Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 210, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 September 1917 — WILL PAY ALL OF HER DEBTS [ARTICLE]

WILL PAY ALL OF HER DEBTS

MRS. EDWARD OLIVER, WHO FILED PETITION IN BANKRUPTCY, TO PAY DEBTS. The following account appeared in the Chicago Evening Journal Wednesday evening. Mrs. Oliver is the wife of Edward, Oliver, the Newland onion king. The Olivers are now residing at Newland: ■“ Mrs. Margaret Springer Oliver, “Onion Queen,” and widow of the late Warren Springer, Chicago millionaire real estate dealer, is sure the proceeds from the Indiana onion farm of her present Edward Oliver, will enable her to meet the debts listed in her voluntary petition in bankruptcy of eight months ago. Her attorney, David Stansbury, asked Judge Carpenter in the federal court today for a continuance on that ground. The Central Trust Company, receiver, through its attorney, Jamea Corbin, entered objection because the recipts from the 200,000 bushels of onions now being harvested for market on the “onion king’s” farm would serve only to pay. his own debts. Judge Carpenter issued .an order for Oliver to appear in court Thursday for interrogation. After Mrs. Oliver’s first husband died, she announced her intention to make large benefactions on a semisocialistic basis. She at once achieved extensive notoriety, which was augmented by her marriage to “Onion King” Edward Oliver, on Sept. 2, 1916. At that time it was reported that the “onion king” possessed an estate valued at $3,000,000, and was absolute monarch in the growing of the world’s fragrant vegetable.

Mrs. Oliver filed her bankruptcy petition at the beginning of this year, listing her liabilities as $2,133,322, and her assets as $2,370,255, most of which was in the form of real estate. For some time previous she had been in financial difficulties. In November of last year she permitted three notes, one her own and two her husband’s, to remain at the Union bank unpaid and the collateral was offered for sale. Judgment for $143,000 was obtained against her Oct. 2, 1915, when she was unable to produce that sum which she had bid for the Muncie, Ind., normal institute. After her petition in bankruptcy her attorney tried to effect an order for composition before Frank L. Wean, Aug. 17, this year. Adjudication was prevented, but the attorneys were told to file a more satisfactory bill of composition. Among the heaviest of Mrs. Oliver’s creditors are the Hibernian Banking Association, which she owes $280,000; the Union bank, which has a claim of $25,000, and John A. Harwell, to whom is due SIOO,OOO. Since her former husband’s death Mrs. Oliver continued to have complete charge of his real estate business, and occupied offices on Canal street for some time. But shortly after Warren Springer’s death, the following advertisement appeared in the Chicago papers: “$5 reward paid for the address of William Springer, son of Warren Springer, now deceased. 307 Ashland block.” Five dollars set aside from $2,000,000 as a reward for information leading to the whereabouts of an estranged son, caused nation-wide newspaper comment. ■ ... /