2
legally bound to pay. because of a techni
cality, and which the city administration
is anxious to repudiate if Boggs could only
be induced to disclose which ones fall
under the rule. This information he re- |
fuses to give because his friends have the
warrants, and he says the city sold the
warrants and received good money for
them, and now they have no right to try
to evade payment. On the other hand, if
a couple of hundred thousand dollars of
outstanding city warrants could be repudi
ated—if the famous million-doilar suit I
against C. W. Wright could be gained |
for the city— \here might be some hope
of recovery from the effects of the
raids upon her treasury. But with Boggs
refusing to give up the information de- j
sired, with the decision of the Supreme j
Court last week holding that the City is
bound to pay the water bonds, and that j
the defense set up by the City, that the
voters were bribed to vote for the issue of
the bonds, was no defense, but an admis- j
sion that the City issued the bonds with
its eyes open, and with the prospective j
failure of the million-dollar suit when it i
comes to trial this week, there is little j
rfipe for anything but repudiation.
With a public debt outstanding of over j
$0,000,000, upon which interest is piling up |
«t the rate of about $1000 every day in the j
year and no money to pay it, and a stili j
Jarger private debt, with an assessed valu- j
ation of only about *2ti,000,000, and with j
more than two-thirds of the taxes of 1894 !
unpaid and no one willing to risk a bid on ;
property offered at tax sale, it looks as ;
though it was a question not cf years nor I
of months, but a question of days when
the people must come to realize that the
City is hopelessly bankrupt.
■ Like a circus-ground after the circus has
gone Tacoma stands to-day, a striking con
trast to wh.it she was in the days when
rftoney flowed like water, when everybody
had a bank, and every city officer had an
interest in a private harem.
A hard story is told of a woman who lay
on her death-bed in the establishment over
the Union Savings Bank on Pacinc avenue
and Fifteenth street — one who had been a
favorite with the city officers and who |
knew State secrets. The word went around j
that she would pass from this world to the j
next before the morning dawned, and John j
Huntington, Charley Uhlman, George W. j
Boggs, "Bill" Freeman ana a few other
rhoice spirits gathered in her room to keep
her company in her last moments on earth.
With them came the other women of the !
house, and when daylight came the woman j
lay dead on her couch, and a long row of
champagne bottles at her door told too
plainly the way the night had been kept.
In the election in 1892 the Democrats \
made a determined fight to gain control of |
the city, and to that end had a large num- j
ber of registration certificates printed and i
then procured a counterfeit signature of
the acting City Clerk, George Haskins, in
tending to run in a large. army of repeat
ers from the wards presided over by "Bill"
Freeman. Mart Dillon and John Malone, '
but theJr plans 2nd the place where the j
counterfeit stamps were being made, near i
ihe corner of C and Eleventh streets, were
discovered and, to checkmate them, the
City Clerk sent a man to Seattle to pur
chase a peculiar kind of ink and gtainp,
that would be distinguishable by the Re- I
puolican boards on election day. For this |
distinguished service Haskins was re- i
warded by being made City Clerk. Taking
• pointer from the Democrats, the gang in
power issued a lar^e number of registra- j
;:jn certificates to its ward heelers, with ;
instructions to have them voted. In a
small town of but 40,000 or 50,000 in habi- j
tants it required some fine work to so ar- j
range these repeaters that the fraud could j
rjot be discovered, and for this work an •
expert was employed — one S. L. Heck — j
who proved so competent that he was :
passed down the line by the gang to help j
out, in his specialty, in a sister town j
where his services were needed. The fol- |
lowing letter will give an idea, by reading I
between the lines, ot how his work was j
appreciated:
Tacoma, April 1, 1892.
Mr. Dautrick: This will introduce S. L. j
Heck, who nelped me on registration for !
live days, on authority of P. C. Sullivan. He j
want* to go to Spokane, and I hbpe you will .
give it your attention. Respectfully,
C. >". Wright.
Indorsed underneath, on the same page,
in the well-known chirography of George
Haskins, is the following :
] certify that B. L. Heck i 3 the person who
WH introduced to me as a man working in our I
interest, and that he was instrumental in I
causing men to register. George Haskins.
Dautrick was secretary of the Republi
can City committee. P. C. Sullivan is
"Charley" Sullivan, the ex-chairman of
the Republican State Committee, who j
then had his headquarters in John j
Malones gambling-nouse on Pacific ave
nue, and turned his line hand to the j
manipulation of such branches of City
politics as appeared to him most profit
able. He was the legal adviser and run- j
ning mate of Sam Milligan, City Attorney,
during the time when the looting of the
City treas ury was at its height.
Harry Morgan was the Sultan of Ta- !
coma. No one must cross his path. If |
any one dareu to oppose him openly, or
was Euspected of oppoging him secretly, a
plan was at once laid to put him out of i
the way. There were three men in the j
city besides Ran Radebaugh who were
spotted by Morgan. In looking over his
list of handy men Morgan found there was
no one that he could trust to put these '
men out of the way, and he therefore sent j
to Sacramento for a noted thug and cut- j
throat named "Bullneck" Smith to do the
job for him. Smith arrived, the men were
pointed out to him and pians laid for their j
taking off. One was to be shot in a dive on
Pacific avenue, another was to be choked
and thrown over the bluff, and in maHcing j
way with the third man it was necessary I
to take into the plan a well-known all
around spjrt still living in the city. When
the plan was laid before him he demurred. I
"I am ready to swindle, rob, flimflam or I
beat anybody and everybody for the good |
of the cause, but when it comes to murder i
I will have to draw the line," said he.
