The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1910-04-12
t. N. HOFFSTOT IS
INDICTED AS DR|BE GIVER.
accused Of Paying S52,500 to
Pittsburg Councilman.
CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD CITY
Transaction Occurred in New York to
Prevent Northumberland Win.
ter, Bank President, AcknowI-
edges in Court His Guilt.


Pittsburg, Pa.-The promised SEN
sation in the graft crusade came, and
even Pittsburg, accustomed as it is
to revelations of moral turpitude on
the part of its leading citizens, was
astonished The Grand Jury indicted
the following:
Frank N. Hoffstot, president Of the
German National Bank of Allegheny,
and president of the Pressed Steel
Car Company.
Emil Winter, president of the
Workingmens Savings Bank and
Trust Company, of Allegheny.
Another sensation followed. In
open court President Winter acknowl-
edged the truth of the charge that he
had given $4,000 to bribe former
Councilman Morris Einstein, by say
ing that lie had no defense to offer.
Sentence was postponed.
The indictments against Hoffstot
include two counts of bribery and one
of conspiracy to defraud the city. The
presentment reads that Hoffstot shall
be ordered to appear as witness. and
in case he Goes not do SO Immediately
that the District Attorney of Allie
gheny County proceed forthwith to
extradite him."
The more startling findings of the
Grand Jury's presentment, made pub
lie, are:
1. That Frank N. Hoffstot paid to
Charles Stewart, a former Select
Councilman, $4,000.
2. That the money was a bribe
used in influencing the votes of Coun-
cilmen to pass an ordinance naming
three banks in which Hoffstot was
interested as official repositories of
the city's millions.
g. That 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 which
Friend had was to obtain the services
of William A. Blakeley, now graft
prosecutor, as a stakeholder of the
bride money; but Blakeley declined,
and warned all parties of the GRIM
inality of the proposition.
5. That the / ansaction took place
in New York City in June, 1908, in
order, # possible, to avoid criminal
liability in Allegheny County.
Mr.. Hoffstot, who lives at No. las
West Fifty-eighth street, New York
City, and has a summer home at
Sands Point, L. l., when asked what
he had to say in reference to his in
dictment,, said:
II always leave business behind me
at the Office"
The Office of the Pressed Steel Car
Company is at No. "a Broad street.
District Attorney Whitman would
not deny that indictments were in
preparation against Mr.. Hoffstot in
New York County, but said anything
on the subject must come from Dis
trict Attorney Blakeley, of Pittsburg.
Special Prayers For Pittsburg.
Pittsburg, Pa.-Bishop Cortland
Whitehead, of the Pittsburg Diocese
of the Protestant Episcopal Church,
appointed a day to be observed by
Episcopalians throughout Allegheny
County with special prayers and SER
mons on civic righteousness, cor
porate repentance and confession, in
temperance and political chicanery,
graft and fraud-on any topic, in
deed, which bears on the present de-
rlorable situation in Pittsburg."
The Bishop sent long notices to all
the clergy of the diocese, and sug-
gested the use of a series of special
prayers which he sent.