Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 August 1905 — PFISTER IS INDICTED [ARTICLE]

PFISTER IS INDICTED

Milwaukee's Leading Capitalist and Politician Caught in Ciraft Dragnet. Charles F. Pfistcr, Milwaukee's leading capitalist—manufacturer, banker, street railway magnate, newspaper owner, hotel man and head and front of the stalwart or anti-La Follette Republican faction in Wisconsin politics—was indicted by the grand jury Friday, together with four other Victims of the graft investigation. Aside from the Bigelow defalcation, no sensation ever has stirred the metropolis of Wisconsin as did the news that flew over the city that the wealthiest citizen and one of, the foremost business men of the West—-the man who snved the First National Bank when its president stole millions—had been caught in District Attorney Francis E. McGovern’s dragnet. , The District Attorney, when he started the present graft inquiry, declared there wero big fish in sight, if they only could be caught. Pfister is the biggest fish'in ail the surrounding waters. The indictment against Mr. Pfister caused a double sensation, innsmuch as persons first hearing the news assumed that it might be the opening to disclosures in connection with the street railway franchise grant of a few years ago, regarding which there has been all manner of talk. The charge against the millionaire politician, however, is that of appropriating to his own use $14,000, through the use of which the Wisconsin Rendering Compnri> had expected to get a garbage contract from the city.