This unexpected opposition gave a de
cided check to the plans of Morgan, and,
by way of compromise, it was decided to
railroad this unlucky third man to the
penitentiary, instead of to the great be
yond. This man was S. J. Holland, at
"that time a prominent wholesale liquor
dsaler in Tacoma. A lot of counterfeit
United States revenue stamps were to be
placed in Holland's office and at the proper
time the office would be searched by the
United States Marshal and Holland was
to go to the "pen." This plan miscarried
by the unexpected moving of Holland
from Tacoma to Spokane.
In the case of the other two men who
were marked for murder a most disastrous
mistake was made. Instead of one of them
being killed, according to programme, a
quiet and well - respected young man
named Crosby was shot from behind as he
was going home one night, and the whole
town was at once aroused. Public meet
ings were held ; a large number of private
watchmen known to be true and reliable
Hundreds are buying BOOKS at
wholesale prices at DODGE'S, 107
Montgomery.
Magazines supplied at Cut Rates.
were posted over the city, and the demon
stration was so pronounced that Morgan
feared to proceed further with his nefarious
pbns. But, in order to shield the true
murderers from the consequences of their
blunder, it was necessary to tind some one
upon whom the crime could be fastened,
and by the tireless exertions of one of
Morgan's tools, wi:o was then Prosecuting
Attorney, a couple of young men were im
ported from Thurston County and the
crime sworn upon them by hired testi
mony. It has since been proved beyond a
doubt that both Hoyt and Stowe, con
victed of the murder, were twenty miles
from Tacoma at the time of the killing of
young Crosby.
Great was Harry Morgan ! For his
services in this case the Prosecuting At
torney was made a Judge.
The prophet and the Adonis of a cer
tain political faction — George W. Van
Fossen and Fred T. Taylor — were then
running mates. Van Fossen was attorney j
for the gamblers and liquor men and Tay- i
lor was City Controller and also owner of
several of the largest, best appointed and
most disorderly houses on D street and
Opera alley. When the Democracy was |
needed to help out on a proposition Van, |
as a prominent Democrat, could work the
party. Taylor was an old-time Republi
can and a member of the gang.
Van Fossen's power with the Democrats
came to a most unexpected end, however, i
when he put in a bill for $10 a night for i
services in stumping the county in the j
campaign following the election of Kandle I
for Mayor. It was too much for the Dem- j
ocratic county committee, and Van was
dropped from the rolls.
Taylor was one of the smoothest and
most unscrupulous politicians of the whole
gang, and did more than any other man
to carry through the many schemes for
J
S. J. Smithe.
robbing the treasury, yet he went out of
office when the game closed, without a
dollar. He lived like a Turk, however,
during his term of office. One of his asso
ciates, a member of the City Council, had
a box reserved for his use at the leading
variety theater. He was a member of tne
Police Committee and made regular con
tributions from the policemen by way of
"loans," the police in turn levying tribute
uuon gamblers, dive-keepers and dive fre
quenters, in addition to the tribute ex
acted by their superior officers.
Blackmail was rampant. Jake Adler,who
committed suicide a few days ago, was ad
vertising solicitor of the Tacoma News,
and a prominent member of the Tillicum
Democratic Clvb — a club organized solely
for spoils. He extorted $L}oo from the
saloon men. But money was plenty, and
the profit? of the saloons and gambling
houses were thousands of dollars a night.
When the tine hand of Wheeler had dis
appeared from the board, and the warrant
swindle was becoming apparent to people
; outside of the ring of bankers, gamblers
i and politicians who were in control of the
; city," a batch oi warrants fell into the
bands of a prominent citizen not con
nected with the gang, that were proved to
I be forged. This came very near being a
! catastrophe. It would|never do to let the
I people know that there were forged war
, rants out, and a young man named Me-
I Cain, a deputy in the City Clerk's office,
! was fixed up as a scapegoat to allay sus
! picior.. By agreement with McCain and
I his family, he confessed to the charge of
j forging the warrants, was sent to the State
I penitentiary, and his family is being well
| cared for during his absence, and if the
; gang don't go "broke" before his term cx
i pires, which will be early next year, he
| will draw a handsome salary for the time
spent in Walla Walla. Warrants had to
! be forthcoming in order to ksep the gang
j in funds, and a mere matter of hiring a
clerk to do time was only an incident in
the play.
Money was becoming scarce. No more
; warrants could be floated in the East, and
I exposure and ruin were staring the gang
in the face. The money which had been
poured out like water for four years, bal
ancing the books by fictitious credits and
forged and duplicate warrants, bonds and
other imaginary assets, was gone. There
! were twenty-oue banks in the city, nearly
j all of them closely connected with the
; powers that ruled. Dozens of the city's
! most prominent men were involved in the
! deals by which the city had been robbed.
I The situation had become desperate. Un
less something could be done at once cer
tain ruin was upon them, and the purchase
of the Tacoma Light and Water Company's
j property was brought forward as a way out
lof the difficulty. It was seized at once as
j the only way of salvation. Politicians,
J bankers, gamblers and all members of the
j gang entered with a will upon the cam
paign for the purchase of the plant and
property.
