Jasper County Democrat, Volume 8, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 February 1906 — Page 1

Jasper County Democrat.

SI.OO Per Year.

McCOY CASES RE-SET FOR MONDAY.

Tom Reported Sick as Cause for the Continuance.

THREATENED WITH PNEUMONIA His Attorneys Say, and Will Not Be Able to Get Out for Two Weeks. —Blodgett Writes of the ••Political Bankers.” The McCoy criminal cases, which charged embezzlement in connection with their bank fail* ure here almost two years ago, which were set for trial in the White circuit court on Wednesday of this week, have been continued until next Monday. It is reported that Tom McCoy is sick in bed at Lafayette, which caused the cases to be continued a few days. Whether this sickness is real or assumed for the purpose of delay is not known to us, but if the cases can be continued through the present term of court and the state fails to convict on the indictments now against them, it would then be too late to secure new indictments on other cases, as the two years limitation would have expired. To guard against this there was unconfirmed rumors afloat here this week that additional indictments would be secured before the limit expired. Seventeen witnesses bad been subpoenaed from here by the state, to appear Wednesday and Thursday at Monticello. Notwithstanding that Jasper county has paid SI,OOO to a Monticello attorney to look after these cases, no intimation was received from him by Sheriff O’Connor that the cases had been continued, and bad not he telephoned to the clerk of the court at Monticello Wednesday morning and bad the statement —made to him by the writer —that the -cases had been continued until Monday confirmed, these witnesses would have had to have gone to the trouble

and expense of going to Monticello, only to find that they were not needed until Monday. As soon as the report was officially confirmed, Sheriff O’Connor notified the witnesses here and they were saved the expense of the trip over. There are now nineteen indictments standing against the McCoys. It will be two years April 18 since their bank closed its doors and the hundreds of depositors were left to hold the sack to the tune of about $300,000 — providing they receive back in dividends 40 per cent of the total liabilities of some $500,000. Up to this time neither old man McCoy or Tom have ever been brought to trial, although several batches of indictments have been returned at different times, all of which, we understand, except the last nineteen returned, have been dismissed as defective. On these, we understand, the court has ruled that the indictments are good and it remains for the State to convict in the trials.

W. H. Blodgett, staff correspondent of the Indianapolis News, had the following pen-pictnre of “Our Tom,” as he used to be referred to here, in Wednesday evening’s News. While not correct in all the details, it is so near so that we presume our republican friends will have no trouble in recognizing the picture: Monticello, Ind., Feb. 14. —The trial of Thomas McCoy, the former banker of Rensselaer and the late Republican district chairman of the Tenth district, was called in the White Circuit Court this morning, but on request of Judge George Haywood, of Lafayette, one of the attorneys for the defense, the trial was posponed until next Monday. Judge Haywood said his client was sick, and is threatened with pneumonia, and that physicians say he will not be able to be ont for at least two weeks, so the supposition is that on next Monday the trial will be postponed again. There are nineteen indictments against Mr. McCoy in this county, brought here on a change of venue from Jasper county. TThere are five of those, however, on which ho will not be tried. The State

