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4 v.-. Wk S I'flS- SEVEN-YEAR-OLD BOY MORTGAGED FOR $2,500 The amount of the debt is $2,600, and the security given is a bright-eyed, sev eiFyear-old boy. The mortgage falls due on September 27 of this year, and if it is not paid promptly on that day no one who knows of the case doubts for a minute but that it will be foreclosed, and lit tle Claire Leseuer will pass from his parents to Capt. Green. That ic may not be paid a The Stranjjest Financial Transaction Ever Known in. This Country. Peacham, Vt.— One of the strangest mortgages aver recorded in this coun try is held by Capt. Milo Green, a rich recluse farmer, living near this place. A ROMANCE IS BACK OF IT ALL. Capt. Milo Green, Jilted by the d|rl He Loves, Advances Money, with Her Child as Secu rity, When She Gets in Financial Diffi culties—Claim Is Due Septembei 27 of This Year. is more than possibility. To tell the story of this remarkable transaction, and the strange romance which is tack of it, it is necessary to go back a number of years, and to the town of St. Johnsbury, where all of the characters, with the exception of the boy, lived 20 years ago. At that time Capt. Green was but beginning to ff/LQ UREFN' tmass the wealth which Is now his it that time Jaques Leseuer had but Just crossed the American border from Quebec and was beginning to thrive in '.he lumber business at that time Ma rie Mercier, daughter of poor French Canadian parents, was one of the beau ties of the district around St Johns oury, and among her admirers were Milo Green and Leseuer. Green had lived a hard life. Born up In the northern hills of Vermont, of poor parents, he had had to fight for a little education, and had succeeded. He was a reserved, cold, silent man—as forbidding and cold to most people as his native hills in winter, but to Marie Mercier all the warmth that was in his nature was turned. Wealth was beginning to come to him then, and the little, black-haired, black-eyed girl perhaps was flattered at the silent, unaskirig adoration of the tnan who was so hard to-others. She could turn him with a smile, ofiNflraw him from his office or his work with a nod, and she knew It. In those Le suer was a strong, handsome, young man, given to drinking and gayeties. Green Jilted by the Girl. There never was any promise, so far as men knew, from Marie Mercier to Green, but every one supposed she would marry him for his money—If not for himself and some thought perhaps she would love him because he was so opposite. There was surprise, there fore, when she was married to Jaques Leseuer. If his heart was broken Green failed to show It. He was a little more silent, a little harder, a little colder, and he got rich a little faster—that was all. For five years he continued to live in St. johnsbury then lie sold his grow ing business to a combine, and, with out a word of explanation* retired to a farm he had bought near Peacham, in the hills. He put his money into mort gages, stocks and bonds, and simply dropped back to live the life of a rich recluse, Misfortunes in Abundance. Things went badly with the Leseuers from the first. A boy was born—Emil, and three years later he 4ied. Then business went rapidly to the bad. le seuer drank heavily. Hb wife, stood by PJ7FV& him bravely, even after he was forced to leave St. Johnsbury and seek work —day labor—at Guildhall. What the little woman suffered in the first ten years of her married' life she alone knows. Her beauty changed—but she still was ueautifnl. Trouble and hard work could not change everything, and her eyes were just as flashing and her hair as black as ever. The husband still drank hard, but for a time she thought she had won the victory. He quit drinking, settled down to work, and there were three years of compara tive happiness. Then Claire came, and the mother's heart, hungering for years for her lost boy, was satisfied. The birth of Claire was fatal to his father's good resolutions. This day aft er the child was born Jaques went out to celebrate. He returned home drunk and for most of the next two years he remained drunk. He lost his savings, his little home, his employment. The m)l£ U5Sl/if/g mother worked desperately, taking in washing and ironing, doing anything to support herself and child. But the strain, the worry and the shame told on her beauty. Then the drunkard husband fell sick, and affairs came to a crisis. Green to the Bescue. How Milo Green ever heard of the plight of the girl who jilted him no one knows, but one morning he ap peared in- Guildhall and inquired the way to the home of the Leseuers. The mother, worn out by night's vigil at the bedside of her sick husband and the care of her child, answered the knock on the door, and saw her old sweetheart standing there. With a word of sympathetic greeting he enter ed and spoke with her plainly. He urged her to leave the man who had treated her so badly, but she refused. He pleaded that she owed It to herself