St. Louis Post-Dispatch
February 14, 1914

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SF LP DP a A ng The Citv Has Already Selected . City’ sS. the Reber Route and Paid for It: i eaeeenenmmaaene ——~ eine tt Your Feet Stutter i : |. when you hear “‘Tres Moustarde’’| _ ne ‘—alias ‘*Too Much Mustard’’— | | - you'll be interested in the skating Only tania Paper in St. Louis With: the Associated Press News Service. steps in tomorrow’s SUNDAY POST-DISPA TCH -_— ce FINANCIAL oa : | _SPORTS —__ 4 — ST. LOUIS, “SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY. 14, 1914-12 PAGES. Se i PRICE ONE CENT. VOL. 66. NO. - 178. EC A ON IT CM este TAYLOR CONDUCTS. egy || PUBLIC. INQUIRY OF USURY CHARGE President of Commonwealth Trust Co., Seeks Information on Bond Transaction. — PORE READY FOR STAND IN $50,000 Si BY WOMAN Senator’s Testimony Withheld) While Foundations for Im- peachments Are Laid. —— SENATOR BACON | OF GEORGIA DIES | IN WASHINGTON iets of Fer Foreign Rela- tions Committee Was One of Leading Democrats of ‘Senate and a Strong Sup- porter of the Policies of President Wilson. FELL LAST MONTH AND BROKE A RIB Kidney Trouble Developed Later, but Recovery Was Expected—Served in Con- federate Army and Lawyer Later. Senator’s Accuser, Husband for’: Whom She .Was eet Job > ~ > “ ote 7 “A Bate 7 4 yy : ra . ‘ se ae . ae. ? ee. ed a BANK PROFIT WAS $10,000/MAY MAKE APPEAL TO JURY - Friends Tell of Alleged Plot to Tumble Him From His Po- sition of High Power. Foreclosure Suit Against Buyer of Electric Line Bonds Reveals Deal. ‘Skate Why It Is Cheapest, ‘and the Most Direct. Svecial to the Post-Dispatch. OKLAHOMA CITY, Ok., Feb. 14. Foundation for a determined attempt to impeach some of the witnesses for Mrs. Minnie E. Bond in her $650,000 damage suit against United States Sen- ator Thomas Gore for alleged indignities offered to her in a Washington hotel, where she went to urge the appoint- ment of her husband toa Federal posi- tion, was laid teday by witnesses for the defense, preparatory to the calling of the accused Senator to the stand. Attorneys for Gore, whv contend that he was victimized by disappointed office seekers are considering - the--advisabil- ity of having him make a direct appeal to the jury, when the time for sum- ming up of the cage comes. He is pre- pared to deny all of the charges against him and to say that a trap was laid which, owing to the fact that he was blind, he was unable to detect and avoid. Witnesses in behalf of the Senator asserted today that boasts of a ‘‘frame up’’ had been made in their presence and that some of those he had failed to recommend for office had declared that he was “drunk with power’ and that they would pull him from his high perch, Daniel G. Taylor, newly elected pres- ident of the Commonwealth Trust Co., Saturday began an investigation of the transactio#’ in which the trust com- pany in May, 1911, purchased $74,925 of bonds of the Alton, Jacksonville & Peoria Railroad and resold them. at $10,000 profit, which Circuit Judge Shir- ley of Jerseyville, Friday, held was usurious. Taylor, a former Circuit Judge and later a member of the law firm.of Tay- lor & McDonald, announced he would make public the facts of the deal, de- spite whatever policy of secrecy the Commonwealth Trust Co. or any other St. Louis bank had observed. Taylor called in the officers of th» bank'twho are familiar with the details of the transaction and litigation and questioned them closely. He said that while the question was a. delicate one, that inasmuch as the Court had held the transaction to be usurious, the facts should be brought to light. Reporter Hears Inguiry. The investigation, which was conduct- ed in the presence of a Post-Dispatch reporter, revealed these facts: The Alton, Jacksonville & Peoria Rail- road needed money to complete its pro- jected interurban electric line and get under operation. The officers of the railroad sought the aid of the Common- wealth Trust Co., which agreed to pur- chase $83,250 of face value A. J. & P. bonds at ® cents on the dollar. There was an understanding that the officers, of the road. waemid .find . pur- chasers. for the bonds. In accordanee With this understanding the bonds, less $10,000 worth of them, face value, were sold to Edgar M. Davis, president of the A. J. & P.; his brother, Arthur J. Davis, treasurer; his mother-in- -law, Mrs. Annie D. Cross, widow of A. W. Cross, one of the promoters, and a wealthy Jerseyville bank president whose estate was lost in the railroad deal, and others. The purchasers of the bonds tendered a note to the trust company and were required to put up additional collatera‘ equal to about twice the note. The pur- chase price was $74,925. The trust company foreclosed on the note in six months and the road later went into the hands of a_ receiver. When the receiver was appointed, fore- closure proceedings were begun against Mrs. Cross, who. had given a deed of trust on some property near Jersey- ville. A. & M. PLAN AND COMPANY > PROCEDURE ARE CRITI | It Is Declared That Plan Is Virtually Same aii That Rej-cted by the City When Promotor a Scherrer Offered the City Free Right of Way and $400, 000 to Build It. 4.