has obtained the strongest indictments for the trial, and if they fail, McCoy will go free as far as this county is concerned. ANOTHER POLITICAL BANKING CASE. This is another case of a political banker, the result of mixing politics with » banking business, with banks going on the bonds of county officials in order to get county deposits. Politics and banking led to the indictment of “Tom” McCoy. “Tom” McCoy was one of the cleverest politicans the north part of Indiana has had for years. He is genial, pleasant, companionable, a man who was fond of the game of politics. Every man who is well acquainted with “Tom” McCoy will testify that in his opinion Tom did not become an embezzler, if the jury eventually finds him to be one, from any desireto rob his fellow-man. He got into it before he knew what he was doing and he wasted the money of the bank in the way he wonld not have wasted it if he lad not been in politics. WAS A POLITICAL KING. For a good many years “Tom” UcCoy was the Republican chairman of the Tenth congressional district, one of *he largest districts in the State. He was the absolute ling, as far as politics was concerned, in most of the counties of the district. His father long ago opened a lank in Rensselaer and Tom went into it. Later he became one of the firm of A. McCoy & Co., private bankers. Alfred McCoy, “Tom’s” father, was.also a political banker. Even now the old-timers delight to tell how “Alf McCoy and his sheepskin band” went over the district and assisted the Republican party to success, and Mr. McCoy always paid ail bills. So “Tom” became a politican at the time be became a banker, and the charge is made that he really paid more attention to politics sometimes than he did to the bank. But the fact that he was a politician and a king-pin in the Republican organization of the district brought the bank business and increased the deposits. HOW HE CONTROLLED PUBLIC FUNDS. As soon as it became known that “Tom” McCoy and his bank were behind any paiticular candidate the other candidates were satisfied that defeat was coming to them. The bank and the McCoys went on the bonds of all officers who had any money to deposit. In fact, it was understood that when a county treasurer or a school commissioner, or a city treasurer was elected by the McCoy influence, the money he handled went into the McCoy bank. And if the money did not go into the McCoy bank the officer did not get a second term. McCoy’s bank was out for business, and the strongest argument it used was “Tom’s” political “pull.” The bank would spend lots of money either to elect or defeat a manjwhodid not bow to the McCoy interests, and men who desired office were willing to make terms with the banking firm of A. McCoy & Co., through “Tom,” the political boss. OOBT MONEY TO PLAY POLITICS. The fact that “Tom” was in polities threw him in with a lot of other politicians, and politicians from all over the Tenth district used to consult with him, and they would have a good time together, and good times cost a lot of money. But “Tom” had to keep up his standing as a politician, for on bis ability to control politics hung the life of the bank. Now understand, all this time that “Tom” McCoy was the “good fellow” you hear about in politics. No needy or pretended needy person wds ever turned away emptyhanded if “Tom” had a dollar about him. He had a country home up the river that was called “Jerry's Island,” and an electric launch to carry his friends to it. Many a meeting of wise politicians was held on “Jerry’s Island.”

Rensselaer, Jasper County, Indiana, Saturday, February 17, 1906.

CONTROLLED ABOUT EVERYTHING. Through bis political “pull” the banking firm of A. McCoy & Co. practically had charge of everything about Rensselaer. The School Board deposited its money with the bank and so did the teachers, because “Tom” McCoy owned the School Board and the School Board hired the teachers. The county and townsbsp funds were in the bank because “Toth” elected the county and township officers. And the bank did not hesitate to let the candidates know that they had to submit either to the McCoys’ influence or to submit to defeat. “Tom” was such a “good fellow” that every one had confidence in him. The church, the business man, the preacher, the doctor, the lawyer, the widow and the orphan all bad confidence in the man who was a success in politics; could elect or defeat men at bis will, and they thought the bank was as solid as a stone wall. WENT INTO SCHEMES AND LOST. “Tom” was so successful in politics that he went Into other schemes and lost money, but the public did not know that. He looked prosperous, always had a smile and continued to be a power in politics. At last came the end —the inevitable end of all political banks — the bank failed. The amount of sorrow .and suffering that bank failure caused has been told and told again in these columns. The widows lost their mite, the orphans lost their all. Business men were embarrassed and county officers bad to make up the funds they deposited with the McCoys. It will not be contended, so the lawyers say, that “Tom” McCoy started out deliberately to rob the widow and the orphan, and those who know “Tom” McCoy well are satisfied that if he had the money he would pay back every dollar of it. POLITICS AND BANKING WILL NOT MIX. But the law holds him accountable for it, and it is no excuse under the law that he lost the money of others because he could not make politick and banking mix. He could not make politics and banking mix to the benefit of the depositors in bis bank any more than could Walter Brown, of Elkhart, who was also a district chairman and a banker. In fact the Indiana colony in the Federal prison at Leavenworth is composed principally of political bankers. “Tom” McCoy knew the game of politics from the Jack to both bottom and top. It was a common expression that there were few better politicians in Indiana than Tom McCoy. He also had a fair smattering of the banking business, but when he combined the two he made a disastrous failure of both. The friends of “Tom” McCoy insist that if be had kept out of politics and attended to his bank he would not be where he is to-day and hundreds of poor people would not have lost all the money they possessed.