This property consisted of a wooden
j trough running from a small creek eight
| miles away to the south of the city and a
! system of pipes in some of the main streets
; of the city, and a map showing a prelimi
{ nary survey to the springs up in the moun
tains, also an engine, a number of dynamos,
l some electric-light wire, poles and lamps,
and a shipload of iron water-pipe on the
way from Philadelphia. But the ship
never came to port.
This plant and property was estimated
by competent engineers to be worth about
$150,000 to 1200.000, but it was proposed to
sell it to the city for $1,750,000, and to issue
bonds for the purchase, together with an
additional $1,750,000, to be used for the
| building of a pipe line out on the line sur
! veyed, to bring water from the mountain
i rivers. With this much money in the
treasury the present desperate straits
could be bridged, and before an exposure
j could bo made the members of the gang
could put their houses in order and ruin
would be averted. Thus it was that all
hands turned in and worked with might
and main for the water purchase. A
special election was called for the purpose
of voting upon the question, and at the
same time voting upon a proposition to
issue another $110,000 of bonds to build a
bridge over the! bluff for the benefit of the
St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Compauy,
! which was one of the favorites of the pow
i er3, and was strong enough to make trouble
j if its demands were not complied with.
Now, behold a miracle! Nelson Bennett,
the old-time enemy ot the water company
and the "Philadelphia crowd," turns a
somersault and, like the cat that came
back, lands on his feet. He has become
the owner of the Tacorna Ledger, the
organ of the water company and the
gang in advocating the monstrous steal.
Day after day the Ledger, with C. A.
Snowden as its managing editor, brings
out arguments in favor of making the
deal.
Strong opposition was developed to the
purchase of the water plant, as proposed
! by the gang. Many of the leading respect
able men and property-owners of the city
denounced the deal as an outrage. L. D.
Campbell, prominent as an attorney of the
Tacoma Land Company and "Papa' 1
Wright, was one of the first to declare his
opposition to the scheme, which he char
acterized as a barefaced and outrageous
swindle and fraud. But the newspapers
of the city were all owned and controlled
by the gang. There was but one cham
pion who could not be browbeaten or
silenced, and who was a rustler in bis line.
People admire a rustler, and a favorite in
the newspaper field at the time was Tom
Summons, the Tacoma correspondent and
local manager of the Seattle Post-Intelli
gencer. He fought the deal tooth and
nail from the start, exposing the rascality
of the proposition and the worthlessness
of the plant for which bonds to the extent
of $3,500,000 were to be saddled upon a
THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1*95.
long-suffering and already overburdened
people. In vain the gang attempted to
buy and browbeat him. He was threat
ened by mail and his track dogged by
thugs at nisht, but he was a stayer,
any member of the gang came to inter
view him, with a proposition to close his
mouth, Tom would strike his favorite at
titude,'run his fingers through his hair,
and ask them if they had a story for him.
A fund of $66,000 was put in the field
for the purpose of carrying the election in
favor of the water steal. All the bankers
were in the tield in favor of the scheme.
It was absolutely necessary that it should
go through, and that this additional money
should be procured in order to carry them
over the dangerous crisis which then con
fronted them. The deal must be made to
go through. A detention of the City
Council was sent to Philadelphia to con
fer with "Papa" Wright to insure the
carrying out of the "plans proposed by
j bim. This delegation included Harris A.
I Corell, president of the council and part
ner in the law rirrn of Parsons & Corell,
attorneys for the water company. Fred
Murray, at that time city attorney, was
I also sent for by "Papa" Wright and his
I objections to the* deal met by specious ar
guments.
The Merchants' National Bank, of which
Walter J. Thompson was president and
Samuel Collyer cashier, was about at the
j end of its string, and unless this deal was
j to go through the bank would be com
j pelled to close. Nelson Bennett was one
of the largest stockholders and a director
| and also owner of the Ledger, the oldest
newspaper in the city. C. A. Snowden
was placed in charge as managing editor
and instructions given to carry the elec
tion at all hazard. The Morning Union
the other paper, was owned by Boggs and
the city administration, and the News,
which for a time opposed the deal, swun^
into line and was one of the strongest ad
vocates of the purchase before election
day came around.
The Chamber of Commerce and Com
mercial Club, claiming to represent the
business men of the city, but which were
ali owned or controlled by the members of
the gang, directly or indirectly, passed
resolutions in favor of making the pur
chase, and the individual members were
sent out upon the war path to see that the
proposition carried.
Among those who were most prominent
in urging the proposition were C. A. Cav
ender. then chairman of the Finance Com
mittee .of the City Council; C. E. Hale,
president of the "Tacoma Grocery Com
pany, since defunct; H. O. Fishback,
cashier of the Tacoma National Bank, de
funct; Samuel Collyer, cashier of the
Merchants' National" Bank, defunct, now
secretary of the Chamber of Commerce,
after escaping the United States Federal
Grand Jury in. the United States Court for
j his actions* in the conduct of the bank of
I which he was cashier; all of the Tacoma
| Land Company and Tacoma Light and
j Water Company outfit; all of the city otri
! cers, and every one who was supposed to
j have a "pull" and who was susceptible to
! the "influence" brought to boar by the
i gang. Ike Anderson, manager for "Papa"
I Wiight of the Tacoma Land Company,
' was not only serving his master in advo
! eating the deal, bit helping to save his
j own bacon as well, for it has developed
since then that he had over half a million
I dollars of outstanding obligations, which
I were threatening to break him unless
! something was done to relieve the pres
i sure. If his bank could only get its share
j of the prospective millions to be derived
from the sale of the bonds, he would be
able to carry himself over the pending
crisis and no one would bo the wiser.
