St. Louis Post-Dispatch
February 7, 1902

Historic newspapers carry the language, views and graphic reporting of their time, including racist content. They are shown to teen and adult profiles.

The text was read from the page scans by machine (OCR), so it has mistakes and its columns may run together. See the pages · About this title · At the Internet Archive

Page 1

\| THE BIGGEST JANUARY. 42s,7D5 WANT ADS LAST MONTH IN THE POST-DISPATCH, 4098 Bigger Than One Year Ago. INDIANS SOUGHT BUILDINGS NOT Law Compelling It, Xe gt oe t+ COMPLETE MARKET THE ONLY ST. LOUIS NEWSPAPER \VITH THE ASSOCIATED ‘PRESS DAY DISPATCHES. | | TEN PAGES. : BE ST. LOUIS, FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 7, 1902. PRICE | ~ REPORTS. | f JS A BUSINESS SECRET’|RIITI FR 1S BELIEVED TO BE THE TARGET _— in St. Louis, One Cent. Outside St. Louis, Two Cents. | VOL. 54, NO. 170. “HOW THE THING IS DONE K~-- eae ee Se SY — CRO OR OOOO fies OF THIS GRANDJURY” | Eight New Witneaiies Subpenaed to Tes" | tify Friday Afternoon---Bribery Cases ~ Docketed for February and March. -Remnants of Once Powerful Shawnee Tribe Make Trip to Washington. Wes om INQUEST ON FIREMEN .BEGINS DEPUTY COMMISSIONER SAYS HE DOES NOT KNOW WHETHER BUILDING WAS INSPECTED. “PRESIDENT DENIED AUDIENCE ‘ CONGRESS WILL CONSIDER BILL GRANTING THEM RIGHT TO GO TO LAW. Poe 7 - HORE BENCH WARRANTS ARE EXPECTED BEFORE TONIGHT Ed Butler is believed to be the target of Circuit Attorney Folk and the Febru- O. W. Martin Testified That the Struc- ture Had Been Damaged by Fire to the Extent of $19,000 in. 1899. ; ary Grandjury. The investigations now pending—the Central Traction, Garbage, Lighting, [and They Say They Should Be Paid for Lies in Four Countiets of Dexas and Was Conveyed to Them by Sam Houston. Suburban and other myateipal scandals—are being pressed along lines intended to ~~ > 3 Deputy Coroner John T. Fitzsimmons at 10:30 o'clock Friday morning opened the in- quest into the deaths of the seven members of the St. Louis fire department, who met death Tuesday night at the fire at 314 Chest- nut street. Coroner Funkhouser was unable to con- ‘duct the inquest in person, being confined to his home, 3524 Olive street, with an in- jury to his Knee sustained by a fall on a slippery sidewalk Thursday night. Mayvr Wells was invited to attend and visited the coroner's office promptly at 10 o'clock, the hour set for the inquest, Mr. Fitzsimmons told him. he was not yet ready to begin the inquest and the mayor returned to his office, saying he would come back when notified to do so. He returned while the first witness was testifying. The following jury of business men was sworn in: Albert I. McKittrick, trick Dry Mriedman lead to the middle-man. | In the beginning, the grandjury’s work was directed by Mr. Folk in a general = and systematic way calculated to bring within the dragnet all who might be guilty ~ % of bribery, whether by giving, receiving or delivering the money. ee = ~ — ~~ = SS The remnant of the once powerful Shaw- mee Indian nation has asked the United States government for permission to sue in the Federal Court of Claims for possession of or remuneration for 500,000 acres ol Texas Jand, lying in four counties and in- cluding the city of Tyler. The value of the claimed mow over $25,000,000. Thomas Alford, half-breed, Thomas Rock Thomas Washington, fuli-b.ocd-d were at Union Station_ Friday en route home from Washing- ton where they had been to plead wit governinent ofhcials and congressmen. The Indians laid their case before etary Liitchcock and Indian CommiSsioner ones and succeeded in having a bill grant- ing-them permission to sue, introduced into Congress. The land is portions of the counties of Smith, Rusk, Anderson and Henderson. On the north is the Sabine river and on the south its what is known as the Old San Antone road. This strip is a land of war, romance and history. its history is inseparable from that of Texas, Several indictments alleging bribe giving, bribe taking and patwg have re 4 sulted thus far, but now Mr. Folk and his co-workers, the members of the grand +g = ~~. ms 2 of/ —-e om -_--. ~~, jury, seek to uncover the middle-man. x] nn OT OO OOO. ty ne ue — : LAL IP LI LON ———— property is = ; ‘ : R . This apparent investigation of one man’s acts has been brought about by ~ Butler’s voluntary and boastful declaration in published interviews in the Post- _ - - eee ¢ ve 4% % A ween -ASSEMBL OO: ‘ ; r~ = : . a Dispatch and other St. Louis papers that he “delivered the goods” for a “fees” “T am not a cheap man. But when I get the ‘fee’ the delivery of the goods is certain.”