SAD ACCIDENT TO LITTLE BOY.

Son of Mr. and Mrs. C. D. Lakin Loses Eye as Result of Knife Thrust While Whittling. The 11-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. C. D. Lakin of near Parr, met with an accident while whittling Monday that caused him to lose one of his eyes. The knife slipped in some way and the point penetrated an eye-ball. The lad was taken to Chicago to a hospital in the hope that the eye 'might be saved, but to no avail, ana Thursday the eye was removed. The lad was an excep tionably bright little fellow and the sympathy of the community goes out to him and his parents in his misfortune.

In the notice of the death of Mrs. Orrie Yeoman in last week’s Democrat, a few inaccuracies occurred as to dates, which a relative asks us to correct. Her age was 39 years, 1 month and 7 days. She was married to O. A. Yeoman, June 29,1887. To this union two children were born, Martha dying in infancy. Ora, aged 17 years, survive her. She leaves two sisters, Mrs. Josie N. Brown of Enid, Okla., and Mrs. Nellie Gingrich of Rogers Park, Chicago. She graduated from the Rensselaer high school in May, 1887.

SOME CORRECTIONS.

THE COURT HOUSE

Items Picked Up About The County Capitol. Judge Saunderson of Fowler, was looking after some cases in court here Wednesday growing out of the Fred Gilman bank failure at Goodlabd about two years ago, in which be is attorney for the trustee of the estate, Mr. Wiles. It is thought that Fred is stopping in Englewood, 111., and could be reached by the officers if wanted very badly. He has written several letters to parties in this vicinity that bore a Chicago post-mark. „ — o — licenses issued: Feb. 10, Roy Johnson Cbeesman of Rensselaer, aged 22, to Grace Myrtle Moore of Rensselaer, aged 21. First marriage for each. Feb. 10, Jesse Welsh of Chicago, aged 32, to Helen Frederickson of Remington, aged 31. First marriage for each. Feb. 13, George Wm. Johnson, of Newton county, aged 22, to Ada May Hitchings, of Jordan tp., aged 19. First marriage for each. Feb. 14, Fred Schultz of Union tp , aged 21, to Orpha Swaim, of Union tp., aged 18. First marriage for each. Feb. 15, Hugh Ed O’Connor of Benton county, aged 22, to Ruth Bickel, of Carpenter tp., aged 20. First marriage for each. —o — New suits filed: No. 7008. Everett Finney, administrator of the estate of John G. Heil, vs. Jacob Heil et al; petition to sell real estate. No. 7009. Lewis T. Hammond vs. Oren Kellogg et al; action in attachment. No. 7010. Jacob J. Eiglesbach vs. George M. Keister; attachment and garnishment. Demand $133.41. George A. Strick faden vs. George M. Keister et al; action in attachment and garnishment. Demand $lO. No. 7011, Benjamin J. Gifford vs. John Bingham; appeal from Squire Irwin’s court. The roller skating craze has struck the court house with considerable force, and the young lady deputies instead of going home to dinner occasionally put in the noon hour in practicing up on the tiled corridor of the lower floor, with Gus Grant and Joe O’Connor as chief instructors. Surveyor Myrt Price is trying to master the art in order to get Guss and Joe’s jobs away from them, but at this writing he is not a promising pupil. Myrt says he used to skate some on the pesky things some dozen or fifteen years ago but his joints are so stiff with age and his lack of confidence is so great now that he doesn’t progress very fast. Another thing that bothers him is the fact that there are so few things to grab hold of there if one starts to paw the air with his feet. The floor don’t spring a particle when one goes down suddenly, but aside from that it makes quite an ideal place to practice.

