"GRAFT" SCANDALS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 774, 24 March 1910, Page 7

"GRAFT" SCANDALS.

INDICTMENT OR COUNCILLORS. : ; CHARGES OF BRIBERY. .ByTeleerajih-PreesAisoisfation-CopyrlEht. :.'".' New York, March 22. ■ A confession by Klciu, who v.-as sentenced to three years for bribery at Pittsburg, led to tho indictment of forty present and ■.-. former . municipal councillors oh charges of bribery.- In the majority'of cases the sum invplved did not exceed £20. ■'■■ "' ' ' "THE BIG SIX." At the beginning of last year sevsii members of the'Pittsburg City Couuoil were arrested on; charges of.- bribery and corruption, which pointed to the existence of municipal "graft" in that city on ,a considerable scale. The charge made, was, that they unlawfully conspired with.others ,to secure by corrupt , means the. passage of certain ordinances and resolutions in reference to the appointment of city banking depositories, and to certain municipal bonds and works.; "Graft," it> was stated, had long been suspected. The arrests were-, tho result .of the action of a.ieforming_ Mayor and of the membors of the Civic League, a body which appears to , be similar to the associations of citizens formed in other American cities whichact as watch-dogs- of municipal administration. .--, . ... :

The incriminated, councillors included "tho. Big Six" who controlled the ri.7 administration, .'and according to tho evidence the votes of other councillors were purchasable-by them for any sum from five dollars (£1) to 100. dolUvs (£2O). Witnesses. said that 88 rbiuicillors took bribes from "the Big Six" for passing ordinances; that for :ass-: ing one ordinance 60 of them received 45,000 dollars (£9000); that there were only six members of the council nho cquld.not be, bought; and .that , '.'the Big Six", were supporting the wife of an ex-councillor named Martin (then in a penitentiary), in-return for the latter's refusal of 10,000 dollars (£2000) to betray them. '-..'.:' '■•' • .:

• Two of the. men involved in the "eraft" scandals—Klein, common councillor, and' late president of the German National Bank—were rpiivicted. (Klein received a bribe of 17,500 dollars (£3500) from the bank to secure the passage, of • an i.ordinanco naming the bank as. the depository of the city's funds-at, a lessi rate of interest than that allowed by other banks in' the city. '".■'■ ■' > • ■•; ■•■ -.

; In connection with the trials it■Wβ' nlleged that certain persons offered largo sums of money to 1 the men selected .for jury, service', to ' induce them to hold out 1 for" a' , - verdict of acquittal: ■;.■-■ '■■ -. ■'. v:- •■■• 7/