The Minneapolis journal. [volume], August 09, 1906, Image 1

About The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939

Image provided by: Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN

                
XI
it'
I'd,, i
88
INDICTS OIL TRUST
FOB REBATE TAKING
Federal Grand Jury Reports Vio
lation of the Elkins
Law:*
ANOTHER JURY CALLED
TO CONTINUE THE PROBE
Relations of Rockefeller Corpora
tion and Roads to Be
Looked Into.
Chicago, Aug. 9.The Standard Oil
company must stand trial upon the
charges of having accepted rebates, in
the form of remitted storage charges,
from the Lake Shore & Michigan South
ern Railway company, contrary to the
provisions of the Elkins interstate com
merce act.
The federal grand jury, which is in
session in Chicago to investigate the
Standard Oil company and its relations
with the railroads, returned an indict
ment against the company yesterday,
just four hours after it heard the first
evidence in the case.
Will Investigate Methods.
By order of Judge Bethea a second
grand jury was drawn and summoned
to appear Tuesday.
This body will investigate the busi
ness methods of the Standard Oil com
pany from where the first inquisitorial
body was compelled to leave off.
The second iurv will begin its inves
tigation with March, 1905.
The indictment, which contains nine
teen counts, makes no accusation
against any individual official or em
ploye of the oil company neither are
there any charges made against the rail
road company or its officials or em
ployees for granting the alleged illegal
rebate.
This fact seems to bear ou the re
port that the government would grant
immunity to the railroads in exchange
for testimony with which it could fas
ten its case upon the oil company. Of
course, there is the possibility of the
jury, which is still in session, voting
an indictment against the railroad, but
the fact that most of the witnesses
upon whose testimony the indictments
were returned are either officials or
employees of the Lake Shore seems to
preclude all prosecutions except against
the railroad corporation.
Jury's Task Not Ended.
Just what line Assistant Attorney
Robert Childs, who has charge of the
Jmownintendsit
n'S
ury, to take up next is not
but is believed that he will
investigate the relations between tbo
oil company and the other railroads*
This is indicated by the fact tljat sev
eral railroad men are still waiting to
be called.
The fact that the jury was able to
agree upon an indictment so promptly
came as a surprise to those who have
followed the case. "While all that
transpires in the jury room is being
carefully guarded, it is understood that
the jury simply took np the evidence
that was heard at the Cleveland hear
ing, called the witnesses before it, had
them verify their testimony, and then
voted the indictment.
The indictment is a lengthy docu
ment and sets forth the grand "jury's
accusation that the Standard Oil com
pany did, in direct violation of the
Elkins law, accept and receive from the
railroad company a rebate and conces
sion in the shape of a cancellation of
the storage charges due the railroad
company.
About $8,500 Involved.
The total amount of these charges is
alleged to be $8,501 72, in sums varying
from $316 to $564, each of the sums
constituting a separate offense and
each representing the total storage
charges for a given month.
The Elkins law provides a fine of
$10,000 to $20,000 for each violation,
tinder this indictment, should the gov
ernment secure a conviction on the trial
of the issues, a fine of $380,000, as a
maximum under the Elkins law may be
assessed.
The indictment alleges that by a
system granting the Standard Oil com
pany certain concessions the oil com
pany benefited to the extent of $8,506
from August, 1903, to February, 1905.
The indictment, as explained by the
government attorneys, means that in
nineteen instances certain consign
ments of oil for the Standard Oil com
Sany were stored by the Lake Shore &
Iichigan Southern Railroad coirpany,
and that the railroad company received
no payment of 5 cents per ton per day
from the oil company for such storage,
but that its competitors were compelled
to pay this amount This is equivalent
to granting a concession, it is charged,
the non-payment of the storage charges
being practically a rebate in favor of
the oil company. Each count sets up a
discrimination of varying amounts each
in favor of the oil company. It will be
necessary fjor officials of the Standard
Oil company to appear in court and
present a bond of $25,000 for the cor
poration. BRUTAL WOMAN THUG
TERROR IN CLEVELAND
Journal Special Service.
