Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-08-19
The "Poor Mans Friend in In
diana.
HOW THE BARREL OF VIM. H.
ENGLISH Is FILLED.
A Few Facts from the Court House
Records.
How Personal Judgments are Secured,
and the Victims Fleeced of the
Last Cent.

Two weeks ago the Cincinnati Com
mercial published startling exhibit of
the "thrifty' transactions of the Hon.
William H. English, the millionaire
Democratic candidate for Vice Presi
dent, with his unfortunate neighborS of
indianapolis. 1t appears that within
the past three years this "Poor Mans
Friend" has foreclosed One Hundred and
Eighty-four mortgages on property in
Marion county, and that eighty-two
sheriff s deeds to English have been re-
corded in the Office of the Recorder of
Deeds
The thrifty" old millionaire also
kept a sharp lookout for that class of
unfurtunateS who were unable to pay
their taxes. and succeeded in possessing
himself of Seventy-eight lots in Indian
apoliS at tax sale. The Commercial says
the law of Indiana is so "hoggish" that
few persons care to appear at tax sales
and speculate upon the misfortunes of
impecunious fellow citizens. Officials
say that English did not attend the
sales, but indications are that he "hired
a hand" as the deeds are made to him.
The law authorizes the purchaser to ex-
act Is per cent. for the first six months,
even if redemption is rendered next day,
10 per cent. additional for the remain
der of the year, and Is per cent. for the
second year. Thereafter, according to a
decision of the Supreme Court, 25 per
cent. per annum can be charged. for pc
riod of twenty years, if the parties are
not dead or bankrupt by that time, 9TH
erwise the title becomes absolute. Mr..
English no doubt regarded such securi-
ty and profit reasonably good.
The "Poor Mans Friend" has another
very clever trait In bidding in proper
ty at sheriff S sales he "hardly ever
bids the full amount of his mortgages,
thus leaving an individual Judgment
against the creditor, which will give
him another slice, should the patient
survive the sheriff s knife, and give any
indications of a second growth. Thus
be will bid $1,000 for property upon
which he holds mortgage for S15OC. II
secure apersOnal judgment against the
creditor for $500, and SO on.
The compiler of this interesting record
for the Commercial closes as follows:
After studying these records, compiled
from the official books, and damning as
they are, could not but think even then
that all was not so bad as was painted,
and with that idea impressed upon my
mind started out to interview someJ
of the parties who had been ground be-
tween the upper and neither milestone.
Very many of the defendants were said
to he laboring people of the more igno-
rant class, who had been stripped of
their little homes, and knowing such
would be unduly prejudiced l sought
two or three of the better class of debt
Ors who had become acquainted with
cuttle-fish tactics. The first one | met
was Capt. J. Bieler, an employe in the
mailbag service at the Postoffice, and
present Republican
NOMINEE FOR COUNTY RECORDER.
He is a harness-maker by trade, and
stands very high with all classes of citi-
Zens, the Germans, with whom he is in
associated, particularly. In an
swer to inquiries with regard to his bust |
ness relations with the Democratic NOM