Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 December 1900 — Tanner Returns. [ARTICLE]

Tanner Returns.

Considerable excitement was occasioned this week by the announcement that Geo. W. Tanner, a prominent farmer and stock dealer, residing on Mrs. Headley Brown’s big farm in Barkley township, had skipped out after disposing of about 4JL)O head of mortgaged cattle, which were shipped from Kouts, Medaryville, Francesvilie, Reynolds and Pleasant Ridge last Sunday night. The Hniligan Bros, northeast of town, had some SIO,OOO mortgage on the cattle, W. B. Austin about $4,500, Chicago commission men considerable more, etc. Tanner was also owing considerable for corn and other fodder fed the cattle, it is alleged, and his heavy creditors were hustling about to get some trace of him. The Halligans and some others went to Chicago and found where some of the cattle had been sold, but could get no trace of Tanner. The matter was kept pretty quiet until Thursday, when it became generally known and the report that he had skipped out was on every one’s tongue, while his nlleged debts were said to be all the way from $25,000 to $50,000.

Yesterday morning Tanner returned on the 10:55 train from the east and will face the music, it is understood. His friends allege that the w’hole trouble lay in too much McKinley prosperity; that he lmd bought many of these cattle on boom prices and now cattle are down flat and he owed more than he could get out of them. • Tanner, a Chicago commission man —who is also a creditor, it is said—and some of his local creditors are in town as we go to press and the matter will probably be adjusted in some way. He is said not to have anywhere noar enough money to pay out, and that several thousand dollars will be lost by his creditors. Should they choose to prosecute, only a jail sentence —about six months—and a nominal fine can be inflicted, it is said.