Cleveland, Aug. 9.A woman thug
operating on the East Side has created
a reign of terror among women resi
dents of the East End. Many women
are afraid to venture from their homes
at night without an escort.
Three women have reported to the
police that tney were held up by a tall,
athletic woman who, they say, beat
them brutally in attempts to wrest
money and valuables from them. The
police are working on the assumptidfl
that the culprit is a man masquerading
in women's attire.
HATED TO SELL LIQUOR,
SO BE KILLED HIMSELF
St. Louis. Aug. 9.After writing a
note stating that he took his life rather
than again earn his living by selling
liquor, Ernest SteinhaTdt. 57 years of
age. whose home is supposed to have
been at 205 West Seventy-eighth street,
New York committed suicide by drink
ingbmorphine. Steinhardt was formerly
a traveling salesman for a Kentucky
rfeidpr house,
Kansas City, Mo., Aug. 9.Kansas
City won its long fight for cheap gas
when Mayo* Beardsiey today promised
to sign the so-called Fleming-Wilson
natural gas ordinance, granting a fran
chise to a syndicate of Chicago capital
ists, which was passed by the city
council last night.
The franchise is to run for thirty
?he
ears and it provides that as long as
supply of natural gas is reasonably
accessible it is to be furnished at 25
cents a thousand cubic feet for domes-
FATHER IS RAGE
KILLS HIS CHILD
Jug Is Instrument of Death in a
Horrible Murder "in Wis
cbnsin.
25-CENT GAS FOR C.
ORDINANCE BRINGING CHEAP RATE FOR
NATURAL PRODUCT PASSED BY COUN-
CILMAYOR PROMISES TO SIGN IT.
Special to The Journal.
Menomonie, Wis., Aug. 9.William
Esler of Downsville killed his 7-year-
old daughter last night at 9 o'clock by
striking her over the head with a gal
lon jug. Her skull was smashed to a
pulp.
Esler had been having trouble with
his wife, who left him six months ago,
claiming non-support. Since then she
has been supporting herself and up to
yesterday was employed as a domestic
at Hotel Eoyal in this city.
Esler came to town yesterday and
persuaded her to return home. She
says she told him she would go home
and take care of the child, but would
not live with him and intended to get
a divorce.
After their arrival home he went
to the barn and on returning brought
the ax in with him. This alarmed Mrs.
Esler and she succeeded in getting out
side. After several unsuccessful at
tempts to get her back in the house
he took the ax and started after her.
Timely interference by neighbors saved
her.
The sheriff was sent for and upon his
arrival he called upon Esler to open the
door. Esler said he would in a minute
and while the sheriff and his assistants
were waiting he struck the child with
the iug.
The door was then forced and the
prisoner captured. He says he killed
the child because the mother did not
want it and he knew he would be ar
rested for attempting to kill his wife
and he did not want the little one to
suffer.
HARRIS ARRESTED
CHARGE, MURDER
Man Accused of Killing Frank
Staffler Is Taken in
Iowa.
Special to The Journal.
Centerville, Iowa, Aug. 9.John
Harris was arrested today at his home
near here, accused of the murder of
Frank Staffler in Minneapolis. Harris
arrived home yesterday. His family
and friends know nothing of the alter
cation of Saturday night, in which
Staffler was punched in the eye with
an umbrella, dying Tuesday, after
Harris had left Minneapolis. Hams is
of a prominent family which is highly
respected. Sympathy here is with him.
He has a wife and two children.
SLAVES IN FLORIDA
TURPENTINE CAMP
Swede Declares Brutal System of
Peonage Exists in the
South.