ANOTHER MEN'S MEETING.

Mr. Bitler will give another talk to men only at Trinity M. E. church on Sunday afternoon at 2:30, in connection with the revival meetings now in progress. The subject will be “Around Town in Rensselaer.” Boys under 13 not admitted. Tickets at all the barber shops. Perfection Clothing for the little gents will be sold by Duvall & Lundy.

PUBLIC SALES. The Democrat has printed sale bills for the following public sales: Monday, Feb. 19, M. Condon, 1| miles south and 2 miles west of Rensselaer; general sale, horses, cattle, hogs, farm implements, household goods, etc. Collegian clothes at Duvall & Lundy’s new store. Remember our S7O cream separator has a greater skimming capacity and will skim closer than any SBS machine sold by its competitors. B. D. Comer, Agt. for DeLaval Cream Separator.

MRS. SARAH J. AUSTIN DEAD.

The remains of Mrs. Sarah J. Austin were brought here from Chicago Tuesday afternoon and the funeral held the same day from the Preebyterian church,’ Rev. J. C. Parrett and Rev. D. T. Halstead conducting the services. Interment was made in Weston cemetery. Deceased was born in Xenia, Ohio, August 7, 1824, and with her parents came to Warren county, Ind., some years later. She was married to John M. Austin in 1845, and in 1857 they settled in Rensselaer. Five children were born to them, of whom three, Mary C. Hopkins of Rensselaer, Mrs. 8. L. Emsinger of Crawfordsville, and Wm. B. Austin of Chicago, survive her. Her husband died in 1877. She also leaves five grand-children, and four great-grand children. Her death occurred Sunday at 5 p. tn., at the home of her son, W. B. Austin, in Chicago, where she had gone to spend the winter.

THE COMMON COUNCIL.

At the regular meeting of the city council Monday evening but little of importance was done except allowance of bills. The mayor was authorized to sign contract with the Standard Oil Co., for oil at the water and light plant for another year at same prices as last year. Light superintendent was directed to extend the light system to the D. A. Stoner residence and to install lights in same. The firemen who attended the fire near the depot last week were allowed J 1.50 each. The report of the city treasurer as to the condition of the city finances was not presented because the treasurer had been too busy with other matters. The Monon railroad people are willing to improve the present electric alarm system at the depot crossing, and if this is not satisfactory will take up the matter again withr the council.

A SUDDEN DEATH.

Mrs. Edward Smith of Chicago, who came here last week to assist in taking care of her sister-in-law, Mrs. Hiram Day, who has been seriously sick, was herself taken sick after her arrival, with pneumonia, and died Saturday at about noon. She had been in poor health for some time and her death occurred only four days after her arrival here. She was buried in Weston cemetery Monday afternoon, the funeral being held at the M.E. church. Deceased was a member of a Lady Macabees lodge in Chicago and fourteen members of the lodge were in attendance at the funeral and burial. Mrs. Smith was about 36 years of age and was born near Remington, her maiden name being Lewis. She leaves a husband and three children.

ST. JOSEPH’S COLLEGE—WASHINGTON’S BIRTHDAY.

Thursday, Feb. 22, the Aloysian Literary Society will present the beautiful and instructive drama “Triumph of Justice,” also known as “The Orphan Avenged.” Those of our patrons that had the pleasure of witnessing the stirring play “A Celebrated Case” in the College auditorium last fall, will bear testimony to the fact that neither then nor on any former occasion they have been disappointed. Although the “Triumph of Justice” will be rendered by the junior literary society, the public may confidently look forward to a highly interesting and enjoyable evening. . Instrumental and vocal music will be furnished by the College orchestra and the Orphean Club. The curtain will rise 8:15 p. m. Admission 80c; children 15c. Everybody cordially invited.

