The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1910-05-12
P|TTSBURC
OFFICER ACCUSED
Director Of Public Works
Under Arrest.
HELD IN $4,000 BAIL
Charged by Voters League With Per.
jury and Forgery In Connection
With Payroll.

Charged by Voters League With Per.
jury and Forgery In Connection
With Payroll.
Pittsburg, Pa May 12.-JOseph G..
Armstrong. director of public work;
of Pittsburg, was arrested upon infor-
nation sworn to by Tensard De Vol.
secretary of the Voters league, III
which Armstrong is charged with for,
gerry, false pretense. perjury and sub
ornation of perjury. Alderman Nc
Masters fixed bail at $4,000. which
was produced Immediately. The sum
involved in the four charges is $500.
The four charges are based upon
two transactions and were forecast
several weeks ago. when A. Leo We'll.
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
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 transactions
are described in detail. They charge
first that Director Armstrong padded
the payroll Of his department for No
vember, 1909 Election day fell during
November, and Armstrong Is charged
with allowing his employees to shirk
their regular city work so that they
might do picket duty at the polls.
When it came to certifying the pay
roll. Armstrong is charged with swear
ing his men worked every working
day during November. He Is also
charged with persuading N. S.
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 to these
alleged incorrect payrolls and obtain
ed the money for his men. amounting
to about $540O through false pretense.
Armstrong. who is an ardent Finn
man. is very complacent under the fire
OF the Voters league. The director
declared that if We'll is looking for
real trouble he will get it through
these most recent charges.
"It has been the custom for years. "
said Armstrong, for the head OF city
bureau to let his men off on election
day and pay them for the time they
may spend around the polls. We'll
knows that. as does every other per
son who ever had anything to do with
the running of city government |
hours off and have paid them for 1t. |
have certified the payroll to be cor
rect, and will do SO again. and if Mr..
We'll thinks he can stop me he will do
more than | think he can"
Charges fractional Feelings.
For years it has been the custom in
Pittsburg for department heads and
directors of bureaus to sign the pay
roll in a perfunctory manner and
never bothering to ascertain if the
same might be correct Armstrong is
prepared to prove this to be absolutely
true. even though he pulls the mnnici-
pal structure down around his ears,
Il know of numerous $4,000 and
$4,000 city employees in Pitrsburg" said
Armstrong. who think nothing of
spending days and days away from
their office. and still at the end of the
month they will certify they have put
in an honest months work and will
draw their pay for So doing. Now il
Mr.. We'll wishes to clean Pitts5urg
why doesn't he play fair? 1t seems
to me he is looking upon but one side
of the political fence He appears to
be after one certain faction, and from
his standpoint | must be one of the
faction he expects 10 pit ont OF bust
ness"
In this declaration ARR st ong init
mates that II We'll continues to az.
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 pc.
ljtical cannon balls.