Arizona republican., 1910-04-09
MUCH TRUTH
 HELD BACK 4 Declaration By Pittsburg
 Grand Jury SILENCE AND PERJURY
On the Part of Many Wit
 nesses Charged - Indict-
 ment Against One Man For An Error in Date Had Made Alibi Possible

PittsburC April S.-A true bill charging Max Leslie collector of d" iIinquent taxes. with bribery. was re- turned by the grand jury today At the same time q sweeping prcscntmcnt was handed down. In general. it charges that many of th" 250 wit
 ncsscs which the grand jury has had before it in the graft investigation have wilfully withheld their knOwl
 edge of secrets and graft and that a
 few have been guilty of perjury. The i directors and officials of the six pig
 banks that profited by the corrupt depository ordinance were severely scored
 i The indictment of Leslie follows his recent acquittaI of the charge of per i jury claiming an alibi in connection with his previous indictment for all | Ieged bribery. He is now charged with receiving S25.O00 from the Co lumbia National bank Of Pittsburg on June 2. 1908. In the former indict- ment the date named was June and Leslie Nproved that he was out nf the city at that time.
 . IL charged that of the S25.000 he paid over Sl7.510 tu William Brand as a bribe to that councilman. The indictment season had reached such q complex stage today that even the grand jurors themselves thought iI necessary to present comprehensive review of all the work
 It is declared most emphatically that former Councilman Stewart and Cashier James Young of the Second National bank concealed information from the grand jury. We have been unable tn ascertain who paid Stewart the bribe money tmeaning the S52.000
 charged furnished by the Friend Hoofstot po0D in New York the jurors reported Although Stewart
 met the man on at least two or three occasions. although he knew his name and had several drinks with him. nev- ertheless he swears he does not re- member his name.
 The grand jury also recommends a. new investigation Of the directors Of the Second National bank. and in spe- | cific terms charges Cashier Young with shielding Hoffstot and that there is reason to believe that someone else connected with the Second National bank is responsible for this. The re- port made by the directors of the Farmers Deposit National bank of denial of any Knowledge of any pay ment of any money to bribe council
 men is criticised. The validity of the contracts under which the six favored banks now hold the city's money is attacked.
 Important in that it shows how the banks were induced to put up so large
 
 fund. is the recommendation that six per cent be collected on city deposits from these banks from after date
 The city depository banks are now paying two per cent on city deposits and it alleged that the agreement was that the councilmcn were to get the difference for reducing the percentage.
 The prcscntmcnt says: We desire cmpha tically to denouncc as public malefactors. not only men who solic-
 tcd the bribcs. who held up the banks and influential men of Pittsburg. but also to denounce for their part in the city'S shame the bank president or millionaire who attempts or who causes the downfall of poor council man who is paid no salary for the du- ties he Is called upon to perform for the benefit of the public
 In conclusion the prcsentment dis closes that the bank ordinance. and the ordinance vacating South Seventh street are not only the pieces of cor rupt councilmanic legislation. The jurors openly state that S11.500 in bribes was paid for vacating Home street. but no indictments have been returned because the statute of linn itations applies.
 In the section of the presentment that deals with this. it is declared that Sam Heppenstall and c. w. Heppen- stall. two prominent business men of the city each paid bribes to Charles Stewart, the former paying siO.00O and the latter s1500