Show lii TRAIL OF SERPENT I j LEADS INTO BANKS BANKSt t Pittsburg Pitts burg Bankers Called Upon by Grand Jury to toI I Name SHAME OF IS REVEALED t Past and Present Coun Conn Councilmen Councilmen oilmen Are Indicted aM Smoke City Stands Stand Aghast at Details I Of o Civic Unrighteousness March 25 Exposure of f the appalling details PITTSBURG of Pittsburgh civic unrighteousness indictments against T 31 present and past councilmen and demand a upon the directors directors I tors of the city depositories to investigate their own boards and ascertain the in connection with the ordinance des designating designating designating their institutions as city depositories were the fea features features features tures of the two presentments made by the grand jury today The presentments made a sensational story of the inside history of corruption in the municipal bodies in 1908 and the demand on the banks indicated that even more sensational de developments c than have been exposed are expected Monday when the bank directors complying with demands of the grand jury make inake their report A further result of the presentments 1 jo Io the jury was the tho order of City Con Controller Controller 10 Morrow late today toda for the th with withdrawal wIthdrawal withdrawal of all city funds from the file six banks and the practical nullification of the ordinance designating them custo custodians custodians custodians of city funds About of city funds is in hi Increased these banks and this would be in increased creased many millions next week by taxes now being paid According to the controller the withdrawal of the funds will be gradual that the institutions may suffer no iio embarrassment and de depositors be given no cause for f r alarm atm Banks Must Clean House The extract et t from the presentment calling on the bank directors reads We call upon the directors of the six banks named as city depositories to Investigate who paid for each of the Bald taid banks the bribes herein set forth and report the same to this grand jury not later than Monday March larch 28 1910 1310 And we further demand said report be bein bein in jn writing and certified by directors of said banks individually We Ve strongly stron ly recommend and Insist the proper officials of the city of Pitts Pitta burg take immediate legal action to nullify the ordinance naming the said sald Farmers Deposit National bank the Second National bank of Pittsburg the German National bank of Pittsburg the German National bank of Alle Idle Allegheny Allegheny the Columbia National bank of PittsbUrg and the Sav Say Savings Savings Sayings ings Trust company compan of Allegheny as city elty depositories that tho the may roa not benefit by their theil own wrong wrongdoing wrongdoing a doing and criminal conduct The presentments give the full de details details details tails of the plot of ot the councilmen councilman to obtain bribes from the six banks and the means adopted for paying the I bribes The story of the transfer of ofT T by an unnamed man to former c Councilman man Charles Stewart In the Ho Hotel Hotel Hotel tel Imperial New York Issued today related that Max 1111 G Leslie former chairman of the Republican city com corn committee committee received by arrangement between E H Jennings and E B A Griffen of the Columbia National bank and that Leslie gave William Brand then tien president of common council di dl directly or indirectly to obtain the tle city deposits for the Columbia Na National National National bank An unnamed man is said to be interested and concerned in the i payment pa ment of the money by Leslie Lealie to Brand either as an Intermediary or principal Bribery by Bankers It Is declared Morris E Einstein re received received received from the Savings Trust company to have the Continued on Page Two i r TRAil Or SERPENT lEADS INTO BANKS Continued from Page One bank named as a city depository but bui the name nime of the bank official who paid him the money is unknown It Is fur furthof furthof thel declared in the presentments that the members of the grand Jury believe the tho books of the bank have been mutilated three pages referring re referring referrIng ferring to this deal de I having been cut from tn m the ledger Einstein It Is also declared de declared cl red kept Pt for fot his hs services s in arranging the deal Further declarations In the tho present presentments presentments ments are that two city clerks clerk were given Iven 1000 each and that 1750 was w s set apart a rt for newspaper men and that henry M 1 Bolger the saloonkeeper ver al already already ready convicted of bribery was given I for his services In arranging the meeting between officials of ot the Ger German German German man National bank of ot Pittsburg and the councilmen The public Is urged not to pass hasty Judgment on any of officials of the banks mentioned and stress Is ts laid on the solvency of ot the institutions It Is recited that John F P Klein and Joseph C Wasson by them their confessions and statements making malting possible the exposure are to great consid consideration consideration and a reduction of at Kleins sen sentence sentence tence tenee is urged d It is also recommend recommended ed no nc nC further Indictments be found against a aint Klein and Wasson Hassan for any arty of the crimes to which they hay have con confessed confessed confessed The grand gland Jury declares It is i convinced Charles Stewart and William i Brand can unravel the entire network of criminal work and can disclose the names of ot all parties guilty It Is rec recommended recommended recommended the court be as lenient as possible in n passing sentence on those who confess A paragraph of the presentments added at the tho last moment declared former Councilman Jacob re refused refused refused fused the tender of ot which was then set apart as a defense fund in incase Incase Incase case case any an of ot the tho members of the the clique cUque got jot within with n the tl e grasp of ot the law Upon the tho receipt of at the presentments Judge Cohen Coben ordered the district attorney Immediately to draw the tho Indictments against tha tho men heretofore named and i the tho othera others named In the tho presentment The grand Jury was then excused un until until til Monday The only comment tho the district at attorney attorney attorney torney would make on the t e a sensational i grand Jury Investigation was We Ve expect ex expect pleas pI eM at any moment and we may have lave to use rain checks because of ot the ther rush r sh finding of ot the tho grand Jury puts a new phase on the case of Max G Leslie who is now at ai Hot Springs Leslie was waa acquitted on the charge of perjury In connection with the Colum Columbia Columbia Columbia bia National bank banI matter He lIe had denied de denied denied nied to a grand Jury he ho had ever ver re received received received any money In the deal and con convinced convinced convinced vinced a Jury when placed on trial that on the day he was alleged all ed to have received the money woney ha he was In New Nev NewYork York Tho The present grand Jury finds he paid pale to Brand and the bank paid pale Leslie In June 1908 1 48 08 but does des not specify tho the date Leslie therefore there ore Is fn In Ina a position where ono Jury has haa declared It believes s him when he says that he did not get the money on n June 6 1908 and another Jury declares ha nl did re receive it In the month of June J nl It is declared the evidence before the present grand Jury shows a mistake was as made in the first instance as to the thu date and the transaction will wUl be the basis of or a new attack when Leslie Is 18 again brought to trial Late tonight the district attorneys office notified the tho officers and directors directors directors tors as well as the tellers bookkeepers and clerks dorks of the six sis banks bap to hold themselves In readiness to appear be before before fore tore the grand Jury Monday and tell all they know concerning the passage of ot money or any check transactions In connection with the bank ordinance 0 |