Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-25
BRIDES FROM BANKS
Grand Jury Reports in Pitts
burg Graft Scandal.
CORRUPT STORY is BARRED
City Amazed at Large Sums Paid
to Councilmen.
MONEY IN HUGE BUNDLES
Package Left on New York Hotel
Bed for One Scion Con-
tanned $1,000.
CORRUPT STORY IS BARRED
MONEY IN HUGE BUNDLES

PITTSBURG. March 25.-The graft in
vestigating grand jury ordered the return
of three important indictments today
The men named by the jury are William
Brand. Hugh Ferguson and Charles Stew
art, all formerly members of city coun-
ellis.
The indictments are to contain many
counts. Accompanying the true bills, the
grand jury handed down a twenty page
typewriter statement covering the whole
graft exposure. This statement. 1t Is
said. contains the names of every one
so far connected with the anti-graft cru
sade and lays bare the entire council
manic frauds of the past three years.
Banks Paid Large Sums.
The grand jury presentment in part
follows:
Our investigation covered the passage
by councils OF resolutions and ordinances
providing for the designation. as deposit
cries Of Pittsburg, for the four years
beginning February /. 1909. of the follow
ing banks: The Farmers Deposit National
Bank, the Columbia National Bank, the
Second National Bank, the German Nat
ional Bank OF Pittsburg. and the Ger
Itldn INdtlOudI bdHk VI AlleSHcHy we
find that William Brand. Charles
Stewart. John Klein. Joseph WATSON and
Hugh Ferguson, all of whom were men,
bers of the city councils of Pittsburg
conspired to solicit and receive the sum
Of $1O3, 800. each of the banks paying
and Trust Company, which paid -$lo,Uoo
We further find these five men as
signed the handling and soliciting Of
brides from banks to certain individuals.
all but one Of whom were members OF
their clique. Stewart was assigned to
collect this money. Stewart. We md, met
an unnamed man in q New York hotel
In May, 1908. Stewart and the unnamed
man exchanged duplicate cards and the
unnamed man left bundle containing
1880 on the bed of Stewards room"
After Men Higher Up.
The report further tells in detail of the
directors Of the banks named as city
repositories are called upon to investigate
who paid for each of the banks the brides
set forth in the presentment and report
the same to the grand jury not later
than next Monday.
The presentment asks clemency for
John Klein and J. G. WATSON and orders
the immediate indictment Of Charles
Stewart, William Brand and Hugh Fer
expressed determination Of the grand jury
to delve further into the graft cases and
indict. II possible, the bride givers and
men higher up in the graft scandals.
1t Is possible that the court will order
further indictments upon the strength OF
the grand jurys presentment. Names
mentioned in the presentment have for
the greater part been heard before in the
present exposure. The startling phase of
the presentment is the large sums of
money which, according to the grand
jury, have been passed in the various
bribe-giying and taking processes. I'M
mediately after returning the three In
dictments the grand jury resumed its ses
sions
On Grill Three Days.
The men presented for indictment today
have been on the inquisitorial grill for
the past three days. Yesterday the dis
trict attorney committed Brand to the
penitentiary. Brand. it is reported, re-
fused to make q clean breast of what he
knew OF councilmanic grating. Accord
ing to the district attorney, Brand. Stew
art and Ferguson had arranged with their
attorneys to tell their stories to the au-
thorities collectively, saying that each
only knew a part OF the story and 1t
would not be complete unless each told
his story in the presence Of the other.
The indictment against Brand is of
startling character and relates his many
deals in councils. which for some time
have been under suspicion by the author
tiles. The indictments are believed by
many to have been brought as levers to
pry the seal from the lips OF certain
have SO far refused to come forward with
confessions