Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1910-04-09
MAN HIGHER UP
is INDICTED
President Pressed Steel Gar
Company Accused.
RAISED CORRUPTION FUND
II 10 Charged That Frank NJ. Hohstot
Tried to Employ 5IakeIy to Handle
$4,000 to Bride counciImen.

Tried to Employ sIakeiy to Handle
$4,000 to Bride counciImen.
Pittsburg. April THE grand jury
indicted Frank n. Hoffstot. president
Of the German National bank. of ALE
gheny. as well as president OF the
Pressed Steel Car company. on the
charges OF bribery and conspiracy,
President Emil Winter. Of the Work
ingmen's Savings Bank and Trust
company. OF Allegheny. another fnan
cial power OF Pittsburg. went into
court to confess that he had bribed
councilmen to the extent of 100000
James NJ. Anderson. general book.
keeper OF the worlSingmen's Savings
Bank and Trust company. was arraign.
cd on charge OF having mutilated
the books OF his bank to save the ex'
posture OF certain persons He pleaded
nolo contendre and was placed undef
bail.
The most startling feature of the
graft probe up to date Is information
conveyed in the presentment handed
down against Hoffstot. District Attor
ney William A. Biakely appeared as a
citizen before this grand jury in con
nection with the Hoffstot investigation
and told how before he became dis
trict attorney he had been approached
by Hoffstot and the late J. W. Friend
and by Councilman Charles Stewart
and asked to act as stakeholder for a
fund OF $4,000 which they said were
TO be paid certain councllmen for the
passage OF a bank ordinance.
eIakeiy Asked. to Hold Money.
Blakely was asked TO hold the mon.
ey as guard against cheating ON the
partof councilmen. and part OF his
duties would be TO pay II out 10 the
crooked city fathers as they fulfilled
their promises. Attorney Blakely Is
alleged TO have refused 10 consider the
proposition. and he warned Messrs
Hoffstot. Friend and Stewart that their
course OF action II pursued would get
them into trouble. and that II he ever
attained position of authority In the
courts OF Allegheny county he would
go after them. This Is thought Ia
have frightened them. so that Hoffstoi
and Friend began to negotiate with
Stewart. representing the councilmen
to have all payments OF graft made In
New York city paid with money ship
ped from Pittsburg. The grand jury
does not say that Hoffstot paid the
money out there personally. but says
that persons who directly paid the
money In New York to Councilman
Stewart and others is not yet anown
to them. All this money was bribery
for the passage of the bank ordinance
Il Is claimed
II is alleged that Hoffstot on two
occasions collected money from Cash
Ter James NJ. Young. of the Second
National bank. of Pittsburg. one of the
institutions late named as n city de
pository. and caused him to ship ia
New York $2l 900 as that banks share
OF the bribe money. Cashier Young
was before the jury long time.
Couldn't Hear Old Friend Confess.
The arraignment OF President Emil
Winter Of the Workingmen's Savings
Bank and Trust company, before the
court provoked a pathetic incident
Judge Robert s. Frazer and Winter
have been friends since boyhood. and
as the banker. white Tipped and tear
full. bowed his head In shame. as he
would confess 10 bribery. Judge Fra
zer's voice broke and motioning for
Judge Elliott Rodgers to come closer
the judge explained that he and the
man about 10 plead were friends of toe
long standing 20 permit OF his hearing
the confession without pain. He would
rather President Winter made his
statement In some other court. Win
ter was then taken before Judges Car
rahan and Swearingen. where he con
fessed that he had given Councilman
Morris Einstein $4,000 In order that
his bank might be made city depos
itory. He was placed under $500 bail
The indictment of Hoffstot and the
arraignment and pleading OF Winter
makes four OF the six bank presidents
whose institutions have been selected
as city repositories to be accused Of