The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-04-03

worth of property was wrcsted from them by
sheer brute force and turned over to couple
of desperate advchturers whose sole object
was plumber, by circuit Judge who can be
called intelligent only by lmpeaching his
honesty and who certainly could be no party
ito such proceeding without seriously
calling in question his judicial integrity.
Thus far the midnight plot had worked
beautifully; bat within in hour after the order
was made. NJ. Osman, an officer of the G. & =.
road, by sheer accident, got wind of the
movement Not daring to send dispatch
from Ehingham northward for fear Noris
might have corrupted the operator at Windsor,
who was a personal friend, relative, or tool
of his, Mr.. o. jun ped on the first train north
ward and went to Sullivan, whence he tcle.
graphed the news to the Office at Sireator.
Were they astonished? However that may
be- the action of Mr.. Shumway was prompt
and decisive Every dollars worth ofrolling
stock on the road was at once sent out of
reach of the conspirators, and Mr.. Shumway
himself, accompanied by an attorney or two,
hied off as fast as steam could carry them for
Efingham. Arriving there, application was
instantly made to Judge Allen for stay of
proceedings until the company could have
hearing. This the Judge at first refused to
grant, but as the news of the outrage got
abroad in Effingham, popular indignation
rose so high that Allen became scared. The
! Of hat
and repudiated IN behalf Of Douglas town
ship all participation in the proceeding; and
the judge finally set aside his previous action
and ordered a new hearing The address Of
Judge Thornton (the attorney of the road
against the petition was brief but to the point,
and the Judge, at its close, was more than
glad to reverse his action and dismiss his re-
ceiversl
Meantime however, Van Valkenburg and
| his assistant" were not idle. Finding all
the rolling stock beyond their reach and the
telegraph lines ont Of 0rder, they made at first
vain effort TO borrow an engine from one of
the various cross roads along the line, but
failing in this, NorIs started from Atamont
on hand car, accompanied by an engineer
and conductor intending to run over the road
and take possession of the offices, and more
particularly OF what little change he might
find in the hands of the agents, as his person
al finances by this time were woefully short
| His success, however was limited, as nearly
all the agents had unfortunately "Just remit.
ted" Only about two agents Zone brother
of Noris) had any money on hand and the
ASSISTANTS steaings in this direction am
mounted to but $40. Being thus in funds,
however, and finding navigation on hand
car rather laborious he started from Windsor
norhward on the Illinois Central road, go
ing by the way of Chicago and Aurora and
finally arriving at Streator at 9 O'Clock PM,
the day after his recevership had been re-
voked, bat in total ignorance of the fact The
pomposity with which he entered the general
Office at Streator was sublime. With an air
that would have shamed an Emperor he an
nounced his purpose at once to take poses
session Of the road and ordered Mr.. Kurtin, the
master of transportation, to prepare tram to
| IahO hiih soutH' WI muffin lcpiIcu ny Sdy-
ing his orders were, if Mr. Voris put in an
appearance there, 10 kick HIM out of the Of
flee. The indignation of the "tall Stallion"
was indescrlbable, but cooled down suddenly,
when Mr.. Sisson, superintendent of the road,
quietly informed him OF the late legal action
at Efingham and the utter failure of his
black mailing plot Then the boys broke
loose on the receiver" with jeers and iibes,
and for the next few hours poor Charley had
pitiable time Of it, but was finally allowed
to hide himself in a freight car and steal q
ride homeward. AS for Van Valkenberg, he,
poor fellow, having resigned his position or
the T. IT, d St l., road now finds himself out
in the cold, with his former employers un-
willing 10 take him back after being engaged
in so sreputable an escapade.
1t only remains to say IN conclusion, that
no word is said in the petition out of which
all this sham proceeding grew implying that
the c. Il =. company have ever failed to mee,
single pecuniary obligation, or that they
owe any of the complaining parties cent in
any form. The company is the property of
the four of five individuals already named, is
entirely solvent, and never fails to meet
promptly all its pecuniary obligations.
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