The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1910-04-09
BANKERS INDICTED
Two Mere Involved in Pitts
burg Bride Scandal.
PAID C0UNCilMtN THOUSANDS
Frank N. Hoffstot. Banker and Presi.
dent of Pressed Steel Car Com
pany, Accused - Two
Others Confess.
PAID COUNCilMtN THOUSANDS

Plttsburg. April THE grand jury
indicted Frank y HOnstOt. president
OF the German National bank. OF Ale
gheny. as well as president OF the
Pressed Steel Car company. on the
charges OF bribery and conspiracy.
President Emil Winter. OF the Work.
irgmen's Savings Bank and Trust
company. of Allegheny. another dnan.
cial power OF Pittsburg. went into
court TO confess that he had bribed
oornoilmen to the extent OF $50 OOO
James NJ. Anderson. general hook
keeper OF the Workingmen's Savings
Bank and Trust company. was arraign-
ed on charge OF having mutilated
the books of his bank TO save the ex.
posture OF certain persons He pleaded
nolo contendre and was placed under
bail
The most startling feature OF the
graft probe up to date is information
conveyed in the presentment handed
down against Hofstot. District Attor.
ney William A. Blakely appeared as a
citizen before this grand jury in con
nectiOn with the Hofstot Investigation
and told how before he became dis
trict attorney he had been approached
by Hoffstot and the late J. W Friend
and by Councilman Charles Stewart
and asked to act as stakeholder for
fund Of $4,000 which they said were
TO be paid certain councilmen for the
passage Of bank ordinance
5lakeIy Asked 10 Hold Money.
Blakely was asked to hold the mon
ey as guard against cheating on the
partof councilmen. and part OF his
duties would be TO pay II out To the
crooked city fathers as they fulfilled
their promises. Attorney Blakelv is
alleged to have refused 20 consider the
proposition. and ne warned Messrs
Honstot. Friend and Stewart that their
course of action II pursued would eet
them into trouble and that II he ever
attained a position OF authority in the
courts OF Allegheny county he would
20 after them. This is thought 10
have frightened them. so that Honstot
and Friend began to negotiate with
stewart representing the councilmen.
10 have all payments OF graft made in
New York city. paid with money ship
ped from Pittsburg The grand Jury
does not say that Hofstot paid the
money out there personally. bot saws
that persons who directly paid the
money in New York to Councilman
Stewart and others Is not yet known
% them. All this money was bribery
for the passage OF the bank ordinance
& is claimed
IL is alleged that Honstot on two
occasions solicited money from Cash
Ter James VI Young. o. the Second
National bank. OF Pittsburg. one OF the
institutions late named as a city de.
pository. and caused him to shin 10
New York $4,000 as that banks share
OF the bride money. Cashier Young
was before the jury a long time
Couldn't Hear Old Friend confess.
The arraignment OF President Emil
Winter. OF the Workingmen's Savings
Bank and Trust company. before the |
court provoked a pathetic incident
Judge Robert ;. Frazer and Winter
have been friends since boyhood. and ,
as the banker white Tipped and tear |
full bowed his head in shame. as he /
would confess 10 bribery. Judge Fra. I
.
Judge Elliott Rodgers 10 come closer 4
the judge explained that he and the !
man about to plead were friends OF TOO |
long standing 10 permit OF his hearing
the confession without pain. He would
rather President Winter made his
statement in some other court. Win
ter was then taken before Judges Car.
rahan and Swearingen. where he con
fessed that he had given Councilman
Morris Einstein $4,000 in order that
his bank might be made city depos-
tory. He was placed under $4,000 bail
The indictment OF Hofstot and the
arraignment and pleading OF Winter
makes four Of the six bank presidents
whose institutions have been selected
rs city repositories TO be accused of
Vrongdoing.