New York, Aug. 9.A storv of al
leged ill treatment in a turpentine camp
in Florida was told today by Jacob
Von Arx, a Swede, 24 years old, when
he was arraigned in a police court in
Hoboken, N. J., on a charge of vag
rancy.
Von Arx said he and four other men
were engaged by a New York employ
ment agency to go to Buffalo Bluff,
Fla., to work in the turpentine camp.
He said he worked four weeks and was
paid $2.40 The food given the men, he
declared, was bad and the quarters un
fit for habitation.
Von Arx said that he escaped from
the camp but was captured, beaten and
forced to return to work. He said he
escaped a second time and made his
way to this city as best he could on
freight trains. He said his compan
ions were still prisoners at the camp,
so far as he knew.
THROWS CHILD TO STREET
AND LEAPS AFTER IT
Cincinnati, Aug. 9.Thomas Mc
Kenna, a waiter, threw his 3-year-old
child from the third-story window of
his home, and then lumped from the
window to the sidewalk below. The
child was dead when picked up, while
McKenna died on the way to the hos
pital. McKcnna is believed to have
been mentally deranged.
MICHIGAN MAN HGTIM
OF MYSTERIOUS MURDER
Special to The Journal.
Menominee, Mich,, Aug. 9.C. B.
Post of Walsh, Mich., was found stone
dead at noon today near his buggy,
A bullet from a large rifle was in his
head and murder is suspected, as. there
were no weapons about the dead man.
Post was 50 years old and had a wife
but no children. There is no clue to
the murderer.
tic consumption and at 10 cents for
manufacturing purposes. If the supply
of natural gas fails, then artificial gas
is to be furnished at 75 cents a thou
sand cubic feet. The city may pur
chase the gasworks at -any time, provid
ing the grantees receive their profits for
ten years.
The Kansas City, Mo., Gas company
now holds a franchise to furnish gas at
$1.10 a thousand feet. The new ordi
nance will be signed as soon as it
reaches the mayor, which probably will
be tomorrow.
BOY KILLS MAN AT
FATHER'S COMMAND
Youth Slays Neighbor After Quar
rel Over BerriesParent
Jailed with Son.
Frederick, Md., Aug, 9.At the com
mand of his father, Fred Debold, 17
years old, son of John Debold, shot and
killed George Smith, son of their
neighbor, Edward O. Smith, near here
last evening.
There had been feeling between the
two families and yesterday they quar
reled over blackberries the Smiths had
picked on Debold's land. "Shoot
him," said Debold to his son, pointing
at the younger Smith. The boy fired
a load from a shotgun which struck
Smith over the heart, killing him in
stantly.
Both Debolds were arrested this
morning and are now in iail here.
BOLTINGDRIYERS
CONTINUE 'STRIKE*
Teamsters, Foes of Shea, Ignore
Overtures from Regular
Convention.
Chicago, Aug. 9.Confronted by
the certainty that the International
Brotherhood of Teamsters would re
elect President C. P. Shea and his
chosen ticket, the insurgents who bolt
ed the regular convention of the Inter
national Brotherhood of Teamsters yes
terday and started a rival meeting,
kept up their "strike" today against
'the Shea contingent.
Overtures were ignored by the bol
ters, who proceeded, to organize a con
vention of their own and planned to
adopt by-laws and a constitution. They
insisted that they would never be rec
onciled to the rule of President Shea.
Officers slated for election by the
"regular" faction today are: Presi
dent, C. P. Shea, Boston vice presi
dents, Ed Mullen, J. H. McCarthy,
.George Golden, Chicago: C. F.
O'Neil, Buffalo W. J. Gibbons, Chi
cago, and J. Geary, St. Paul secretary
treasurer, Thomas L. Hughes, Chicago
auditor, George W. Bnggs, Chicago
trustees, James Welch New Orleans
John Longstreet, Cincinnati John But
ler, Chicago.
New York, Aug. 9.The fight to
have the wili of Bussell Sage declared
invalid will be inaugurated and sus
tained by a syndicate, the members of
which will subscribe to a fund of $25,-
000 to start with.