and her child, but she still refused, and he departed. A.n hour later he returned with a woman, bearing food and wine and del icacies. He assumed control, sent the mother to bed, sent the woman to care for the sick man upstairs and then sat down to rock the baby to sleep. Loved the.Child. Never before in his life had Milo Green held a child in his arms. It was reputed among the little boys and girls of his neighbors that he ate chil dren, after boiling them alive, and, in substantiation of this charge there are several small boys who declare he growled at them when he caught them in his apple trees. Yet, with the infant in, his arms, the man appeared happy, and the child, which had been fretful and peevish, seemed to find something to trust In the hard, stern face above it and fell asleep with its arms clasped around the man's neck. Three hours later, when the mother awoke, refreshed, the house was clean ed, a nourishing meal ready for her, the woman had gone to employ a nurse for the sick man, and Milo Green was sitting before the fire with the boy, sound asleep, clutched in his arms, and he seemed happy. Marie said he was almost smiling as he watched thej boy. I When the boy was In bed Ifilo turned upon Mrs. Leseuer. "Well," he said, "what are you going to do?" The Mortgage Given. "I cannot leave him—he is my hus band," she said. "You cannot live this way," he said. "I have paid the woman and the nurse for a month, and the grocery bill, but you must have more money." "He will shon be able to work—" she began. "Not formonths—perhaps longer." "Then I must work," sj»e said, dee perately. "You shall not It will kill you. I will advance you money." "We cannot accept it from you. We have nothing to give as security." "Yes, you have," said Milo Green. "There Is the boy. I'll advance you Kl "I'll Foreclose If You Don't Pay, $2,500 In cash for a mortgage on the boy." The mother wept awhile, and then sobbed her assent. Two weeks later, when Jaques was able to sit up in bed, the mortgage was given, and both hus band and wife signed it. Swears He'll Foreclose. Milo Green put the document in his pocket and rose to go. The wife was sobbing. As he started towards the door Milo turned suddenly and blazed out at his sick rival: "Before the Almighty," he declared, "if you don't brace up and be a man and support this woman and child I'll foreclose the mortgage the minute it falls due. I did this in the hope of making a man of you. I wish you'd die—but, if she wants you to live, I'll give you a chance. If you drink and fail to pay that mortgage I'll take the boy." From that day on Jaques was sober. As he slowly regained his health he sought work and found it in a lumber yard, and he and his wife settled down to save money to raise the mortgage on their boy. Every six months they paid the interest, and the little fortune in the bank grew larger. They do not know it yet, but every cent of interest money that has been paid is in a bank at St. Johnsbury to the order of one Claire Leseuer. The struggle has been a hard one but the couple is certain that, by extra work and extra saving, they can al most, accumulate enough to settle the dpbt by September The father is wor rying over the prospect, and working harder and harder to get money enough to settle the debt, but, strange as it may seem, the mother is not worrying a bit Minister Takes a Hand. A few weeks ago the minister heard of the strange mortgage that Capt Green held on the little boy up at Guildhall, and he drove over to remon strate with the captain about Buch un« natural traflic. What Capt. Green said to the minis ter is not entirely known. But it is a strange thing that the next day, on meeting a nfeighbor, Capt. Green re marked that the preacher was a pretty decent sort of a fellow, and tne minis- -t Booking the Child to Sleep. ter will not listen to anyone who speaks of Capt. Green's hardness. It Is peculiar, also, that the lawyer down in Peacham, who drew Capt Green's will, chuckles whenever the subject of the mortgage is mentioned. Jaques Leseuer, over in the lumber yard, is working desperately and fev erishly. "It will kill my wife," he says. "I must pay it" The Mother Only Smiles. And, stranger than, anything else, a few days ago Marie Leseuer was sew ing on a little blue jacket for Claire, and she said to a neighbor: "Don't let Jacques hear of It, but I'm making this so Claire can go over to Peacham for a visit this fall." 