Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 January 1907 — Present McCoy Status As Seen In Delphi [ARTICLE]

Present McCoy Status As Seen In Delphi

Delphi Journal: The story of Thomas J. McCoy’s confinement in the Michigan City penitentary is interesting and unusual. While the failure that caused so much distress took place in Rensselaer, still Tom McCoy was well known in Delphi, ‘where he visited frequently when a young man and took part in many sports in which a number of our business men were factors. Tom McCoy, convicted of misappropriating the funds of the bank which he controlled is serving a sentence of from one to three years at Michigan City. He is n«w under the direction of Alfred Armstrong, formerly of this county and father of Miss Peaii Armstrong, primary teacher of the public schools, who has charge of the farming interests of the institution. A number 'of years ago, Mr. Armstrong resided on one of Mr. McCoy’s big farms in Jasper county and he was very much surprised one morning recently when Tom reported for duty on the prison farm. It is a reversal of affairs, but on acc unt of their acquaintance and friendship of years before, Mr. Armstrong became interested in his new “hand.” McCoy was always a great lover of horses and Mr. Armstrong knowing this assigned him to dri “ng a team. He likes the work much better than in the binding twine factory where he was employed for some time after eq* tering the prison. Mr, Armstiong says that Tom goes about his work cheerfully and accepts his lot as no other prisoner has to his knowlege since being connected with the institution. Being familiar with the luxurious life McCoy had lived at his Rensselaer home, he naturally expected that he would find fault with the eatables and complain of the general treatment prisoners receive. But he has endured all without a whimper. He is determined to serve his sentence as a model pris oner and when released from the institution to endeavor to regain his financial standing and return the favors [of many of his friends. In Chicago, Mrs*. McCoy is conducting a boarding house and is anxiously awaiting the release of her husband. She has accepted the inevitable gracefully and is struggling for a livlihood. She counts the passing days which iu> dicate the drawing to an end of a sentence which so materially affects her happiness As each day passes altho long it may seem; it gives her encouragement and assurance ot the time being nearer when the family can be reunited. While McCoy• / is ' paying the penalty for his carelessness, much suffering caused by the,bank failure at Rensselaer, still continues, but it seems that both the banker and the depositors are optimists and have hope tor the future and the better things in store for them. The bitterness, at one time so evident, seems to be about all gone and the time may come when McCoy may satisfy his friends at his old home and return there for residence and spend his declining years as one of the influential citizen* of that place.

Regarding the concluding portion of the above article, it can be said that while it is undoubtedly true that the former bitterness here has considerably abated, it would be mighty hard to find any person here who wonld endorse the use of the word “carelessness” as descriptive of the McCoy methods here, both before and after the failure, and equally hard to find anyone to agree to the opinion that Tom might yet become an influential citizen bf BeUstelaer. Toni' never had the character or brains to give him a position of any influence, and when an influence* which depended only on 'brass Ond'bull-dol-ing and profligate expenditure of money is unce lost it is-mighty seldom ever regained. Abd never when the man . who lost it W squandered all his money and is greatly lacking in the business ability to make more. The people here are many of them satisfied with the punishment McCoys have received, but that anyone here believes dr wishes that Tom could ever return to a- position of im finance here is very far from 1 the actual facts of the case- However, most of them admire the pluck and nerve Tom shows in making the best of his prtoon sentence. It* ?**"** -Mt ...1... - Wanted, 10 men to cut wood. Board reasonable, Tel. 78.