*iX:wir:f M"0'yAW^^
16 PAGESFIVE O'CLOCK. THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 9, 1906. PRICE ONE CENT IN MINNEAPOLIS.
LOFTDS URGEi) FOR
BIG FEDERAL JOB
Minnesota Man for Place on In
terstate Commerce Com
mission.
Declared to Be Thoroly Informed
on the Ins and Outs of
Railroading.
George S. Loftus of St. Paul, the
shipper whose efforts at reform of rate
abuses have made him such a thorn in
the flesh of the railroad officials of, the
northwest, will be urged on President
Roosevelt as a candidate for appoint
ment to the interstate commerce com
mission.
There is now n vacancy on the com
mission. Its complement of seven mem
bers under the Hepburn bill has been
named, but it is understood that F. M.
Cockrell, the former Missouri senator,
is soon to resign, and Commissioner
C. M. Prouty may also drop out. When
ever a vacancy occurs the claims of
Mr. Loftus will be pressed by his
friends. He has been a leader in Min
nesota, and his expert knowledge of
tariff matters has made him of high
value to shippers appealing for reduc
tion and readjustment of rates.
Knows All the Kinks.
On account ott his former railroad
connections, he is exceptionally well
informed. He. has been relied on for
data as to railroad rates by Senator
La Follette of Wisconsin, by E. P.
Bacon, leader of the movement for the
new interstate commerce law, and by
such searchers for light as Bay Stan
nard Baker. He has been of invaluable
assistance in such quests, and would
bring to the commission an expert and
detailed knowledge of rate-making as a
business, something no member of the
commission has ever possessed in such
a degree.
Begins Work Early.
Mr. Loftus is a Minnesotan by btrth
and only 33 years old. He entered $hfl
employ of the Minneapolis & St. Louis
road as an office boy for the vice
president when only 10 years old, and
woiked up rapidly hi the general of
fices till at 19 he was, chief clerk in the
general freight department. It was
remarkable for such a mere boy to hold
a position requiring so much technical
ability, but Loftus made good and held
the position four years.
In 1896 he went with the St. Paul &
Duluth as assistant general freight
agent. He remained with the company
till 1899, when he resigned to go into
business for himself with Charles F.
Hubbard, son of former Governor L. F.
Hubbard. They formed the Loftus*
Hubbard Elevator company", which has
since engaged in the ffraln and hay
business on tbjiifcest^siae, St. Paul.
Fight From the Sjrt.
Almost from the start they have been
fighting railread discrimination in fa
vor of larger firms and more favored
localities, and Mr. Loftus has kept
things moving with the state railroad
commission and the interstate commerce
commission. He has secured some im
portant legislation and many conces
sions from the railroad companies.
Some of the abuses which he has shown
have been stopped by orders of the
state commission.
The members of the interstate com
merce commission under the new^ law
recive salaries of $10,000.
SHOWERS BREAK HEAT WAVE.
Philadelphia, Pa Aug. 9 Cooling showers
last night broke the force of the hot ware and
brought relief from the high temperature of the
past Ave days During the night, however, there
were fouf additional deaths from heat, making
a total of twenty-two fatalities during the heat
ed term The cases of prostration numbered
eighty-three.
I Defect.
A PORTRAIT OILS BY AIT OU? MASTER.
A grand jury report iedm. Chicago s&ys that John. EL IkrokefMer%has dense* Uncle Sam in afla.
Page 1
GEORGE S. LOFTUS.
Private Citizen Who Has Won Proml
nenoe In Railroad Rate Regulation.
STRANGLED, TIED,
LOCKED IN A CAR
Young Drum Fell Among Philis
tines and Was Brutally
Beaten and Robbed.
Special to The Journal.