—Senator in a hos- n @ y AN \ © ty tase Evan Ge . p39 A.O. BACON By Associated Press. WASHINGTON, Feb. A. O. Bacon of Georgia di pital here. today. . Senator Bacon was apprised on Jan. 16 that his sixth rib on the left side was broken. He had not been aware of the serious nature of his Anjury, which was the result of a fall almost two weeks before, in a bath- ‘tub at the home of a friend in Al. bany, Ga. ‘Bandages were wound around the Senators body and he appeared as usual in the Senate the following day. Later a serious kidney affection developed and Bacon was sent to the hospital. His condition had improved s0 Mich by last Thursday night that {ft was decided an operation which Was contemplated would not be nec- essary. Served in Confederate Army. Bacon, one of the leading members at the Waiped States Senate, was born 3 ery ap _ County, Ga.; Oct. 20, 1839. é a in the Confederate army nt of the Ninth Georgia nt, | and as captain on the gen- lal’ SEORG1 A SURGEON'S NEEDLE SUSPECTED CAUSE UF MAN'S DEATH Hypodermic Injection Mentioned by Laborer Before He. Died, but Doctor’s Name Hidden. A brief fully answering every objection made to the shinies free bridge approach by members of the Municipal Assembly or others and showing the impracticability of the proposed. Alton &. Mississippi approach, was read and filed Saturday before the joint Free Bridge Committee of the Council and House of Delegates the Free Bridge Campaign Committee of the Business Men's League. _ One of the strongest points made in the brief is that Leo Ss Scherrer,the A. & M. promoter, made a written proposition tot city in 1910 to deed it a right of way for the free bridge und pay a cash bonus of $400,000 provided the city wall Ws the approach into the lands which he then held and some of which, he now holds undet option. This proposition was rejected, it is declared, because the city did not think the proposed approach, was feasible. oe The league's brief also directs atter- . tion to the fact that the Alton & Mizsis- Ady 7 sippi Belt Railway and Transportation Anancie Ss ngs B. M. L. Brief, Co. obligated itself in obtaining from the Illinois Ratlroad and Warehouse HE Free Bridge Campaign Commitiee of the Bust- * &. / . Ruling Favors Mrs. Bond. Attorneys for Senator Gore, at the opening of the fourth day of the trial called T. W. Fisher, a local attorney, as a witnéss. When arguing With at- torneys for the plaintiff, who objected to- questioneput towHisher, Attorney Stuart of Gore’s counsel made the state- ment:. “Yes, we are attempun., to im-. péach .T. E. Robertson. | | Attorney Rutherford, leading counse! for Mrs. Bond, declared that even if Gore’s attorneys have shown that a conspiracy existed between Jacobs, Robertson and Fitzpatrick, who are said to have witnessed the alleged attack. they had failed to show Mrs. Bond’s connection with it and therefore im- peachment of those witnesses is foreign to the case. Judge Clark ruled in favor of Mrs. Bond and attorneys for Gore announced they would then attempt to show Mrs. Bond’s connection with the alleged conspifiacy. Deputy Sheriff L. 4. Ezell, who served the summons on Gore, wag then called. Ezell stated that before he served Gore he had a conversation with Robertson, who declared that he, Robertson, was about to get revenge for a ‘“‘double- crossing” by filing this suit against Gore. The Rev. Robert D. Licklider, secre- tary of the Oklahoma City Ministerial Alliance, followed Ezell on the stand. He said that a short time after the Gore incident, Jacobs, Mr. and Mrs. Bond and Robertson called upon the ministerial alliance and that Jacobs read a statement concerning Mrs. Bond's charges against Gore. The ministerial alliance appointed a committee to draw resolutions asking the United States Senate to investigate the Gore case: also Senator Owen was requested to make an irivestigation. The committee investt- gated and reported it was not a subject on which the alliance could take defi- nite action. Mra. Boud Still Church Member. “Is Mrs. Bond a member of your, church in g00d standing?” Licklider was isked. é “Her name is still on our books,” the “astor answered. When pressed for an answer Lick- ‘ider said, “Strictly speaking she is not in good standing.” Licklider explained that Mrs. Bond has not attended his church for two years, and, therefore, is not in good standing, regardless of this case. T. E. Robertson, the next witness, Was asked by Cruce if he had said to J. M. Rule: “Did you hear we had et ie Lett lal ge” ltt ll tl ty lt Ci ili, al ME. AND MBS. JULIAN BOND. SNOWFALL BRINGS RISE iN FOOD PRICES; 1500 MEN ARE CLEARING THE STREETS City Estimates It Will Cost. $16,000 to $20,000 to Open Way for Wagon Traffic— Trains Still Delayed— Big Snow in the East. THE TEMPERATURES, A Coroner’s inquest will be held Mon day to inquire into the death of Charles Bresch, 44 years old, a laborer of 214 Duchouquette street, whose fatal illness fs thought to have been caused by thea puncture of a surgeon’s hypodermic needle. Bresch died at the city hospital Friday night. ’ Bresch applied for treatment at the hospital Feb. 2, with what were diag- nosed as symptoms of blood poisoning. He said he could think of no cause of infection, but remembered that’ some time ago he had gone to a doctor for treatment for a cold. The only medicine the doctor gave him, he said, was that in the hypoder- mic injection. The needle was insertej in his right arm near the elbow. The puncture gave him considerable pain and in a few days his arm had begun t» swell. He did not give the name of the doctor to the hospital authorities. The Coroner ordered his widow, Mrs. Pauline Bresch, to be summoned to the inquest, when it is expected an efforz| will be made to identify the physician and question him. PRESIDENT IS UP, BUT REMAINS IN BEDROOM WASHINGTON, feb. 14.—President Wilson was up today, and although his physician did not permit him to quit his bedroom, his cold was declared to be better and responding to treatment. The President . will not attend the Gridiron Club dinner tonight, at which he was to be the guest of honor. He was kept away from the Gridiron ban- quest last December because of a cold be tr “a Bret ie ‘began practicing law:at Macon, Ge, in 1866, and was a presidential eléctor in 1868. Elected to the Geor- gia House of Representatives in 1870, - he remained a member of that body until 2882, and presided over it as Speaker f: 1873 to 1882, except the he session of 1875-76, when was ! pro tem. “Bacon was sent as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1884, i was several times a candidate for the. Democratic nomination for Govern- or. In 1883 he came within one vote of winning the nomination which would have been equivalent to election. He was elected to the United States Sen- ate in 1894, and re-elected in 1900 and He was chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and @ member of the Committee on Rules, - Judiciary and’ Railroads. Trastee of University. | He was elected a regent of the . Bmithsonian Institution in 1905 and o, hap been a trustee of the University °° of Georgia since 1891. _ . Upon completing the undergradu- ate course in the University he re- ceived the degree of Bachelor of Arts im 1859. In 1860 he received a Bach- elor of Laws degree from the same institution, and in 1909 the honorary ' @egree of Doctor of Laws. TWO DOCTORS HELD ON STUDENT'S FRAUD CHARGE Federal Warrants Issued for Dr. Davieson and Dr. . Adams. Dr. David Pavieson and Dr. Charles Adams of 11 South Broadway were ar- rested Saturday by Deputy United States Marshal John Williams and Postoffice Inspector 8.- O. Wynne, on warrants charging them with operating a scheme to defraud. Pee are alleged to have guaranteed _ to cure Theodore A. Hollmann, a stu- Aes es Tee that although he paid ‘them _ the money he was not benefited and was ot treated for the disease with which | been told he was suffering. Commission a permit to connect with the bridge approach 2300 feet east of the east pier, to build an approach to that point and a belt line railroad. It t* deciared that if the company was acting in good faith in obtain- ing the permit, it should sow g0 ahead and build the approach and belt Hine, which it is trying to induete the city to build. When Shapleigh came to that por- tion of the brief that said that Gallagher, Scully, Fletcher and Hall at various times had voted in favor, of the Reber approach, Chairman Bletcher stopped him and objected to the clause. ‘ “We can strike it out,” said Shap- leigh. “No, we won't strike it out,”” said Gallagher. ‘“‘We'll get it all in. Where did that information come from?’ “From Lambert E. Walther, former City Counselor,” said Shapleigh. After again saying that if necessary he would strike out objectionable pas- sages, Shapleigh continued to read the brief. Conference Committee of the Municipal Assembly, summarized ite rea- sons for advocating the Reber approach, ¥ is the most direct. 4 The sun and 180 men were working for the city Saturday.’ Street Commis- sioner Talbert said that if the’ sun continued doing its share of the work, the cost to. St. It is the cheapest. Charged Legal Interest. It is the most practicable. As Mrs. Cross was one of the signers of the foreclosed note held by the trust company, the trust company entered a claim in the foreclosure proceeding against her. Mrs. Cross set up the de- fense that the proceeding was usurious in that the trust company held out $10, 000 of the bonds and charged the legal rate of interest on the note. In his finding Friday, Judge Shirley declared the trust company had “re- sorted to a makeshift to avoid the usury laws.” He ordered that the $1400 Inter- est paid on the bonds and also the vatue of the $10,000 worth of bonds, which the trust company made on the transaction. be credited to the principal of the loan. Judge Shirley fixed the value of the bonds at % cents on the dollar. Louis of removing the 1z4g-inch snow which fell Friday would be greatly reduced. The official estimate of the cost of re- moving. the snow .was between $16,000 and $20,000... By furnishing enough heat to cause even slight thaws on’ Satur- day and Sunday, Talbert said,, the sun might ‘save the city $4000 of the estimat- ed expense of snow removal by doing work which it would require an. entire day for the Street Department to do. A heavy. snowstorm is prevailing in the East, with an unusual fall‘in’ New York,, Pennsylvania and West Virginia cities. Utica, N. Y., reports: a 20-inch fall in six hours last night, with a thrée-inch fall an hour today. Asistant Street Commissioner Laxton who, was in direct charge of the snow | removal in St.Louis, put 500 teamsters and’ 1000 shovelers to work Saturday. The teamsters receive $4 a day for their labor and the use of their horses and wagons and .the shovelers get $1.50 a day. Laxton estimated it would re- quire four days to clear the principal business and residence districts of snow, without the aid’ of thawing weather. The work Saturday was confined to the downtown district and West End points where traffic is heaviest. Work for Every Applicant. The Street Department established an Yesterday's Temperatures. High, 21 at 8 p. m.. Low, 12 at 11 a. m. Official fore- east for St. Louis and vicinity: Fair tonight and Sunday; some- what colder to- might; the low- est temperature tonight , will, be about 6 degrees. Missouri — fair tonight and Sun- day; +' somewhat lower tempera- ture in north and west portion. Illinois—Fair to- [FINE WEATHER FOR BRIDGE OBSTRUCT TO RIDE THE . TOBOGORN. ' The city owns al) of the neces-* sary land, for which it has spent $208, 718.27. . The contracts for the crossings — over the railroads have been made }- and the crossings have been ap- | proved by the Railroad and Ware " * 4 a Walther Wrote Brief. The brief was written by former City Counselor Lambert E. Walther, who is thoroughly familiar with every phase of the bridge question. He was assisted by Richard 8. Hawes, vice- president of the Third National Bank, and A. E. Hildenbrandt, a former member of the House of Delegates. The public hearing began at Uo ‘clock. The members of the Conference Commit- tee present were Councilmen Fletcher and Herrman and Delegates Scully, Gal lagher and Hall. Councilman Randall arrived later. Maxine Reber, former president of the Board of Publié Improvements, was the first witness. Others present, most of whom are to be called as witnesses, were: President E. R. Kinsey of the Board of Public Im- have been secured from Louis. | The detailed plans ont’ tions for the structural work on thie right of way have been pre- pared. - There will be no opposition from. the citizens of East St. Louis nor any litigation to cause delay; and The contracts for the work could be let at ‘once, lower tempera- ture in north sit tion. Stage of the riv- er: Two feet be- low zero, a fall of .