we're indicted yester-
day and ten more are held under sus-
| pended sentences In bonds Of 500 upon
! their own confessions OF having shar-
ed in pool of $1O2, ,0O0..
AS fast as the conscience-stricken
councilmen finished their tales of dis
grace before the grand jury they ran
to Judge r. s. Frazer, sitting as COM
Knitting magistrate, 10 take advantage
Of the immunity bath offered last week
by the district attorney
Court f. Overrorssed.
So great was the rush in this line
OF business that when a north side
councilman hurried into the court
room and wanted TO confess he was
told to come back tomorrow, we're
TOO busy today"
These startling developments were
precipitated by the sensational con-
fession of former Councilman John
Klein, who as chief disburser OF the
fund to influence votes Of the city
councils styled himself chancellor OF
the exchequer." Klein said. he had re-
ceipts bearing the signatures Of the
men who received the money, and this
statement produced CONSERVATION.
Some Get Only ss1.Io.
In most instances the amount or
money councilmen confessed to accept
ing as a bribe was not over 800. One
man got $500 and another $500, while
others got but $3.50.
AS fast as present councilmen ap
Leared after they had relieved their
consciences, they were ordered i'm
mediately to resign from the city gov
eminent and in every instance the let
ter of resignation was written in the
district attorneys office and mailed to
Mayor w A. Magee before the guilty
ones left the building.
$4,000 I'm Shoe Box.
The greatest surprise Of the day came
late in the afternoon when DR.. w. II.
Weber, member OF select council, ap-
peared before Judge Frazer and made
g confession almost as startling as
that of Klein. DIR. Weber told of re-
ceiving $4,000 in a shoe' box. This,
he said. he gave to Klein for members
of the common council. while he kept
$4,000 to FIX" members of the upper
branch. Later. according to Weber, It
votes and more money was raised and
when this was divided Il was found
that the additional councilmen's share
vas but $s1.1O.
The men indicted are from various
professions. Some are professional
politicians, one a private detective, sa.
loon-keepers, physicians, market men,
tailors and real estate men are re-
corded in the list. One man. c. G.
Schad, who is a market man, is also
a member of the legislature from Ale
gheny county.
Checks on the Names.
While before the grand jury DIR.
Weber was unable to remember all the
men to whom he had paid money. but
he checked them up by having the
list Of councilmen read to him from
a city manual.
The ways in which the money was
delivered to them were many. as de-
scribed by the confessing councilmen.
Some had it thrust into their hands
while standing in public places. some
received it in the mail, while others
had envelopes adroitly slipped into
their pockets while they admired ad-
Iacent buildings.