Anderson talked loudly about running
the election in an economical manner
j when it was suggested by some of the op
j ponents of the measure that extra guards
be placed at the polls to prevent illegal
voting; and when his point was carried he
went to his own lieutenants and urged that
not a vote be lost. There was no registra
tion, and the election was run ''wide
open." Hundreds of repeaters and floaters
were in the tield, and hundreds of others
were bought up at so much a head. On
the day before election every saloon in
town was given an order to use $200 for
I "the good of the cause," and the $200 was
| promptly paid them by the gang.
Van Fossen and Fred Taylor were again
j in the field, crying against the Irish em
| ployed by the water company. Poor old
Van! "Back East" he was a prominent
member of the Hibernian Society ; but
time and tide and ill fortune make strange
changes.
Van was a member of the third House
of the Washington Legislature, and the
story is told on him that Harvey John
ston, a young Democratic politician, went
! to him one day and told him a Clan na
i Gael Society had been organized in Oiyni
pia, that he believed it had its eye on Van,
and advised him to keep in nights and not
allow himself to be away from his friends
after darK. A member named Dorritv,
from east of the mountains, a hot-tempered
Irishman, was pointed out to Van as a
prominent mem ber of the Clan. Van kept
very close to his hotel evenings, and never
went out after dark without a bodyguard,
t After this had gone on for several days
the joke was too good to keep, and Harvey
gave it away to a few friends and it became
public, much to the chagrin of Van Fossen.
Nelson Bennett, who has always been
fighting the water company, was how one
! of the strongest advocates of the purchase.
j He went to New York and Philadelphia,
I paw "Papa" Wright— and perhaps "Papa"
Wright "saw" him, for he telegraphed
back advising and urging that the pur
i chase be made.
One of the strongest pleas made to the
people in favor of the deal was that if
Wright could sell the water plant to the
I city he would at once take the money de
' rived from the sale thereof and build the
I "Hart" Railroad to a junction with the
i "Hunt" road in the Walla Walla Valley
! to a connection with the Chicago, Buf
i lington and Quincy road, making Tacoma
I the western terminus of that system.
I "Give Wright his way about the water and
'he will build the 0. B. and Q. into
Tacoma,'' was the cry. The laboring men
were told to vote for the proposition ; al
though the price was pretty high the
money would all come right back here
again in payment for work on the rail
road, and the extra $1,000,000 would be
used for building an extension of the
water works system to the sources of the
| mountain rivers. Work would be plenty
i and wages cood, and the laboring man
would be in clover.
Three years havo passed away, the deal
went, and the C. B. and Q. is just as liable
to drop in here out of a balloon as it ever
j was to come in over the "Hart" and
"Hunt" roads out of the hand of "Papa"
j Wright.
An army of lieutenants and heelers was
hired to carry the election in favor of the
! purchase. The present City Attorney,
■ James Wickersham, has a safe full of
I affidavits which have been procured from
j various parties showing how the job was
i worked. Two hundred and twenty-rive of
j them are from people who were either
I hired to "work" for the carrying of the
proposition or were paid money for their
votes. Among the lot I noticed those of
James Clark, Tred E. King and Thomas
Kelley. Clark received $50, King $40 and
Kelley $100 for their "pull."
The day before election Ike Anderson
had the ballots changed so that the bridge
proposition was substituted for the water
proposition and vice versa. By this move
the water proposition carried by 200 votes,
otherwise it would have been lost, and
ruin would have been the consequence to
many of the most prominent citizens.
When it was learned that the proposi
tion had carried the gang drew a long
breath and at once set to work to realize
upon its bonds as quickly as possible. The
new blood gave the bankers a fresh le,ase
: of iife, and it looked as though they would
j be able to sail on forever, but in a few
months it was known that the Merchants'
National was in a shaky condition. Nel
son Bennett became president and W. J.
Thompson retired, but this did not restore
public confidence. Finally the bank
closed, and its example has been followed
by one after another until out of the
twenty-one banks only seven are left.
When the city counted up its property,
for which the $3,500,000 had been paid, it
was found that Clover Creek, the source of
supply, was owned and claimed by the
farmers who lived along its banks, and ob
jection was made to the taking of water
for the city. One of these farmers, Robert
i Rigney, brought suit and obtained an in
junction against the taking of any water
out of the creek. The city then tried to
gat water enough out of a marsh and small
spring on the line between the creek and
the city, and also out of a pond near the
city. This all had to be pumped, and at
an enormous cost. Suit was brought
against "Papa" Wrieht for $1,000,000 dam
ages on account of this and other claims,
but the suit is not yet determined. Sev
eral times it has been set, but until now
has failed to come to trial. Suit was also
brought to set aside tne purchase and
rescind the whole transaction, on the
ground that the deal was procured through
fraud and bribery, but the Supreme Court
has held that the fact that the voters were
bribed to vote in favor of the deal was no
defense, but, on the contrary, showed that
its otlicers made the deal and with their
eyes <*j>en.
