Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-03-22
Klein ''Pu|s Down the Props" am
Seven Former Members Of Councils
Plead No|o to Charges by District At
torney-- Grand Jury in Session.

| Pittsburg, March 21.-Forty present
and former members of select and
common council under Indictment on
charge of bribery and 10 more under
suspended sentences and $500 bonds
upon their own confession of sharing
in a pool of 100000 to influence the
votes of the municipal bodies, is the
| result Of the first days work of the
grand jury since the sensational con-
| fession of Capt. John Klein, former
| member Of councils, who as the CHIEF
disbursng officer Of the fund character
| ICES himsel as "Chancelor of the ex-
| chequer.'
| All day long Judge r. S. Fraser sat
| as a committing magistrate in the
| criminal court room and 10 his desk
| many councimen under SUSPICION
| came to obtain immunity. on one floor
Of the court building the grand jury
would hear the conscious stricken
| councilmen who would then go be
fore Judge Frazer and accept the
clemancy offered last week by the dis
| trict attorney.
While these proceedings We're going
| on the corridors of the court house
were thronged, and as each council
d clamor of when are they going to
get the big ones" once during the
| late afternoon ii North Side council
| man rushed into the court room and
wanted to confess, bue he was told to
| come back tomorrow. Were toe
busy" which brought a roar of laugh
| ter from the crowd on the benches.
| Up to the adjournment of the court for
: la,, l,al nh,fae |,
most instances the amount of money they
admitted taking bride was not over
| 800. One man got $500 and another 500,
while others got but $S1.1O. AS. fast as
present councilmen appeared, after they
| had relieved their consciences they We're
| ordered Immediately to resign from the
| city government and in each instance the
! letter of resignation was written in the
district attorneys office and mailed to
Mayor w. A. Magee before the guilty
man left the building.
| The greatest surprise of the day came
| late in the afternoon wnen DIR. w. Fl.
Weber, member of the select council,
appeared before Judge Frazer and made
| a confession almost as startling as that
of Klein. DR. Weber told of receiving
| $40 900 in Il shoe box. Six thousand of
| this. he said, he gave to Klein for mem
| bers of the common council, while he
| kept $4,000 to fix members of the upper
| branch Later. according to Weber. it
| was found necessary to obtain more votes
and more money was raised and this was
divided 1t was found that the additional
councilmens share was but SSl.lo.
Pittsburg. March 21.-Greater Pitts
burg is again in the throes of coun-
| cilmanic graft scanal. Capt john
nv Klein, about to he taken to the
| Western penitentiary, under sentence
| for receiving money in 1908, FOR ms
vote in the selection of a city depos-
| tory, has made good his threat to pull
| down the props and let the sky fall.
District Attorney Blakeley told the
| whole story to Judges Fraser and Co
| hen in criminal courts today. so great
was the crush at the courts that me
| tipstaffS We're forced to close the
doors of the building and refuse fur
Their admittance.
| The public prosecutor told the court
/ that Klein during the last five days
| made a statement which covered pc
| riod of years and which statement has
been corroborated, exposing the whole
system of graft in former councils Of
this city He said six banks had in
| 1908 paid the sum of 100000 to be
elected city repositories. He also told
the court that street vacation frauds
| were covered in Klein'S statement to
him.
The entire matter is now under con-
| siaeration by the grand jury assem-
bleG toGay and of which Harrison Mes
hit. president Of the Bank of Pitts
burg. is foreman.
| Klein appeared at the court house
guarded by detectives early in the day
and was all smiles. II made TINS con-
| fession first because | owe II 10 my
family and second because l owe it to
the public" he said. II have malice
toward none"
; a large number of informations have
| already been made by the district at
tornav before Judge Fraser. sitting
as committing magistrate. but the
names Of the men mentioned in the in
formations have not yet been made
public.
| BEFORE noon adjournment seven former
members of councils had pleaded nolo
lcontendere to the charges brought by the
district attorney before Judge Fraser and
received suspended sentences. Assistant
District Attorney Seymour announced
that IF there were any more present who
! Wished To do likewise he would see that
they received the same consideration
Among the men to come forward during
81. afternoon was DIR. w H. Weber, Il
a,,,her of the select council as we'll as
a physician prominent in his PROFESSION
There was an uproar among the crowded
corridors of the court mousse WIG" nc
was seen to come from the court ioU''''
and the expression was hearo' mere
will it end?" DR.. Weber toid Judge ia
| 1sr how he received Slu.VV ueiiNe'e" A.