—Edward Butler in an in- terview in the Post-Dispatch of January 28. = RYAN CHALLENG Sec- party figured in his transactions with franchise seekers; that upon receipt of the vag « ae — eee ee + ~~ THE SELF-MADE MAN. So Jones is a self-made man, is he? O, yes, entirely self-made. And you bet Stix, 725 Lucas avenue; Hugh secretary Hargadine-MckKit- Goods Co.:; Ilsaac Friedman, Bros., 901 Washington avenue; Benjamin Strauss, milliner, 801 Washing- on avenue; White, Branch & McConk.n Hat Co., %8 Washington avenue, and LE. H. Gorse, Monarch Rubber Co., 1009 Wash- ington avenue. MARTIN FIRST WITNESS. Charles W. Martin of 2947 Dayton street “fee” he “delivered the goods.” ss, Butler was subpenaed and testified before the December Grandjury in the > Suburban case. He has not yet been subpenaed by the February Grandjury, It ¥ 4 was stated at Mr. Butler’s house this morning that he was sick abed. = — -_ ee ll that he thought the building was over- loaded. He said the authorities agreed that a building was normally safe when it con- tained only one-fourth of such a load as would cause its collapse. He gave it as his opinion that the buildings which fell upon Assistant Chief Thierry and his brave as- sociates was loaded in excess of the “‘nor- mal safety’’ amount. Exactly what the excess was, witness could not Say. _—-_-.) he worships his maker. Did you ever notice in the old Syrian in- work of the present grandjury has pro- gressed far enough to cause the issuance "2 WITNESSES FRIDAY. John G. Brinkmeyer, ex-member Council. Before Sam Houston stirred the whites to rebellion against Mexico the Shawn. es held undisputed sway over this vast traci. Occasionally the war path would lead hvus- tile tribes from Mexico across the Rio Grande and up into this fertile county, but always after an essay of this knd there was a victory dance in the village of Shawnees, ° Hiouston needed this war-loving people in the impending struggle with Mexico. His messengers to them were either stoned out of the village or never returned. The dough- ty revolutionist was in serfous straiis. He could not make war on the parent gov- ernment with the Shawnees_ arrayed against him, nor could he learn whether . they. would join him. Girl Captured by the Indians. ; It so happened that one day the young daughter ef onc of Houston's, chief SUBS ‘porters was ‘captured by the Indians. Ault efforts to retake her were unavailing, and she was given wp as lost. Great was the joy of her kinsmen when she suddenly up- a alive and well and unmistakably ADDY. She had married a young buck who was rapidly rising to a migh® chief, she told them, and he wanted to treat with the men who were angry at the people below the great river (Rio Grande). In this way Houston secured the aid of the Shawnees and went to war with Mexi- co. . When the republic of Texas had been established the first legislature, upon the recommendation of Houston himself, @ranted the Shawnees the perpetual right to cceupy their hunting grounds. Conditions soon became such that the little republic needed support to protect it from enemics within and without. When it was admitted as a portion of the United States the whites began to crowd in in such numbers that the lands of the Shawnees were invaded. They appealed to Congress. While this @ppeal was pending the American govern- ment wert to war with Mexico, and the Shawnees formed no inconsilerabie part of the army. After the war ‘‘ongress refused to reg@ognize the Indians’ elaim to the land, and opened it for settlement. The Shaw- neces then went north, and the 700 that re- main are now in and about Shawnee, Ok- lahoma, ‘ Armed with the records of the Texas re- public congress, a copy of the Houston deed of conveyance and a history of the fidelity of nation to the United States government Mesars. Alford, Rock and Washington went to Washington. Fought Against Mexico for the United States. Rock and Washington fought for Texas and the United States against Mexico. Washington served with a Kansas regiment during the civil war. Alford, a half-breed, is a man of in- ce and education, and is practically arge of the suit. oped to finterest the President.’’ he d to the Post-Dispatch, ‘‘but we could ot get to him. We called at the White ouse, but the guard would not permit us © £0 any farther than the east room, which always open to the genera! public. “We stated our errand and how far we had traveled, but it did no good. Mr. Roose Velt was busy, We were told. We saw enter the building on another occasion, but we aid: not again seek an audience. Secretary Hitchcock and Commissioner Jones were very cordial, but neither held out much encouragement. Among the con- gressmen we made many friends. They seemed to sympathize with us more and to récoginize that we had a good case at law. “The government says out title received from Old Mexico ts faulty. We say, what of it? We held undisputed sway up to the time of the Texas-Mexican war. ouston gave it to us again for our services. The rds of the racers part everyt >. @ause the title from a country ear ever tontrolied us and with which the Amreican ernment had been at war, was as they y, cloudy. They wouldn't give the land ck to Mexico, would they? Then why take it away from us without remunera- tion? “All we ask at Washington is justice. The land was legally conveyed to us ee we Want it or money for it.” Mrs. Alford and Mrs. C. W. Kirk, a mis- sionary of McLeod, were in the party. WILL BUILD $550,000 STABLE Special to the Post-Dispatch. NEW YORK, iy 7.—James B. Hagegin will build a $550,010 private stable on a $200,- 000 plot near his projected $1,500,000 palace in Fifth avenue. The multtmillionaire copper horseman completed the purchase of a 106.8x1005 plot in East Sixty-third atreet. It is occupied by one four-story and four -story dwellings. ‘ihese will be de- NH to make a site for the stable. land will be king and cost about $200,000, and the stables «ogy at a cost of $550,000, outiay for land and build- It will be the most elaborate efty "stable in the world. was the first witness. Mr. Martin sald he was the proprietor of the American Tent and Awning Co. That company occupied all of the building numbered 314 Chestnut street and the three top. floors of he build- ing numbered 31Z Chestnut street. There are the two buildings wherein the fatal fire occured, The collapsing of the walls of there two tuildings caused the death of the seven firemen, Mr. Martin explained that. the building was stocked with awnings and awning frames. He said there were probably 5800 awrings.in the lot. Many were stored for the. winter. In response to a question whether there ever had been g fire before in the buildings 2i2 and 314 since he oceupled them, Mr. Martin sald there had been a fire in May. it, He said the buildings were seriously damaged by this fire, and that his loss was $19,000 $ Who owned t Nadine then, the witness said, employed a contractor named Whar- ton to repair them. Witness said he had an additional row of girders put in the building numbered 314 to make it more solid. Asked the direct ques- tion whether he thought the building as well able to withstand a fire after it was repaired, Mr. Martin replied: “Il think it was better able to do so.’’ WAS 75 YEARS OLD. Witness said the rear portion of the buildings was 75 or 100 years old. He said the Mel.ean famil® had built a new- por- tion in front of th@old structure. Night Watchman Daniel Dunbar testified that he discovered the fire. Charles O. A. Brunk, deputy building commissioner, who resides at 2800 Benton street, said the deaths of the firemen were ceused by falling floors. He offered the opinion that the caving in of the roof caused the floors to fall and that the water poured into the build- ing caused the roof to fall. ‘“T think the weight of the water added ‘o the load already in the building made it too heavy for the walls and floors” said the witness. The witness was not able to furnish any very definite information regarding the condition of the buildings prior to the fire. He said the side walls were 13 inches thick for three stories. Asked to repeat his the- ory as to the cause of thé buildings’ col- lapse, he said: “TI think the water getting into the build- ing caused it. The stock was of such a character as would absorb water and hold ‘ts wetght. Then the building was old and the water getting into the walls caused them to crumble. /I think the roof fell in first, because it was partly burned.”’ WHAT THE LAW IS. Juror McKittrick asked the witness what the law was on the subject: of inspection of buildings; whether there was an ordi- nance providing for the periodical inspection of all buildings. Witness said his department made no house to house Inspection of buildings. ‘IT suppose we could,” he added, “if we had help enough. The law provides for seven inspectors. We have only five now and for a long time we had but three.”’ Juror Gorse wanted to know if the build- ing inspectors had ever made an examina- tion of the buildings that collapsed. Wit- ness said he didn’t know of any inspection of his own knowledge. Building Commissioner Longfellow was placed on the stand and asked his opinion as to the cause of the collapse. “There is no doubt that the building was overloaded,’’ he said. “‘Why do I think so” Because of its complete collapse.’’ He said the records of his office showed that a permit was issued June 10, 1899. for tne repairing of the bulidings, 312 and 314 Ohestnut street. He said the permit was issued- by his predecessor, J. Hlarty Ran- dall, after the application for the permit had been approved by the“then chief in- epector, John H. Randall. Regarding the system of inspecting build- ings in vogue in his office, Mr. Longfellow said: ‘‘We have no system of periedical in- spection of all buildings. There is no iaw compelling such inspection. If there were, we could not comply with it with our pres- ent force. If a part of the burned building was 100 years old I don't know it. I have no systematic means of securing such information. There may be other downtown buildings 100 years old.” QUESTIONED BY GRANDJURY. At this stage of the investigation, Mr. ongfellow’s department was placed under the fire of the jury. Individual jJurymen plied him with questions regarding work of his subordinates, They wanted to know the character and amount of work each of them ; Mr. Wongfellow said one inspector was detailed to look after fire escapes. That inepector, he said, was Mr. Brunk, The city was divided into. six districts and each dis- trict was assigned to an inspector. The district in which the fire occurred, witness said, was in charge of Mr. Bronk. Witness said he had only three rea! in- svectors under+him and three draftsmen serving as inspectors. ‘They are required to look after the 70) new bulldings now In course of erection and have little time to look after old buildings that may be al- = x 3 William Ritter, ex-member House of Delegates. Charles Thuner, ex-councilman. W. H. Judy, ex-clerk House of Delegates. Louis Dieckmann, ex-member House of Delegates. Hiram Lloyd, ex-member House of Dele- gates. Fred G. Uthoff, ex-member Council. Philip E. Hogan, clerk in ‘Board of Pub- lic Improvements. Deputy sheriffs wefe dispatched at 10 o'clock Friday morning with subpenas for eight new witnesses who will be asked to i tell the February grandljury what they know concerning the municipal corruption cases that the jury now has under consid- eration. In addition to these eight witnesses there are half a dozen witnesses who have been in attendance for several days waiting to be called. The sessions on these bribery and cor- ruption affairs are so short that the work is necessarily slow. The hour for convening the grandjury on these cases for specia. | investigation is 2:30 o’clock each afternoon, It takes half an hour for organization. This leaves practically two hours for in- vestigation, for when the use of artificial light is required, the jurors, who have al- ready done a usual day’s work before tak- ing up the more important cases, are weary and they cannot proceed with the vim and vigor they would had they not already put in a full day’s work. It will be a week before the grandjury completes the regular docket of routine work. This routine docket refers to cases where the defendant is in jail or is out on bond. The iaw requires that these cases be taken up before any special cases be gone into. When the usual criminal cases have been disposed of all day sessions of the jury on the municipal cases will be held, and the work will be disposed of in a rapid manner. In one all-day session the grandjury and Circuit Attorney Folk will be able to dis- pose of as much business as they now are able to dispose of in, four afternoon ses- sions, No one in authority will admit that the -" of bench warrants, yet there are those whe are in a position to know who confi predict that bench warrants will be issued » before nightfall Friday. CLERK IN B. P.1.18 SUM Philip S. Hogan Says He Does Net Know Why Grandjury Calls Him. Philip 8. Hogan, a clerk tn the tax sion of the Board of Public Improvement was subpenaed Friday morning by the ~ PS grandjury wants with him. (a Up to last spring he was chief clerk 4 i the City Hospital, and three years go served as a district inspector in the sprink- ling department. ; “I do not know whether or not the grand-— jury wishes me to testif regardin work of the sprinkling = epariment, gan said to the Post-Dispatch Friday. “— © have no means of knowing what matters am expected to discu¢s.” BOODLE CASES ARE “DOCKE . ‘ Be All Except Wainwright Are to Be ~ Tried During February and March. 