'Then the old skinflint is going to foreclose the mortgage?" asked the In dignant neighbor. "You mustn't call him a skinflint He's been kind to us, and, whether the mortgage is paid or not I'm going to let him have Claire for a time. I think It will do them both zood." Jf 1 Contest a Tie. St Paul—Officials of the dairy and food commission are wondering to whom should they award the first prize in the butter scoring contest Allie Olson of Hector and Alfred Schroeder of Lafayette each scored 07, and under the rules of the commission there is no way of ascertaining who is ttie winner. It baa been suggested that a coin be flipped to see who gets the prize, but should this coarse be decided on, there is a'question as to who should receive the second prize. A. G. Schandall of Elmore scored 96j£, the score next to the highest, and would naturally re ceive the second prize. A. G. Schan- got the second prize, the man who scored 97, but lost on the "flip" would get nothing. J. F. Kielty of Watkins, who scored 96^, expects the third prize. The first prize is 85 cash, the second $3 and the third $3. Inheritance Tax. The recent inheritance tax state ments under the inheritance law pas sed by the recent legislature have been filed with the state auditor. Five St. I'aul estates come under the provisions of the inheritance tax law. The estate of l'lial D. Ferguson, esti mated at $250,000, will piy the state about $12,000 on a5 percent basis. The estate is left to one heir, and the law allows an exemption of 810,000. The estate of Thomas Schneli, amounting to 873,300, will pay a tax of ljtf per cent, after a $10,000 exemption has been taken out. The estate of Charles E. Dicker man, amounting' to 8150,030, is left to five heirs. Each heir is en titled to a §5,000 injunction. The es tate of Katherine Stewart, amounting to 87,500, and the estate of Joseph O. Patee, amounting to §115,000 also come under the law. Fire at Training School. Red Wing1.—The building' used as a sloyd shop and laundiy at the state training school was destroyed by fire at 1 o'clock the morning of July 2. The loss is estimated at $40,000. The building was a three-story struc ture of brick and stone, and was used as a workshop in which the boys of ttie school were taught trades. The basement and lower floors were given up to the laundry and engine room. The fire started from an unknown cause in the tailor shop andha^ gained great headway before it was discov ered. Mnch of the material was of a light, combustible nature and burned like kindling. The burned structure was in the rear of the main building. No damage was done to any other building. A common report is that the fire was of incendiary origin. Prison Population. Stillwater Some surprise was caused by the announcement that the number of criminals at the state peni tentiary is increasing more than four times as fast as the population oT the state. The population of the prison has increased 40.2 per cent since 1900, while the census bureau officials will be highly pleased |if there {is an in crease of 10 per cent in the population of the state. There are 702 prisoners at Stillwa ter, by far the largest number in the history of the institution. The num ber a year ago was 634, three years ago 553 and five years ago 486. Mem bers of the board of control who re turned to St Paul announced that all the cells are full and that prisoners are compelled to sleep in the corridors. At Isle of Pines. Mankato—Judge John B. Ogle, the runaway forger and embezzler, who twice tried to kill himself, has been located at Neuva Gerona on the Isle of Pines, the refuge of A. A. Buck, the defaulting cashier of Mankato. Owing to the fact that the United States lias no extradition treaty with the Isle of Pines it will be impossible to bring Ogle back for trial and pun ishment. Mnch Building. BuildiDg permits aggregating^,000, 000 were issued in SC. Paul last month. This is the largest amount issued in in one month in the history of the city. This figure is also greater than the total figure for. several average months. While nearly one-half of this amount is covered by two large buildings, most of it includes average structures and additions to buildings. News Notes. Grand Rapids—A new iron ore dis trict is discovered southwest of here. Mendota Falling into a pool caused by high water of the Minnesota river, Arthur Hugo Johnson was drowned. The child's body was taken to St. Paul for burial. St. Paul—L. A. Rosing of the state board of control objects to locating the administration building at the school of agriculture on low ground. St. Paul—The state census will show an increase of 300,000 in Minnesota's population. Minneapolis.—A campaign against slaughterhouses located near the resi dence portions of some of Minne sota's beautiful cities and villages has been started by the state board of health. Bcmidji—The loss is big logging camps of the R. E. White company at Kelliher were destroyed by fire, together with the clothing, bedding, money and per sonal effects of 150 men. The total 83,000 and no insurance wan carried. Shots fired by a drunken woodsman are supposed to have ignited the buildings. Minneapolis—A Methodist minister from Hopkins called at the Hennepin county jail for a visit to D, Crawford, the murderer sentenced to be hanged at Elk River Aug. 15, but he was in a surly mood and refused to see him "or anyone else." G6PHER GOSSIP. Stillwater.—The state's prison pop ulation increases 40.2 per cent in five years. St. Paul.