The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1910-05-14

ARREST DIRECTOR
Pittsburg's Public Works
Head Seriously Accused.
PAY ROLL FRAUD ALLEGED
Voters League Charges Him With
Forgery, Perjury and False Pre-
jury - Is Held Under
$4,000 Bail.
PAY ROLL FRAUD ALLEGED

Pittsburg. Pa. May l2.-Joseph C.
Armstrong. director Of public works
Of Pittsourg. was arrested upon infor-
nation sworn To by Tensard De Welt
secretary of the Voters lea-re. ia
which Armstrong is charsed wi.a for.
gerry. false pretense. perjury rul Sub
ornation of perjury. Alderman Nc
Masters fixed bail at $4,000. whi-a
was produced immcdiately The sum
involved in the four charges Is $4,000
The four charges are based upon
two transactions and were forecast
several weeks ago. when a. Leo Well.
president Of the Voters league. made
a speech in Exposition hall here in
which he charged that Armstrong had
certified to payrolls when not correct
and had allowed iaborers in his de-
partment TO draw money from the city
TO which they were not entitled.
Charges In Detail
In the informations. upon which the
warrant was based. these transact 'ons
are described IN detail They charge
first that Director Armstrong padded
the payroll OF his department for No
vember. 1909. Election dav feu during
November. and Armstrong IS CHARGED
with allowing his employees to shirk
their regular city work so that they
might do picket duty NJ the polls
When II came TO certifying the paw
roll. Armstrong is charged with swear
ing his men worked every working
day during November He is also
charged with persuading \ :
Sprague. superintendent OF the bureau
OF construction. TO do likewise
The forgery charge IS covered IN the
affidavit with the statement that Arm
strong fraudulently obtained the sig
nature Of Controller Morrow 10 these
alleged incorrect payrols and obtain.
ed the money for his men. amounting
TO about $500 through false preteuse.
Armstrong Makes Statement
Armstrong. who is an ardent FIinn
man. IS very compliment under the d-s
Of the Voters league. The director
declared that IL Wen is looking for
real trouble he viii get il through
these most recent charges.
1T has been ;hC cGstom fer years"
said Armstrong for the hcld o. city
bureau 10 let his men of on elect n
day and pay them for n time thev
may spend around the polls We'll
knows that. as does ever other rc--
son who ever had anything 20 do vith
the running OF a city go~crnmeat /
have allowed my men 10 take q fow
hours of and have paid Thorn for g.. :
have certifed the payroll 20 be- cor
rect and will do SO again. and 81 srr
Well thinks he can stop ue he viii 10
more than I think he car
Charges Fractional p ,ungs.
For years it has hecTiOsc custom ia
Pittsburg for department heads ana
directors OF bureaus to s. % the pay
roll in a perfunctory u-nnrr anf
never bothering 10 ascc ain 60 the
same might be correct Armstrong is
prepared TO prove this 70 be- absolut g.
true. even though he puGs The munici-
pal structure down around his ears
Il know OF numerous 5000 and
$4,000 city en- ployes in Pit burg sa'd
Armstrong. "who think nothing OF
spending days and days away from
their ofiice. and still AZ tn end OF the
month they will certify they have put
in an honest months work and will
draw their pay for so doing Now II
Mr.. Well wishes TO clean Pittsburg
why doesn't he play fair Il seems
TO me he Is looking upon but one side
OF the political fence. lie appears %
be after one certain faction. and from
his standpoint I must be one OF the
faction he expects to put out OF bust
ness"
In this declaration Arm strong fnti-
mates that II Well continues TO aim
the guns OF the Voters league upon
the Finn faction he will see that
members OF the Oliver political fac
ton are made TO stop some OF the po
lIflcnl cannon halIs