Among other things claimed by the
city after purchasing the plant and prop
erty was a lot of water-pipe piled up near
the water company's works, which was
not delivered. The Mayor and some of
his men went down and attempted to take
the pipe. A free fight ensued and much
litigation followed, all for the purpose of
making the dear people think that there
was really a dfference between the city
government and the water company — both
members of the gang that was looting the
treasury again, now that there was some
thing in it.
There was also a shipload of pipe com
ing around the Horr., but when the deal
was consummated it looked like so much
foolishness to give up that cargo — the dear
people would not miss it, and there would
be a fine chauce for a rake-off. So the ship
was put into San Francisco and unloaded
through tne seawall, eight or ten blocks
from the Market-street wharf, and the pipe
is there yet— loo,ooo pieces in the cargo,
now completely filling the warehouse and
Fred T. Taylor.
making a big pile on the outside— all
marked "Tacorna." For this pipe suit is
about to be commenced by the City, its
existence having but recently come to the
knowledge of the present City Attorney.
The pipe is said to be worth about $150,000.
The agent who represents this warehouse
is connected with a ship-broker firm on
Market street.
When the Merchants' National Bank
failed, followed soon after by the Tacoma
National, the Traders' and others, and the
books became subject to inspection, it be
ean to be apparent to the people at large
how gigantic had been the combination
for looting the treasury. The suicide of
I'aul Schulze, the later bank failures and
the quarrels among the looters themselves
have brought all the details before the
public.
The books of the Tacoma National— lke
Anderson's bank — show that he was a
creditor to the extent of $54,000 at the time
the banfc closed. Nelson Bennett's private
secretary stands charged with $40,000,
which, he says, was made for the use of
Anderson; G. G. Rowe, a clerk in Ander
son's office, who is built for taking books
from the top shelf, also has a note in the
bank for $3000 for Anderson's benefit; Rus
sel T. Joy, collaborator in the good cause,
another $3000, cone; J. G. Parker, father
in-law of Ikey's, $3000, gone; Fox Island
Clay Works, of which lkey was president,
$8000, defunct; Cherry Hill Coal Company,
of which lkey was president, $8000, de
funct; Excelsior Park Land Company, of
which he was president, $13,000, defunct;
Crescent Creamery Company, of which he
was a stockholder, promoter and active
manipulator, $13,000, defunct; Tacoma
Land Company, of which he is manager,
$20,000.
In the Traders' Bank Anderson owed
$140,000, as shown by the record in the
hands of the receiver; in the State Savings
Bank $2720, and in addition to this and bis
liabilities in oilier banks there are judg
ments of record against him, all taken
since the workings of the gang were un
earthed, amounting to nearly $200,000.
Nelson Bennett appeared on the books of
the Merchants' National Bank a creditor
to the extent of $30,000, in the State Sav
ings Bank $3000, Tacoma Trust and Sav
ings Bank $12,306 13, Bennett National
Bank of Fairhaven $26,500. The Ledger, of
which he is proprietor, also appears as a
creditor to the extent of $13,000. In addi
tion a judgment for $82,000 was recently
entered against him, and many suits are
now tending for other sums. Bennett was
a director of the Tacoma Trust and Sav
ings Bank at the time that institution was
run by Grattan H. Wheeler. When this
bank failed it had $228,000 of city money
•'on hand," but only $450 was found by the
receiver. The balance is probably repre
sented by the city warrants that went
away in Wheeler's grip.
When this bank went into the receiver's
hands two of the books were missing; the
two covering a most important period in
its history. For their non-appearance W.
B. Allen, the last president of the bank, re
named the Bank of Tacoma, is now under
sentence for contempt of court, but the
books are out of sight. Like the books of
the Tacoma Grocery Company, that
gisrantic institution manipulated by
Charles E. Hale, who is reported to have
maae $60,000 by the failure of his company,
the books of the bank are as utterly beyond
the sight of man as though burned in the
"hell" of the old town mill, a tire that goes
not out from year end to year end.
H. O. Fishback, cashier of the Tacoma
National, was a debtor to the bank to the
extent of $8000. He was retained by the
receiver to assist in winding up the bank's
affairs, and when the receiver took steps
to secure the $8000, Mr. Fishback promptly
confessed judgment in favor of Eastern
relatives to the amount of over $30,000.
Fishback is now the Deputy City Treasurer.
Samuel Collyer, the bright light and sec
retary of the Chamber of Commerce and
grand fugleman of the Occidental and
Oriental Fair which is to be held in Tacoma
in the year of grace 1900, was a debtor to
the bank of which he was cashier to the
extent of $34,000, while his associate was in
for $150,000.
W. B. Allen, president of the Bank of
Tacoma. which had $228,000 of city money
"on hand," was a debtor individually and
as a principal stockholder in sideshow cor
porations to the extent of nearly $150,000,
while Boggs shows up in the same institu
tion for $61,000. Other members of the city
gang were in for various sums, large and
small.
