The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-25
FRAUD LAID BARE. FATE OF FOOTBt
The Graft Investigating Grand Will Be Decided at To-
Jury Pittsburg Meeting
Returns 81 Indictments gans Coach Stagg at
Councimen. Mornings Session
CONTA1N MANY COUNTS KEEP FORWARD p
Also Twenty Page Typewrt Onsfde Kick Will Also Re
ten Statement tanned Probably
Covering the Whole Matter OF Diving Tackle Is Appart
the Exposure. Doomed to Go
Returns 81 Indictments Against
COunciImen.
CONTAIN MANY COUNTS
Also a Twenty Page Typewrit-
ten Statement
Covering the Whole Matter of
the Exposure.

Pittsburg, March 25.-The graft in
Vesigating grand jury returned 81
important indictments today. The men
named are William Brand. Hugh Ferg-
uson and Charles Stewart, all former
members of city councils. The indict-
ments contain MANY counts.
With the returned true bills, the grand
jury handed down a 20 page type writ
ten statement covering the whole graft
exposure. This statement, it it said,
contains the names of every one so far
connected with the anti-graft crusade
and lays bare the entire councilmanic
frauds of the past three years.
1t is possible the court will order fur
ther indictments on the strength of the
grand jury's presentment. Names mem
toned in the presentment have, for the
greater part, been heard before in the
present exposure.
The startling phase of the present
ment is the large sums of money which,
according to the grand jury, have been
passed in the various bribe giving and
taking processes. Immediately return
ing the three indictments. the grand
jury resumed it's session.
The men indicted today have been on
the grill for the last three days. To-
day the district attorney committed
Brand to the penitentiary. According
to the district ATTORNEY Brand Stewart
and Ferguson had arranged with their
attorneys to tell stories to the authort-
ties collectively, saying that each only
knew part of the story and it would
rot be complete unless each told his
story in the presence of the other.
The Tresentment.
The grand jury presentment in
part follows:
Our investigation covered the pass
age by ouncils of resolutions and or
chances providing for the designation,
nj
years beginning February l, 1909, of the
following banks:
The Farmers Deposit National bank;
the Columbia National bank; the Sec
ond National bank: and German Ma
tional bank of Pittsburg and the Ger
man National bank of Allegheny.
I'VE find that William Brand. Chas.
Stewart. John Klein. Joseph WATSON
and Hugh Ferguson. members of the
city councils. conspired to solicit and
receive the sum of $103. 800, each of the
banks paying 500 except the Work
ingmen's Savings and Trust company,
which paid $4,000. We further find
these five men assigned the handling
and soliciting of bribes from banks to
certain individuals. all but one of whom
were members of their clique. Stewart
was assigred to collect this money.
Stewart we find with an unnamed
man in a New York hotel in May, 1908.
Stewart and the unnamed man ex-
changed duplicate cards and the un-
named man left a bundle containing
$l7 500 on the bed of Stewards room"
The report further tells in detail of
the handling of the bank bribe money
The directors of the banks named as
city repositories are called upon to in
vestigate who paid for each of the
banks set forth in the presentment,
and report the same to the grand jury
not later than next Monday. The pre-
sentiment asks ciemency Cor John Klein
and J. G. WATSON and orders the i'm
mediate indictment Of Chas. Stewart,
William Brand and Hugh Ferguson.