Elroy, Wis., Aug. 9.To fall among
thieves at an uncanny time of night,
to be beaten and strangled and tied
fast, and help-less, to be cast into a
freight car aud locked up. there to die
of thirst and starvation, it no one came
to save, was the experience of L. O.
Drum in Elroy last night.
Drum, an unsophisticated country
boy of 21, stopped in Elroy while on
his way to Chicago. At 1 o'clock this
morning he was pounced upon in a dark
corner bv three men and speedily
choked into submission and his feet
and hands tied. When he had been
strangled HO that he could not speak,
and when he could scarcely move hand
or foot, he was lifted tt^and carried
by the thjig* to a half^filled lumberj
car. His captors threw him upon the
floor as tho he were no more than a
stick of timber, and nailing and lock
ing the car left him in his misery. Rob
bery was the motive of the attack, for
the men took $9 from their victim, all
he had.
Hours later Thomas Hennessy, an
Omaha freight brakeman, found the
half conscious boy in the car. Pros
trated with the torture he had passed
thru and chastened and cowed in spir
it, Drum was released from his prison
and his thongs out and a general alarm
given. One of the desperadoes was
caught here this morning and the other
two are said to be in custody at Bara
boo. Some $6 of Drum's money was
found on the fellow taken here.
Rochester, Minn., Aug. 9.Jumping
into a swiftly running millrace, Fred
Oestereich, a 12-year-old boy, seized
Charles Wright, 6 years old, by the
ear and succeeded in saving him from
drowning.
CANNON TO BOOH
FOR COMMANDER
Noisy Welcome Will Announce
Arrival of Grand Army Chief
Tomorrow Morning.
Official Party Will at Once Open
National Headquarters at
the West Hotel.
The fortieth annual national encamp
ment of the Grand Army of the Repub
lie will be informally opened tomorrow
morning on the arrival in Minneapolis
of Commander-in-Chief James Tanner
of Washington and his staff. The party
special is due to arrive in the city at
8:10 over the Wisconsin Central road.
As the commander-in-chief arrives an
official salute will be fired by a detach
ment from Battery B, M. N. G., sta
tioned in Bridge square. This salute
detail will be maintained thru the week
fire the morning and sunset guns, and
to fire the morning and sunset guns, and
other times as ordered.
The Official Company.
General Tanner will be accompanied
by his staff. In the party will be Ad
jutant General John Tweedale, Quarter
master General Frank Battles, Assist
ant Adjutant General William P. Rog
ers and others. The party will be met
at the train by a delegation of promi
nent Minneapolis G. A. R. men headed
by Junior Vice Cemmander S. H. Tow
ler and Judge L. W. Collins of the exe
cutive council, Department Commander
Levi Longfellow, Judge Ell Torrance,
pats commander-in-chief and others.
Will Open Headquarters.
POPE ILL WITH
A WEAK HEART
Collapse Oomes Following Cele
bration of Third Anniver
sary of Coronation.
London, Aug. 9.A dispatch to the
Exchange Telegraph company from
Rome says that shortly after his return
from the ceremony attending the cele
bration today of the third anniversary
of his coronation, the pope had a severe
attack of heart weakness. He was at
tended by Dr. Lapponi, who gave him
relief.
The celebration in the Sistine chapel
of the Vatican of the third anniversary
of the coronation of Pope Pius X. was
a brilliant affair.
Cardinal Merry Del Val, the papal
secretary of state, celebrated mass in
the presence of the pontiff, the car
dinals, bishops, diplomats and members
of the nobility.
PREACHER DIES IN AGONY
RABIES FROM DOG'S BITE
Morristown, Teim., Aug. 9.Rev.
James Brady, a local Baptist preacher,
died last night in the county jail of
hydrophobia. Brady was bitten by his
own dbg. A few days later Brady de
veloped symptoms of rabies, became un
controllable and was placed in a cell.
HEED GIANIS TO PICiV
SUCKER CORN
J*
Journal Spaoial ftwvloa.