C. A. Cavender, chairman of the Finance
Committee of the City Council, who was
brought before the bar of the Council last
week, is accused of using his official posi
tion to extort moneys from the bank upon
the pledge of his influence to deter the city
from making demand for its deposit.
Charge six against Mr. Cavender is to the
effect that he instead of endeavoring to se
cure to the city its money from the Bank
of Tacoma used his influence as chairman
of the Finance Committee to obtain money
out of the bank for his own personal use to
the damage of the city and in bad faith;
that during the months of April, May,
June and July, 1894, while pretending to
be unable, to obtain any money for the
city from said bank he did, by reason of
his dishonesty and dishonorable dealings,
obtain from said bank large sums of money,
in all $4000.
M. M. Taylor, president of the Board of
Public Works, lately deposed for demand
ing $1000 rake-off from the Columbia Na
tional BanK for his influence in preventing
the withdrawal of the county funds from
that institution, is another of the same
kind of patriots.
Of the halt-hundred prominent citizens
who made up the gang that robbed the
city until there was scarcely enough left
to tempt a crow, haraly one has escaped
the reward of his work. Bankruptcy and
disaster have overtaken some, others have
gone to the suicide's grave, still others be
come almost paupers, or are now jumping
sideways to escape the prißon-doors.
For all this debt of $5,000,000 Tacoma has
a water system, with no source of supply;
a shipload of pipe in San Francisco, to get ;
a City Hall that could be built for less than
$150,000, if honestly done; a bridge for the
sole use and benefit of the St. Paul Mill
Company ; a County Courthouse that ought
to be built for $150,000, and have money
left— say $600,000 or $1,000,000 in all, and
$4,000,000 worth of experience.
Tacoma has a tine harbor, a beautiful lo
cation and many natural advantages
coal in abundance, timber and stone, a
rich agricultural country tributary, and
once divested of the burdens whteh have
almost drained the iast drop of blood from
her veins, will take a new start and be
come the fair Mistress of the Great Inland
Sea of the Northwest. Margery Dabe.
C A REE It Of McKEIGUAS.
The Late Congretaman Made a Record at
a Farmer and ¥opu\i*t.
OMAHA, Nebr., Dec. 15.— William Ar
thur McKeighan, the Populist ex-Con
gressman of Red Cloud, Nebr., who died
early this morning at the insane asylum
at Hastivigs, was born of Irißh parents in
Cumberland County, N. J., January 19,
1842. He removed with his parents to
Fulton County, 111., in 1?48, where he
lived on a farm and attended the common
school. He enlisted in the Eighteenth
Regiment, Illinois cavalry, September,
1861. At the close of the war he settled
on a farm near Pontiac, 111.; took an ac
tive part in organizing the Farmers' Asso
ciation; was elected Vice-President for the
Eighth Congressional District; removed to
Nebraska in 1880 and settled on a farm
near Red Cloud.
Ihe Late
He took an active interest in organizing
the Alliance and was elected County Judge
of Webster county in 1885. In 1686 he was
the Democratic candidate for Congress
against Hon. James Laird, and was de
feated. He was again nominated for Con
gress by the Alliance or Independent
party, was indorsed by the Democratic
convention and elected "to the Fifty-second
and re-elected to the Fifty-third Congress
as an Independent. In 1894 he was de
feated in the race for re-election by W. E.
Andrews.
Mr. McKeighan, at the time of his
death, had gone ta Hastings to visit his
daughter, who is an olh'cial of that institu
tion. He leaves a widow and three
children, who were by his bedside during
the last hours.
OPEN DEFIANCE DECLARED
Catholics of Tecumseh Will Not
Submit to the Bishop's
Order.
They Deny the Right of Bonacum to
Make Them Desert Father
Murphy.
TECUMSEH, Nebr., Dec. 15.— Catholics
of Tecnmseh have declared open defiance
to Bishop Bonacum of Lincoln so far as
his order forbidding them to attend the
church of Father Murphy, the excommu
nicated priest, is concerned. After to-day's
services a meeting was held at which the
following was adopted without dissent and
signed by fifty members of the church:
Resolved, That we hereby make open declara
tion that we as Catholics deny the right of any
Bishop to Joist upon us any person to act as
priest for us, through malice, revenge or to
gratify his personal pique, whim or caprice,
and deliver over to him the possession and
place him in full and absolute control of our
property, in which we have vested rights, with
out our consent. And we hereby further de
clare that no public threats of excommunica
tion or taking away from us any of the sacred
rights which we are permitted to enjoy as
Catholics will in any manner intimidate us or
influence us to do any act or thing which we
believe to be against and opposed to the princi
ples of right and justice. Be it further
Resolved, That it is the duty of the church to
investigate the scandalous conditions that
have already been too long tolerated in the
diocese of Lincoln and remove them from the
faithful and from the State. And be it further
Resolved, That we call upon the Catholics of
Lincoln to take action in these matters at once
with other Catholics throughont the State to
move the authorities in Dubuqne or Washing
ton or Rome to proceed at once to apply their
solicitude and authority to the conditions of
the church in this diocese.
MARQUIS SACRIPANTI'S TRIP.
Coming to This Country With the Insignia
of Office for the Elevation of
Satolli.