3 The trials of four of the men indicted by the December grandjury in connection with the Suburban bribery case were docketed me for trial] Friday morning. | These four cases were set to be tried @ur- ing the months of February and March, This is tn accord with Circult Folk's plans to push these cases with all possibie expedition. The case of Henry Nicolaus, the is set for March 3B, of the cases aiready docketed, charged with iggy ° Charies Kratz, the former council who is also charged with bribery, will piaced on trial on Feb. 27. miilionaire, % The case of Emil Meysenberg, charged with bribery, is set for March 14. Julius Lehmann, the former member the House of Delegates, who is ¢ with perjury, grow out of the ban deal, will be trie4 on March 17. Harry A. Faulkne?, who is indicted. charge identical with that against mann, will be tri on Mareh 24. All of these cases will be tried in vision of the criminal court presided by Judge O'Neill Ryan. x The case against Wills fog ab he other miliionaire brewer, also indicted fos bribery, is not set for trial This is cause Mr. Wainwright is in ent, and the warrant cannot ne ; him until his return to the United Stateat MR. MEIER SAYS President of the Council Which Passed Central Traction Bill Declares No Money Reached Him. Friday morning the Post-Dispatch Inter- viewed E. }. W. Meier, who was president of the City Council when the Central Trac- tion bill was passed, In his office 112 Vine stree:, “Were you approached by any person or persons representing the traction company or any other interest of the Central Trac- tion bill with the promise or tender of money for your vote or influence?’ he was asked. 3 “I was not. I was opposed to the bill from start to finish and voted consisten{ly. “As president of the Council I was com- pelled to sign the bul after it had been passed by my contemporaries, but | voted against it. The records show my attitude in the matter.” —— Sunday Post-Dispatch. It will show you what a kind old world is this we live tn. Pusey cat, pusey cat, , Where heave you tread? I've been te Wasblagton, Working for Ted. Pusey cat, pussy cat, What @id rou there? i ‘ea a juicy rat Under his cnatr. The Beverly cats are chasing the Roose- )velt rats. Six mighty mousers they are, and they have the rat army in the White House K Ne " 3 ne : eb . 4 , RR ne. Ga et tae Ss RS pe fn t 5 1 4 a s: 44 7 - % > q hug $e AON REI ES SHE . 2 tA “Do you know if money was offe or accepted by any members of. the Counce for their votes to pass the C “I do not. My opposition to the bil well known to members of the Cou it is not likely that | would be appre on the subject. os was known to be Itncorruptible. ‘l fmoney bought any votes in the Cou I was not let tn on the secret. If there wh & combine I was not in it.”’ Pe _ “Was-there a combine in the Cow forces the passage of the Central bill over the veto of the mayor?” “There was said to have been, but not know of a certainty, because if was 1 was not in it presume if th was a combine only the men who were) it knew positively of tts existence.” ——“) Mr. Meter said in conclusion: a “| don't Know how my name came fe connected with this scandal, That is 9 & man gets for being honest: ee “] aay again and egain and with a” positiveness at my command #.. not offered, did not ask for, ow ceive one dollar for my vote for or the Central Traction bill.” Mr. Meier conc! with much eas a y tion, Rex s a } ; : ’ GENERALLY FAIR. ze ri Missourl - Increasing cloudiness Saterday, with possiiy esew + tie 27 =x Bos >. = ¢ Fi. 4 a . ns RI OIE Eg * OAR gE — a “a ee 4 . ior es - 7 ee gee ngs, ae - ° A : , SME pe) ee as . . ae Was Ae be rere wk ia 4 e ¢ ae ae gee rs Ray a on p.3 (gh oes may Ce Singh vt Bs ¢ ink 4 et, t ; son, aaa the as: + % He Ps >. : ° oy “2 2 2 ‘ : Fe ‘ a San ypt at pres Traction bill?’ heat | THE WEATHER INDICATIONSS Attorney HE WASN'T IN IT |