CALL FOR TOWNSHIP ASSESSORS.

Township assessors are hereby notified to meet the undersigned at his office in the Court House, at 11 o’clock a. m., Friday, Feb. 23, 1906, to make arrangements for the spring assessments. John R. Phillips, Co. Assessor. For Rent:—Two good farms for rent; both accessible to grave roads, postoffice, railroad station and grain market. Good improvements on both farms. Austin & Hopkins. When you want good butter, call on us. We take in more butter than all the rest put together. Chicago Bargain Stork.

Vol. VIII. No. 46

VALMA CHRISTIAN CHURCH BURNS

L.o*s About $3,000, With No Insurance.—Will Probably Not Be Rebuilt. The Barkley Christian church at Valma was totally destroyed by fire at an early hour last Friday morning. The loss was about $2,000 with no insurance. Geo. W. Infield began meetings at the church on Jan. 31 and continued them each evening up to the night the building was burned. No janitor has been employed for several years, but T. J. Richardson who lives a few rods west of the church, usually made the fires and rang the bell. On Thursday evening he made the fires as usual and after ringing the bell went home, intending to return to the services. He found his wife, who had been sick for a ew days, somewhat worse and decided to not leave her alone again, and remained at home. About 3 a. tn., Mrs. Richardson noticed a strange Ifght through the window of her room and at first attributed it to the eclipse of the moon. Mr. ' lichardson was awakened and he soon saw that the church was in dames. While Mrs. R. went to .he telephone to give the alarm, Mr. Richardson hurried to the jurning building, only to find the interior a mass of flames and the windows broken by the intense leat. A small woodhouse that stood near the southwest corner of the juilding is all that remains of be church property. The building contained a good organ and much substantial furniture. The jell was fractured in falling or jy the heat. The origin of the fire is supposed to have been from an overleated stove. One of the stoves was found to be melted, apparenty from the heat of the coal and dry hickory wood used for fuel. r . ’his stove had a defective door jelow the grate, a hinge being broken, and it was liable to fall and give an excessive draft. The Valma or Barkley Chrisian church was built during the all of 1891, by Geo. Andrus, and was dedicated by the veteran church dedicator, L. L. Carpener of Wabash, Ind., in January, ; .892. For some years the organization was strong for a rural church organization, numbering over 100 members. By removals and other causes the congregation ias scattered and weakened to such an extent that no regular services have been held for more than a year past. It is not likely that the church will be rebuilt.

SAYLER-RITCHEY.

Mr. Orval M. Sayler and Miss Pearle Ritchey were united in marriage at the home of the bride's parents Mr. and Mrs. O. K, Ritchey, south of town, last Sunday evening, Rev, H. L. Kindig of Trinity M. E. Church officiating. There was quite a large number of friends and relatives in attendance and the youpg couple were the recipients of a large number of handsome presents. After the ceremony a big wedding supper was served. The newly married couple begin housekeeping at once on the farm of the groom’s father, Benjamin Sayler, in Newton tp. The Democrat joins their many friends in extending congratulations.

M. P. CHURCHES.

Rose Bud, Sunday School, 10:00 a. m ; preaching, 11:00 a. m. . First Church, Sunday School, 10:00 a. m.; preaching 7:00 p. m. First Church will be dedicated Feb. 25. Will H. Flagg, Pastor. Headquarters for the Pittsburg Perfect Electric weld cattle, hog and poultry fence, all widths, at the Chicago Bargain Store.

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS.

Feb. 10, to Mr. and Mrs. Thos, Lang, near Surrey, a daughter. Feb. 10, to Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Goodnight of Milroy tp., a daughter. Notice—All garments sold by us cleaned, pressed and kept in repair free of charge for one year. Duvall & Lundy. Eyes examined free; latest methods; by A. G. Catt, Eyesight Specialist. Gradnate refractionist. Permanently located in Rensselaer. Office over Warner’s hardware store.