The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-03-30
GRAFT GALORE
The Grand Jury Airs Pittsburg's Appalling
Corruption.
BRIBERY IS EXPOSED

The City Government OF PlttSDufg,
Pa, Seems to be in the Hands of
as Bad a Gang of Thieves and
Bride Takers as Ever Infested this
Country.
Republican misrule, bribery and
corruption is being laid bare in the
City of %Pittsburg, Pa. The grand
jury has ordered indictments against
thirty-one present and past council
men and making a demand upon the
directors of the city repositories to
investigate their own bards and as
certain the bribe-givers in connec-
ton with the ordinance designating
their institutions as city repositories,
formed the meat of two presentments
made by the grand jury Friday.
The presentments make a sensa-
tional story of the inside history Of
corruption in the municipal bodies
in 1908, and the demand made upon
the banks named indicates that even
more sensational developments than
have been exposed are expected on
Monday, when the bank directors,
complying with the demand of the
grand jury. make their report in
Court.
A further result of the present
ments Of the jury of City Controller
Morrow late Friday for the with
drawal of all city funds from the
six banks, and the practical multi
fcation of the ordinance designating
them as custodian of city funds,
There is about S3,640,320 in these
banks now and this would be in
creased many millions during next
week by taxes that are being paid.
According to the controller, the with
drawal of funds will be gradual,
however, so that the institutions
may not be embarrassed, or any un-
due alarm caused %depositors. The
extract from the presentments, call
ing upon the directors, reads:
I'VE call upon directors of tn
six banks named as city repositories
to investigate who paid for each Of
said banks the brides herein set
forth, and report the same to this
grand jury, not later than Monday,
March %, 1910. And We further
demand that said report be in writ
ing and certified to by directors of
said banks individually.
I'VE strongly recommend and in,
sist that the proper officials Of the
city Of Pittsburg take immediate leg
al action to nullify the ordinance
naming the Farmers Deposit Ma
tional Bank, the Second National
Bank, of Pttsburg; the German Ma
tional Bank, of Pittsburg; the Ger
, man National Bank, of Allegheny;
the Columbia National Bank, Of
P%ittsburg, and the Workingman's
Savings Bank and Trust Company of
Allegheny, as city repositories, in
order that the bribe-givers may not
. benefit by lease of their W wrong
doing and criminal conduct"
The presentments give the full de-
tails of the plot on the part of the
councilmen to obtain brides from the
six banks, of the means adopted for
paying the brides and the story of
the transfer of $4,000 by an un-
armed man to former Councilman
Charles Stewart in the Hotel Imper-
ial. New York, is told.
1t is related that Max G. Leslie,
former chairman of the Republican
county committee, received $4,000
by arrangement from E. H. Jennings
and F. A. Griffin, of the Columbia
National Bank, and that Leslie gave
VIM. Brand, who was then president
of common council, directly or in
directly s17,5O0 to obtain the city
deposits for the Columbia National
Bank. An unnamed man is said tC
be interested and concerned in the
pdyiiSAI VI IuC AlOHSs ny bCSiiC W
Brand, either as Intermediary OF
principal.
1t is declared that Morris Einstein
received $4,000 from the Working
mans Savings and Trust company to
have that bank named as a city de-
pository, but the name of the bank
official who paid him the money is
unknown.
1t is further declared in the pre-
sentiment that the members of the
grand jury are of the opinion that
the books of the Workingmen's Bank
have been mutilated, three pages re-
ferring to this deal having been cut
from the ledger. Einstein, it is also
declared, kept $500 for his services
in arranging the deal.
Further declarations in the pre-
sentiments are that two city clerks
e given $1,000 each, and S1,7j0
was set apart for newspaper men,
and then Henry NJ. Belger, the saloon
keeper, already convicted of bribery,
vas given $500 for his services in
bringing about the meeting between
the officials of the German National
Bank of Pittsburg and the council
men.
Indictments were recommended
81