BALTIMORE, Md., Dec. 15.— Marquis
Sacripanti, the member of the Noble
Guard who has been commissioned as the
Pope's envoy to bring to this country the
insignia of olfice and the brief for the eleva
tion of Mgr. Satolli to the Cardinalate, is
on board the steamship Fulda, due in New
York next Thursday.
lork next Ihursuay.
At the request of Mgr. Satolli, through
the suggestion of Cardinal Gibbons, ne
will be met at the pier upon the arrival of
tne steamer by Major John D. Keiley, City
Treasurer of Brooklyn, the Cardinal's
friend, and received in a manner due to
his rank. Major Keiley will be accom
panied by Rev. Frederick B. Rooker, sec
retary of the apostolic delegation, and the
Marquis will be escorted to Washington
in a special car.
At Washington the Marquis will be
Mgr. SatolH's guest, and after recovering
from the fatigue of his long journey, will
be taken to Baltimore and presented to
Cardinal Gibbons, whose associate he will
be in the ceremony of investing the Papal
delegate with his new dignity on the first
Sunday in January at the Baltimore
Cathedral.
TAILORS LOCKED OUT.
Contractors Throw Two Thousand Work-
era Out of Employment.
NEW YORK, N. V., Dec. 15. -Threat of
the members of the Clothing Contractors'
Mutual Protective Association to lock out
the tailor 3 was carried out to-day and the
battle between the bosses and the men is
now on.
The contractors made no concealment of
their intention to repudiate the agreement
which they had made with the Brother
hood of Tailors, and gave their employes
to understand that they could no longer
work for them unless tney consented to do
so under a different system and a new
set of rules. Up to a late hour to-night
reports had been received at the head
quarters of the bosses showing that over
100 shops had been closed in this city and
that 2000 tailors had been thrown out of
work. In Brooklyn 150 shops were closed
and about 2200 tailors were debarred from
entering.
Caused by an Explosion.
CINCINNATI, Ohio, Dec. 15.— An ex
plosion occurred in the cellar of the Krell
Piano Manufacturing Company to-day,
followed soon after by flames issuing from
the lower windows. Before assistance
could be summoned the building and con
tents were almost destroyed. The loss to
building and stock is about $75,000, fully
covered by insurance.
Shot During a Saloon Fight.
CHICAGO, 111., Dec. 15.— 1n a fight be
tween half a dozen drunken men to-night
in a saloon at Market and Indiana streets,
i Alexandra Diogo was shot and killed by
1 Angelo Farenti.
PLANS OF CONGRESS
Soon the Senate May Pass
Into Republican
Hands.
STEWART UPON SILVER.
The Statesman From Nevada to
Make His First Speech
of the Session.
HILL WILL ANSWER CULLOM.
Secretary Carlisle's Report Will Be
the Signal for a Great Finan
cial Debate.
WASHINGTON, D. C, Dec. 15.— The
third week of the Senate will open with
that body no better equipped for the trans
action of business than on the day Con
gress first assembled, although it is more
than probable that before the week is over
the caucus committee will have agreed and
the Senate committees will have passed
into the hands of Republicans. If the
suggestions of some oi the younger Sena
tors are followed it is not improbable that
this week may find the Senate testing the
strength of the two parties over the sub
ject of the reorganization of the elective
officers.
To-morrow Mr. Stewart will make his
first silver speech of this session. Thurs
day he introduced a resolution to direct
the Finance Committee to inquire what
effect the difference of exchange between
pold standard and silver standard coun
tries has upon the agricultural and manu
facturing industries of the United States,
and report by bill or otherwise. This reso
lution will be the text for Mr. Stewart's
first speech.
Senator Hill takes issue with Senator
Cullom on his conclusions relative to the
Monroe doctrine, and may address the Sen
ate on the resolution now on the table
early in the week, possibly to-morrow.
Senator White of California, who last week
offered an amendment that all debate
shall be relevant and confined to the sub
ject directly before the Senate, will speak
to the resolution Tuesday. It is one of the
many propositions now pending to change
the rules of the Senate, with a view to
limiting debates.
The receipt of Secretary Carlisle's report
to-morrow will be the signal for the flood
pates of financial debate to open. Several
Senators, among them Mr. Sherman, are
preparing to discuss the monetary portion
of the President's message, but have kept
silent pending the report of the Secretary
of the Treasury, which is supplemental to
the recommendations of the President.
Mr. Sherman will hardly be prepared to
speak this week, but it would not cause
surprise if a discussion were precipitated
at any time.
The only thing that is expected in the
House this week is the announcement of
the committees by Speaker Reed, and
when that is made adjournment for the
holidays is anticipated. It may be that
the committees on Rules and Elections
will be announced to-morrow.
The House is at present operating under
the rules of the Fifty-first Congress, and if
the proposition to make two or three com
mittees of elections, which has been under
consideration, is to be carried out a change
in the rules to that effect must first .be
made.
One change in the rules that is looked
for, in view of Speaker Reed's expressions
of opinion thereon, is a reduction of the
number constituting a quorum of the com
mittee of the whole House from a major-
ity of the full membership of the House.
What figure will be fixed upon cannot be
stated, but it is believed that it will not
exceed 100 and may be considerably less.
Speaker Reed is satisfied that such a
change will materially aid in the dispatch
of business and be a means of inducing a
more general attendance upon the sessions
of the House.
FMOM THE BJSLZJS O'BRIEX.