—The jury brings in a ver dict of guilty against Thomas Cum tnings. St. Paul.—Fred Durette, nine years old, is drowned in a pond on the West side fiats. St. Paul.—Ole Olson is overcome by the heat while walking to town from the workhouse. St. Paul.—Miss Dawson defeats Miss Mairs in the ^tennis tournament at the Town and Country club. Litchfield.—The heavy rains and 'luxuriant growth of weeds interfere with the quality of Minnesota butter. Minneapolis.—The state board of health will try to secure sanitary conditions in railway smoking cars. Duluth.—Lack of funds may pre vent Minnesota from sending a. team to the national rifle tournament at 8eagirt, N. J. Detroit.—Tl^e shaft broke on the engine of a special on the Northern Pacific the other day, and the engine cab wus ripped up some. St. Paul.—The omission of a comma in an ordinance prevents the fire board from prohibiting the erection of gas tanks within fire limits. Mizpali.—A large black bear en tered town and was finally brought to bay by the village marshal, Will Hangsleben, who killed it at the first shot. Crookston.—Over in the Big Fork countiy there are many bears roam ing in the swamps, and the story of the trapping of a oig one is being published. Minneapolis.—Friends of Kay W. Jones of Minneapolis, lieutenant gov ernor of Minnesota, are urging his claims for appointment as governor of Alaska. Mankato.—Charles (J. Swanson, a former ice dealer, has filed a. petition in bankruptcy, his assets being $250, all exempt, and his liabilities $2,700, all unsyenred. Minneapolis.—A great gain in bank clearings for the last six months is shown over the corresponding period of last year. The increase is no less than $54,750,033. YVinor a.— Winona county trout streams have this week been im proved by tne planting of twenty cans of trout fry received from the state fish hatchery. Elbow Lake.—John Hutchison, Jr., son of Prof. J. C. Hutchison of the Greek department of the university, •was drowned in Ten Mile lake, be tween here and Dal ton. St. Paul.—The attorney general re ceived the following inexplainable telegram from Blooming Prairie: "I demand protection from hypnotists and prosecution of parties.—II. J. Nelson." St. Paul.—Annie Nelson, 17 years of age, is about to make her third trip between the United States and Denmark because she has a mania for self-destruction and neither coun try wants her. Minneapolis.—Vernon 13. Martin, a well known young Minneapolis ath lete and university student, was drowned during the Fourth of July yacht races of the Minnetonka Boat club on Lake Minnetonka. St. Paul—A report of the business at the St. Paul postoffice for the fiscal year ending June 30, issued by Post master McGill. shows an increase of $23,595.55 in the receipts over the fiscal year ending .Tune 30, 1904. Crookston— M. Langevin, a farmer residing four miles east of here, while digging an artesian well on his farm on the road to Gentilly, struck a regular gusher. The water shoots up in the air a distance of ten feet and Hows 60 barrels per^liour. Crookston—The best methods of draining the hundreds of thousands of acres of swamp lands in the north ern part, of the state will be discussed at a meeting of the Minnesota Drain age league, which will be held here on Aug. 1. The organization of the league, which was begun a few weeks ago, will be perfected. St. I'aul—The state dairy and food commission is having a hard time to find samples of whisky that can be called impure under the Minnesota law. All of sixteen samples analyzed recently were ftfund legal. Moorliead.—P. August Kklund, sec retary of the Clay County Land Com pany, is missing and it is reported that there is a. shortage in his ac counts, variously estimated at from $4,000 to $7,000. Northfield.—The city council re fused to grant more than five saloon licenses for next year. John Howie, Jr., who applied for a license last year, and carried his case to the su preme court, where he lost, was de nied, a license again this year. Preston—The Fillmore County Old Settlers, Soldiers and Sailors' asso ciation held its annual reunion here. Fine weather helped to make the day enjoyable. Officers of the old settlers are: President, C. II. Conkey of Preston, and secretary, F. E. Titus of Lenora. Minneapolis.—The first victim of the glorious Fourth in Minneapolis was Carl Nelson of 2713 Franklin avenue east, who came seriously near losing his hand by the premature discharge of a toy cannon. Hamline.—Governor Robert M. La Follettc of Wisconsin has been en gaged by the Northwestern Bible conference and Chnutauqua to deliver his great lecture, '.'The Menace of the Machine," at 3 o'clock on the after noon of Aug. 7 at the state fair grounds. St. Paul.