¢ Of a foot. —— If there is any lack of speed in business in this ‘‘neck of the woods’’ it does not show in the advertising columns of the POST-DISPATCH, which are booming day after day with the plums that are being offered by the mer- chants and eagerly picked by the people. To illustrate, the St. Louis merchants bought 54 columns and farmers have been unable to get to market. Eggs, which sold at 26% cents a dozen Thursday, are now quoted at 2% cents. brief, but Gallagher still objected. she warrants were issued by Assistant _ Pistrict Attorney Homer Halil. Holl- an 4h eile was made some time 0 and the doctors have been under Weillance. The Davieson Museum of tomy was raided recently and closed. EN : THREE CHILDREN — Ome. iat hakennn, Strangies Pe Wite Also, Hangs Self; the Other, Shoots Himself. C ea Feb. 14~—Sudden outbursts y _ta-twe fathers of families neible today for the death of display advertising in the POST-DISPATCH alone on Friday, and 38 columns in its three nearest competitors—the Globe-Democrat, Republic and Times—all added together. Why do the St. Louis merchants, who know the rela- tive value of the St. Louis newspapers, show this great preference for the POST-DISPATCH over all its competitors? Becapse it is the one paper that covers the city of St. Louis like the ‘‘ beautiful snow’’ and brings the buyers to the advertisers. St. Louis’ ONE BIG Newspaper. Circulation eee entire year 1913: Daily (s" ue “), 171,214 307,524 » rin in Everything framed up a case on Gore and we have got enough on him to get $25,000?" He denied saying it. Robertson also denied having a con- versation with F. W. Fisher. He ad- mitted that he accompanied Mrs. Bond tc the Ministerial Alliance meeting at which the charges against Gore were made, Fisher was then recalled. He said 41@ had not heard any previous testi- mony given in this case. He gave away then to 8. B. Williams, who swore Fish- er was in the courtroom at the time Robertson gave his testimony. Williams testified he is attending the trial in the employ of Attorney Lillard, lead- ing counsel for Mrs. Bond. A letter written to Bird McGuire in Washington by Fisher was introduced. in which Fisher referred to Robertson as having charge of the campaign of R. A. Rogers for Secretary of the In- terior. Alleged Premise of Cabinet Piace. Fisher again on the stand said that he loaned $245 to Rebertson after HRobert- | Continued on Page 3, Colama @ | employment office in the basement of the Municipal Courts building and every man who applied there with a shovel was put to work. As the snow is removed from the streets it is hauled away and dumped into sewer traps at Fourth street and Chouteau avenue, Eleventh and Locust etreets and Sixth and Biddle streets. Laxton told 4 Post-Dispatch reporter that in’ most Eastern cities the street car corporations pay a pro rata share o% the expense for removing snow from the streets. “Here the United Railways Co. does not bear any of the expense,”’ he said. “It simply plows or sweeps the snow off its tracks, piling it in high drifts on either side, and leaves it there for the city to remove.” Snow Raises Liviag Cost. The storm caused a material increase in the high cost of living in St. Louis, according .to .comparative. prices — of foodstuffs as quoted by onsen. men, Many freight traina,: ‘eres | pro- duce from the south, ‘have been delayed = Turkeys have advanced from 2% cents a pound to 2% cents, spring chickens from 20 cents to 22: cents, hens and geese from 17 cents to 18 cents, and 4ucks from 21 cents to 23 cents. Lemons and Cabbage I'p. Grapefruit quoted at $3 0 a case Thurs- day is now priced at 4.2. Lemons have ndvanced from $3 a case to $5.50, and ap- ples from $2.25 a barrel to $2.75. Cab- bage, sold at $25 a ton Thursday, has ad- vanced to $30. Celery has advanced from S25 a crate te $3, and strawberries from % cents a ah to cents. These are’ prices quoted to retail- ers by commission men. Higher prices ure paid by the consumer. Street car traffic In St. Louis and its auburbs showed great improvement. The United Railways lines were clear and \the only delays reported were caused by teams ‘being stalled ‘In the tracks. Congestion caused’ by’ the freezing of switches in the Terminal yards had been elirtinated: after ‘force of 3000 men had | worked. more, than, % hours. Al though there wes no delay in handling Continued on Page » 2, Colum & provements, James E. Smith, A. L. Shapleigh, E. A. Hildenbrandt, Brigadier-General E. J. Spencer and Ww. F. Saunders, representing the Business Men's League; Charles A. Stix of the Associated Retailers; Christian Brinkop, former Assessor, representing the Salesmen’s Associa- tion* of the Real Estate Ex- change: Corneliug Fauntleroy, Frank : “We want somebody here to with.” he said. chance.”’ After the committee had have the brief read, — Shapleigh: 7 “You newspaper uattasgre ‘lies he public mind with that fluid you use. We that thing is read, I move that it te 3 * J records. We * . Bhs EF ee ha r , tena Cee _ 4 = : nee ba - ’ * ~s , pe’ adie a ze ay ae as et at por PS: “ye SE Oe Sit = t Ce ee en en a t. i ‘ Say Lath