Mate Brooks, One of the Survivors, Ar
rif»-.» at Baltimore.
BALTIMORE, Md., Dec. 15.— Captain
NEW TO-DAT. •
' . . " ■ •" ■ 1
EVERYTHING"
FOR
MEN'S— BOYS'
in/rsn
WEAR,
HOLIDAY FINERY
• Smoking Jackets,
• Dressing Gowns,
Bath Robes, -
Mackintoshes,
Fine Suspenders,
Neckwear, '.
Dress Shirts,
Hosiery,
Underwear.
Holiday gifts in our boys'
department — free.
"THE HUB,"
Cor. Kearny and Sutter.
Open Till 9 Evenings.
—-NO BRANCHES
wlj^m i^bb^ 8888 65983
FREE
ABSOLUTELY FREE
To those afflicted with Bronchitis,? Asthma Lung
Troubles, Nasty : Hacking Coughs, ? Colds, Croup,
Hoarseness, Pleuri*u,' Hemorrhages, La Grippe
or its : evil after effects. Wasting Diseases, Emaci-
ation, {Anaemia, ,, or ; Scrofula, Stomach Catarrh;
will be given a regular size bottle of Dr. Gor-
din's Chocolate | Emulsion of Cod ' Liver | Oil with ;
HypophospMtes (which is a delicious preparation
to take), that Us sterling worth may oe proved to '.
those so afflicted.- Individuals may obtain same at : '
Laboratory, HI Davis St., S. F. - i
•.A'-'r.y-"'.-'*"-"- 1 .. ...''/..■■]■',::.■. ?';;*:''■'.:- ■■ : --.'h- v .." ' ' ' ; -" " '"
Dunn of the British ship Lord Erne from
Swansea, to-day brought into port a survi
vor of the American ship Belle O'Brien,
which foundered off the English coast.
Another seaman who was picked up at the
sfanie time died and was buried at sea. A
third man went crazy from hunger and
thirst and jumped overboard.
.Second Mate Brooks, the survivor above
referred to, stated that the O'Brien was
abandoned on November 20 when nearly
fuJ] of water. He along with two of the
crew occupied one of the small boats.
What became of the captain and other
members of the crew he does not know.
Brooks' mind is not clear, and the con
nected story of the foundering of the
Belle O'Brien nor the experiences of
Brook* and his companions in the open
boat has been secured. To-night it is
stated that Brooks cannot iive.
J)e»troyid by Fire.
HAGKRSTOWN, Md.. Dec. 15.— The Bos
ton Clothing-house, Beeler <fc Bennett's
grocery and the cafe of W. D. Wilson were
destroyed by fire this morning. The total
loss is about "$80,000, with insurance of two
thirds that amount. The fire originated
from an unknown cause in the cellar of
the Boston Coth ing-house, owned by M. E.
Jacobson.
The Burning of a Church.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Dec. 15.— The
First Methodist Episcopal Cuurch (South)
was destroyed by fire to-day. The loss is
$25,000. Two firemen, Allie Robbins and
George Wunderlich, were seriously crushed
and burned by falling walls.
SEW TO-PAT. _ _
Always on top!
Amen ! You'll say after you've been ail around.
Seems that HOUSE COATS, SMOKING
JACKETS, GOWNS, BATH and SLEEP-
ING ROBES are growing in favor as Xmas
gifts. Lucky that at least ONE house in
S. F. has plenty of the right kind. Nice
ones $4.50 and $5.00.
Traveling Shawls, Rugs, etc.
Say ! Will some one tell us how the hat-
ters manage to sell the same bats as ours
at one-third more ?
<g^L3l^QOntßaiHVsEy
We understand the mail order business.
HOLIDAY HINT No. 20.
See other "Hints" in morning
and evenimj papers
Jardin=
ieres
LEEDS POTTERY,
MINTON,
DELFT.
In novel
colors, shapes
and patterns.
"IDEAL XMAS GIFTS."
... .
OPEN EVENINGS -
UNTIL CHRISTMAS.
NATHAN,
DOHRMANN&CO.,
122-132 SUTTER ST.
LOOK!
AT THE 10 PER CENT REDUCTION AT
J\. JOE POHEIM'S, the Tailor. For holiday trad»
all the latest designs of Woolens now In.
Suits Made to Order from.. ..........15.00
Pants Made to Order fr0m...'..'...'. 84. G0
Overcoat* Made to Order fr0m. .920.00
Fall Dress Swallow-Tail Im-
ported and Silk-Lined from .... 840. 00
Perfect Fit Guaranteed or So Sale.
JOE POHEIM 9 THE TAILOR,
" 201, 803 Montgomery st.,
7*4 Market at. and 1110. 11» Market wt.
/^V- Dr.Gibbon'SDispensaryi
AmJD 625 KKABXT MT. Established
ln «»** tor the treatment of Private
a Dr. Gibbon's Dispensary,
635 KKABVV ST. Established
In 1*44 for the treatment of Private
Diseases, Lost Maubood. Debility or
■ disease wearinßoubodyandnilndaad
SI H Skin Diteas** Tbedoctorcureswnen
SB M others tell. Try him. Charges low.
Ml Hcur*»|ru»ri»iit*rd. CaJlorvrrit*.
IBBQUt ■•* IWT.Saa franotooo.