—Word has been received by the postoffice inspectors of the robbery of the postoffice at George town, Clay county, carty Sunday morning. The extent of the loss is not known. The telegram stated that the robbers had secured stamps and cash. I THE NEWS IN BRIEF. For tho Week Ending July 10. Ten business houses and one dwell ing at Roulette, Pa., were destroyed by fire, entailing a loss of $50,000. The decision to transfer the isth mian canal from the war to the state departments meets with approval. ""Fire that started In F. B. Wright's art and paint store-at Spokane, Wash., caused losses estimated at $115,000. James S. Aldedice, a lawyer convicted in New York of forgery, was sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment in Sing Sing. Two blocks of the business and resi dence section of Goldfields, Nev., have been totally destroyed by fire, entailing a loss of $200,000. It is stated that no more gambling li censes will be issued in Mexico City, Mexico, after August 1, when all exist ing licenses expire. Congress faces a critical situation as to the treasury. More revenue will have to be provided or Uncle Sam must cut down expenses. As a result of an explosion at the shaft of the Taylor Coal & Coke company at Searight, Pa., five men were killed and four injured, one fatally. In a pistol duel between Green Mur rell and Harvey Rice on Indian creek, in Owsley county, Ky., Murrell was killed and Rice seriously wounded. Fourteen miners were killed and a number injured by an explosion in a colliery at Anderlieres, Belgium. Tho explosion was caused by fire damp. The decision of a St. Louis court that open barber shops are a public necessity in large cities led to a modi fication of the Sunday closing order. Fred and Austin Finn, brothers, aged 15 and 12 years respectively, were drowned near Laconia, N. H., in the Winnipesaukee river while swim ming. A jury to pass upon the innocence br guilt of Congressman J. N. William- con, indicted in connection with the land frauds in Oregon, was selected at Portland. Walter Kittredge, poet and author of "Tenting on the Old Camp Grounds," died at his home at Reeds* Ferry, N. H. Death was the result of infirmities due to old age. By an explosion in the Tidewater mine at Vivian, 20 miles west of Blue- field, W. Va., nine miners, all of whom Vere Italians, were injured, and two of them died later. The body of Rear Admiral Louis J. Allen, who died in New York city June 29, was buried in the Arlirigton National cemetery in Washington with military honors. Thomas W. Lawson, in an address at Ottawa, Kan., suggests as a remedy for the evils of "frenzied finance" a general selling out of stocks and bonds to the "system." Gov. Warner, of Michigan, has named company I, Third regiment, M. N. G., as a personal bodyguard of the presi dent at the semicentennial celebration at Soo August 2 and 3.' President Roosevelt delivered two addresses before the National Educa tional convention at Asbury Park, N. J. Duties of the rich was the subject of his principal speech. The Japanese peace plenipotentiar ies, Komura and Takahira, sailed for the United States, an immense and en thusiastic crowd cheering them, and war vessels firing salutes. P. H. Rudolph, a ladies' tailor, was found dead in a chair in his office at Omaha, Neb., by two lady custocers, who had called for some work they had entrusted to his care. Lieut. Gen. Chaffee has been desig nated by the president to act as secre tary of war in case Assistant Secretary Oliver is absent from Washington while Secretary Taft is away. A combination of 26 coal companies of Indiana, controlling 29,000 acres of coal lands, has been formed at Pitts burg, Pa., under the name of the Van dalac Coal company. The new concern has a capital of $7,000,000. Caleb Powers is to be tried in tho United States court for complicity hi the murder of William Gobel at Frank fort. This was settled when United States District Judge Cochran an nounced that he you Id take jurisdic tion in the case, as has been requested by attorneys for Powers. THE MARKETS. New York, July 10. LIVE STOCK—Steers $4 40 5 65 Hogs, Prime State 6 20 6 25 Sheep 3 50 & 5 25 FLOUR—Minn. Patents 6 60 6 25 WHEAT-July 95%@ 97 September 91%# 92% CORN—July 62%© 62% OATS—Natural White 37%© 38% BUTTER 15 20% CHEESE 7%# 9% EGGS 12 21 CHICAGO. CATTLE—Choice Steers 15 40 6 10 Common to Good Steers.. 4 15 & 5 15 Inf'r'r to Common Steers 3 75 4 15 Bulls, Common to Choice. 2 00 3 75 Calves 6 25 6 75 HOGS-tLight Mixed 6 45 #5 75 Heavy Packing 5 40 5 60 Heavy Mixed 6 40 #5 50 BUTTER-Creamery 16 211fc Dairy 1" EGGS—Fresh 12%# l'Vi LIVE POULTRY 12 8 15 POTATOES—Per bu. (New). 40 & 58 GRAIN—Wheat, September. 87%® 88% Corn, September 65%# 56% Oats, September 31%@ 31% Barley, Malting 43 & 51 Rye, September 65 65% MILWAUKEE. GRAIN—Wheat, September. $ 86%® 87% Corn, September 65%® 57 Oats, Standard 34 34% Rye, No. 1 80 81 KANSAS CITY. GRAIN—Wheat, September. 79 79% December 79%# 79% Corn, September 49%# 49% Oats, No. 2 White 33%@ 33% ST. LOUIS. CATTLE—Beef Steers $5 25 6 60 Texas Steers 2 60 & 4 75 HOGS—Packers 4 75 5 75 Butchers 6 70 @576 SHEEP—Natives 4 00 #600 OMAHA. CATTLE—Native Steers SS 76 6 75 Texas Steers 1 75 & 2 86 Cows and Heifers 2 50 @4 40 HOGS—Heavy 580 5 27% SHEEP—Wethera .......6 00 at •n IS mi '?M. rm ass -.v