Tampico, HI., Aug. 0.The corn *n
the,farms in this vicinity has grown so
high this year that the farmers are
looking for tall men to pick it. Those
Who can't hire them will have to put
on stilts or else use stepladders, as the
ears on most of the stalks are way
above the head of ,the average siaed
matt&K
CASHIER ACCUSES
CHIEF OF LOOTING
Henry W. Hering, Officer
'Wrecked Chicago Bank, Is
Ready to Give Up.
ft
General Tanner will at once open his
headquarters in rooms 128 and 130 at
the West hotel. The quarters have
been fitted and decorated for the re
ception of the commander, and every
thing is ready. The executive head
quarters of the local committee wili be
transferred to the ground floor of the
West hotel in, the store at 502 Henne
pin avenue, and everything will be
Teady for the formal opening of the
encampment Monday morning.
The_ party to arrive tomorrow morn
ing will have many prominent veterans
not on the staff of the commander-in
chief and some not connected with the
organization in any official capacity.
In the party will be General John C.
Black, who will be one of the promi
nent men of the encampment.
Plans for Oampnre.
Elaborate plans are in preparation
for the mammoth campfire to be held
at the Auditorium Tuesday evening,
yhia will be one of the largeBt gather
ings of the encampment and will bring
together practically all the veterans in
the city for the encampment. General
"Tanner and all officials of the G. A. R.
Organization, UfillJbe present and take
part in the program. The chairman.
Ell Torrance, of the campfire committee
has secured, the best to be had and a
program of interest to the veterans is
assured. Among the prominent speak
ers who will participate will be Gen
eral John C. Black, President Cyrus
Northrop of the university, former Gov
ernor W. D. Hoard of Wisconsin, Colo
nel C. A. Clark of Iowa, and others.
The program includes many musical
numbers.
Conceit for AIL
The local committee is preparing to
handle a big crowd for the opening pa*
triotic concerts Monday evening. This
feature of the encampment is public
and is arranged to appeal to everybody,
visitors and residents. The coneert is
under the direction of the executive
committee. A small admittance will be
charged and the proceeds turned into
the entertainment Jund. The concert
will offer everybody an opportunity to
contribute to the G. A. R. fund.
St. Paul, thru the St. Paul Commer
cial club, will assist Minneapolis in
the entertainment of the encampment.
A committee from the St. Paul club
consisting of R. F. Rees, F. J. Water
ous and Grant Van Sant has been ap
pointed to work with the Minneapolis
committees in case assistance from St.
Paul is needed.
of
INNOCENT TOOL OP
STENSLAND, HE SAYS
Describes How Fugitive President
Got the Funds of 20,000 I
Depositors.
NOT IN PORT ARTHUR.
Special to The Journal.
Port Arthur, Ont.* Aug. 9.
Stensland, the fugitive American
banker, is not in Port Arthur.
Agents and passengers of all boats
arriving today nave not seen hint
and know nothing of his where
abouts.
To Give TJp Before Night.
Chicago, Aug. 9.Hering had not sur
rendered at a late hour this afternoon,
but friends assert that he will give,
himself into custody before night.
Bank Examiner Jones, in an inter
view wherein he declared that only a
bank examiner, who was a mind reader
could have foreseen the impendingi
crash, said that part of Cashier Her
ing's published defense he believed to
be true. Other parts he said he be
lieved to be untrue. He declined to
be more explicit.
He pointed out that Hering, as cash
ier, was under heavy bond, while
Stensland, the president, was not, as
far as Mr. Jones has been able to
learn.
Inspector Shippytoday sent a detec
tive to Baraboo, Wis., to interview a
woman who is said to be well acquaint
ed with the missing president and who
is believed by the police to have some
knowledge of his whereabouts.
j
Speolal to The Journal.
