New-York tribune., 1910-03-22
FORTY INDICTED
IN PlT1SBURG
STARTLING REYELA-
TIONlS Or BRIBERY.
Present and Former Council
men Held-OHe Got $4,000
IN a Shoe Bor.


and former members or Select and Com
mon Councils under Indictment on a
charge Of bribery and ten more with sus-
pended sentences and held in $500 bonds
on their own confession OF sharing in a
pool OF S102.OOO to influence the votes %
the municipal bodies Is the result Of tho
first days investigation Of the grand
jury. following the sensational confess
sion Of Captain John Klein. a former
member of Councils. who. as the chief
disbUrsing officer OF the fund. character
ICES himself as chancellor Of the ex-
chequer."
Judge r. $. Frazer sat all day as q
committing magistrate I'm the Criminal
Court ROOM on one floor OF the court
building the grand jury would hear the
conscience stricken cOuncilmeE. who
would then go before Judge Frazer and
take the immunity bath offered last
week by the District Attorney.
Too Busy" for a Confession.
While these proceedings were going on
the corridors of the courthouse we're
thrOnged. and as each councilman ap-
peared there was a clamOr OF Wien
are they going 70 get the big Ones?'-
once. late in the afternoon. a North Side
councilman rushed into the courtroom
and wanted 10 confess. but he was told
To- "come back Tomorrow. we're too
busy" which brought roar Of laughter
from the crowd on the benches.
Up TO the adjournment OF the court
for the day. at ) O'Clock. ten had con
fessed their guilt. in most instances tho
amount of money they confessed to ac-
CeptinS as a bribe was not more than
$1OO one man got SjOG and another
S26ss while others got only SS1 10
AS fast as present Councilmen ap-
DeaTed. after they had relieved their con
scia1ccs, they were ordered Immediately
20 resign from the city government. and
in every instance the letter of =eslgna-
ttoE was written IN the District AttOr-
ney's Office and mailed TO Mayor w. A.
N1agee before the guilty ones left the
building.
Got $4,000 in a Shoe Box.
The greatest surprise Of the day came
late in the afternoon. when Or W H
Weber. member of Select Council, ap-
peared before Judge Frazer and made a
confession almost as startling as that Of
Klein. Dr Weber told Of receiving $1O.-
600 in shoe box. He said he gave
$1,000 Of this - Klein for members OF
the Common Council. while he kept
81 O0O 70 "hX' members Of the upper
branch Later. according 20 Weber. IL
was found necessary 10 get more votes
and more money was raised. and when
this was divided ia was found that the
additional Councilmen's share vas only
$S1 10.
The men indicted are from varied pro-
fessions. Some are professional poll
ticians. one is a private detective. and
saIoonkeepers. physicians. E.arketmen.
tailOrs and real estate men are on the
list. one man. G.. c. Schad. who Is a
marketman, is also a member OF the
Legislature from Allegheny County.
When Judge Frazer adjourned his
court for the day IL was decided that
the grand jury should hold a night ses-
sion. DR. Weber therefore was taken
before this body. where il Is said hs
told what he knew Of the graft con-
spiracy. corroborating Klein's cOnfes-
sion in every detail He was unable %
remember all the men 10 whom he had
paid money. but he checked them up by
having the list Of cOuncilmen read 20
him from a city manual
Various Ways Of Bribery.
The ways IN which the money was
delivered TO them were many. as de-
scribed by the Confessing councilman
Some had it thrust into their hands
while standing in public places, some re-
ceived il in the mail. while others had
envelopes adroitly slipped into their
pockets while they admired adjaceng
buildings.
Judge Frazer was called into court at
Q 30 O'Clock. and a presentment contain
ing fOrty-one names. those implicated IN
the conspiracy by DR.. Weber. was handed
to him. He approved the presentments
AID then the indictments were returned.
with the exception of one case, in which
the councilman had informed the Dis
trict Attorney that he would appear IN
the morning and tell his story. The jury
was then dismissed. but ordered to re-
port and continue the investigation to-
morrow. In all the indictments the men
axe recommended 90 mercy. provided
they come into court voluntarily
Those who fail 20 appear by noon to-
morrow win be brought in on warrants.
and for this emergency the county de-
tective force has been taken on routine
work and is being held ready 70 serve the
warrants
While many Of the indictments were
made in connection with the passage 0f
the ordinance naming banks as city de-
DOsitoTies. fully as many more accepted
bribes in connection with the ordinance
in which the city vacated "a South Side
street for the use OF manufacturiss
concern
Klein Still Needed.
Klein. whose confession Kicked the
props out" was 90 have gone 90 the
to-day % begin his six
years sentence. when asked II Klein
was going. District Attorney Blakeley
said. we need Klein around here yet
awhile"
Klein is stiH guarded by two detec-
lives. He said to-day;
You know there is supposed 20 Be
honor among thieves. but I stood II "a
ong as I could. When the highest court
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