Chicago, Aug. 9.The Chicago Trib
une says this morning:
Henry W. Hering, cashier of the Mil- 2
waukee Avenue State bank, looted by $fj
Paul O. Stensland of over $1,000,000. 1
is in Chicago. He has not been out of
Chicago since Monday morning. -J
The police department can call in its J2
circulars, take its detectives off the
trail and rest assured in the belief that
at 1 o'clock today, or rather, one min
nte after 1, Mr. Hering will be in the &
custody of Inspector Shippy. Hering
intends to give himself up and is ab- Jf
eolutely condent that in a short space 1#
of time he can show to the satisfaction
of everyone concerned that he had no ff
part in robbing the 22,000 depositors of
th wrecked institution
Yesterday the Tribune got on Mr.
Hering's trail and pourparlers were en- "J
tered into. The Tribune wanted to talk
to Mr. Hering and Mr. Hering wanted
to tell his story to the public.
The mutual "wants" were satisfied
late last night and from 9 p.m. until
11 p.m. a reporter and the cashier sat
on a bench in one of the city's parks.
In these two hours Mr. Hering told the
story of his connection with the bank
from the time of his employment, sev
enteen years ao, until he closed his safe
last Saturday.
Off for Rest Only,
The cashier does not think he had
been described as a fugitive. It has
been said that he ran away from town
last Saturday and various surmises as
to his whereabouts have been put for
ward by the police. He is alleged to
have been in Canada, said to be on the
way to Europe, to have sailed for the
far east, to be in Michigan and either
in or headed for every other spot of
the habitable globe.
As a matter of fact, when Hering left
the city on Saturday he simply went up
the lake for a day's rest. He reached
Chicago Monday morning, got on a car
and rode straight to the bank. When
the car stopped on the corner he
jumped off, carrying his heavy grip.
Just as he reached the edge of the side
walk he saw a man pasting the notice
of the closing of the bank on its doors.
Instead of ascending the steps, he
back-tracked and headed downtown.
Had Suspected Wrong.
The pasting of the notice on the win-,,
dow proved the culmination of suspi
cions aroused in his mind six or eight
weeks ago that things in the bank were
not right.
This suspicion was intensified by the
unexplained prolongation of the ten
days' absence that President Stensland
said he was going to take when he left
three weeks ago last Sunday. And sus
picion became a certainty when he saw
the mob of frenzied depositors around
the bank's door.
Hering thought he would like a few
hours to think affairs over before he
jumped into.the financial wreck. After
he reached a friend's house he called
the bank's phone, but he got the busy
signal a dozen times and finally gave ft
up. Then he phoned an acquaintance
on Milwaukee avenue, was told that the
bank had failed and further informa
tion on the subject came to him in lib'
eral quantities in the afternoon paper
extras.
Says He Is Innocent.
Mr. Hering is insistent in is
Bii*tBMfc.iff
state-w':.
ment that he had absolutely nothing
whatever to do with any peculation of
the bank's funds. He swears he has not
profited one penny by the irregularities
brought to liffht. He asserts that altho
eashier of the bank he was merely a
clerk for Stensland that all he
did..w*$J
waB to carry out Stensland's orders.
He declares that Stensland's instruc-'"*
tions were such that there was no way
on their face of determining that any
crooked business was going on it was
only the culmination of a number of
suspicious incidents and the piling of
note upon note to carry on Stensland'
real estate operations that finally made
him morally certain that thievery ma
rampant in the institution.
Hering is a heavy set, stolid Individ-,/
ual, looking not unlike Grover Cleve
land when he* was governor of New
York,. He has a good, square, honest
faeey with griy, unwinking eyes thai
look, you thru 'and thru.' Last night he
had the repose of an innocent man and
the story he told bore every superficial,
evidence of being true.
Blames Seal Estate Mania.
While defending himself with the vt4
most vigor he made no valid accusa-*
tions against Paul O. Stensland: he
simply told what he said was a plain,
unvarnished statement of the rise of
Stensland and his downfall* brought