davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-08-07
J.., LII. . sIsIe.

A negro was tickling one Of twe
mules attached To q wagon on Light
street wharf. He was tickling the mule
in the flank. The animal did not like it
and showed bis disgust by backing hIs
ears and cycling his tormentor vieiously.
"whyn't you let dat mule aloneiy
exclaimed the driver Of the team.
Next thing you know he'll kick you."
show KIN mule kick man dat sin't
behind him 20 said the tormenter.
"Dunno, but dat mule onect Kicked
a man onrn bis back, and De farmer
what raised him said he could Kick de
molasses out'n a ginger cake" -
swell, let's see him kick ne whore ]
ls."
The mule seemed 10 understand the
language Of the two men and was aiabi-
tious TO sustai u his reputation. He lift
ed one Of his hind legs and swept the afr
In an awkward sort tof side-long forward
motion. Several men picked the negro
up ten feet away, under the ipprsssiep
that he was ser iously hurt, Bot he bad
sustained no severe damage. All The
other drivers 10 the vicinity agree that
they never saw mule kick that vsy ip
their. lives aud thought he mast hare
learned It from the cows, ~ they fro
quently kick forward.
Gentieman--I sm sorry to.Isssn %
your wife's death, Uncle Rastus. Uncle
Rastus-sahs Gentleman--I ssy tbst
am very sorry TO lear that your wife
Las recently died. Uncle Rastus gwis1
q puzzled look)-I giss ds'sm soass ntjs
take bout dat, Mis.ah Brown. I Ter d
ole CONAN In gud health dis pswpIn', |,
sab. Who said she wsh deadf Gentle
man-I've forgotten nov. Batl ,ees;
tainly heard 20 several days 40. UseIe
Rastus lhis face clearing up) )-0h, ys'es,
nov / understan's, sah. Dat vue g
formah wife Oh mine, klstak 1seqn,
She died mon foah weeks aeo. d ~ ::
ent incumbent am an riiht. go. 80
sHow eAn alvays Win meeeG g
pokerf' writes IN snxiess spbsmiber -
Western editor. tsHow - kneWfH
replied the journalIsts ~ Lseq1 -
that do you suppoas. ~ - - egcqGa
. .
Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-08-07

keep on hand at all times large and WELL
selected stock OF Foreign Bnd Domestic Dry
Goods Fancy Goods, Notions, and everything
usually kept in my line Of goods, while the
latest Novelties will be constantly added. In
the Millinery Department will be found the
latest and most fashionable goods, with first
class city Milliner. Call and examine goods
and prices before purchasing elsewhere.
Resp'y, ]. +. WELSHANS.
Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-08-07
FOR SALE.

CEvERAL thousand Oak Shingles made
- from good timber, and by exgerienced
hands. by lo-grlr s1G j. s. MELVIN
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-22
Resulting in the Conclusion that the Center
Township Warrants Sold to the Vernon
Bank by Pollard Are Genuine.
Testimony as to the Striking Similarity
Between the Signatures.
Yesterdays DisclOes Tres in Regard to the At
fairs of Center 1ownship-An Examina-
ton of Trustee kits Warrant Books.
ARE THEY FORGERIES L?

The Three Orders Issued to Pollard Bearing
the Alleged Signature of Trustee kitz.
At noon, yesterday, Edgar Stark, cashier of
the Cincinnati National Bank, of Cincinnati,
came to this city with the thirty-fve hundred
dollars of township orders recently held by the
Jennings County Bank, at North Vernon, and
signed with the name of Ernest Kitz, Trustee
of Center township" The Cincinnati bank
holds these orders as collateral, they having
been placed with that bank by Charles E. Cook
the broken banker. Mr.. Starks mission was to
assure himself that the signature was that of
Ernest Kitz, or. failing in this, to know the
worst, and admit the orders to be forgeries, and
take proper steps to secure his bank against loss
Accompanied by Journal reporter Mr.. Stark
went to the county auditor and asked to be
shown Mr. Kitz's name as it appears attached to
official papers. There was little difficulty in get
ting samples of this now famous signature Mr.
Stark saw it upon large number of receipts and
other papers, and compared it with the sign
manual upon the orders in his possession. Upon
the receipts it was, in many cases, written hur-
riedly. Upon the other papers it appeared to
have been written with greater care and deibera-
lion, but all bore the same general character
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-22
PROBABLY GONE TO CANADA.
The Reasons for the Sudden Disappearance
of Or" F. nj. Purdum.

F. NJ. Purdum, M. D.. has disappeared, and il
for his hasty departure When the new medical
law went into force Mr.. Purdum who had been
a practicing physician in Indianapolis found
himself in the embarrassing position of being
unable to procure the requisite license. He
claimed he possessed the necessary
qualifications, having graduated from the
Ohio Medical College, of Cincinnati,
placed or lost He could get no duplicate copy
from the faculty of the college, he said, because
it was against their rules to furnish certified
duplicates of diplomas There was some SYM
pathy expressed for the unfortunate doctor, and
he was mentioned by some of the newspapers as
a physician upon whom the law worked q
hardship. The records of the Ohio Medical Col
lege showed that in 1863 man named
Elijah Purdum had graduated from that
institution, but nowhere in the list of graduates
did the name of F. M. Purdum appear. Not
outstanding the fact that he had ALWAYS been
known here by the name of f. NJ Purdum, the
pretended doctor made affidavit that he was the
Elijah +. Purdum who had graduated in 1868
AS ne is not now more than thirty-fve years of
age he could not have been over thirteen years
old ut the time he claimed to have graduated
The attention of DR.. c. N. Metcalf, secretary of
the State Board of Health, was called to the case
and he found, upon investigation, that Purdum
had made false affidavit for the purpose of get
ting his physicians license A warrant for his
arrest on the charge of perjury was sworn out
but when an officer went around to the Doctors
Office yesterday morning to take him into GUS
toby 1t was found that he had left the city Sat
urday night, having in some way received an in
tlmation doubtless, of the coming trouble. In
the haste of his departure Purdum forgot to
account to Lodge No. SO, Knights of Honor, for
1913 of funds which he held in trust, and he is
now wanted on the additional charge of embez-
element
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-22
Celebration at Boston.

BOSTON, Mass, Sept. PA temperance cen
tennial conference of two days duration. was
begun to-day at fremont Temple The occa
sion is commemorative of the beginning
of what is popularity known as the
temperance reform in this country,
as it was in 1855 that DR.. Rush published his es
say on THE Effects of Ardent Spirits on the
Human Mind and Body" The conference is un
der the auspices of the Massachusetts Total Alb
stinence Society. and during the day
addresses were made by the Rev. Daniel Dor
chester, D. D.. Rev. j. w. Chickering. D. D.,
Mrs. j. Ellen Foster and Rev. A. A. Miner AT
the evening session the speakers were the Rev.
A. G. Lamsand and Mrs. Mary A. Livermore
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-22
elemental report will be submitted to the Com

missioners to-day.
A Journal reporter learned last night that r.
B. Pollard also represented Van VIE, the school
supply dealer OF this city, as an agent, and made
a number of sales for him in the southern part of
the State at remarkably advantageous prices
Mr. Van Vie has been investigating the opera
tons of Pollard since the exposure, and is con-
WINGED that his name was not used In any paper
except where the goods actually de-
livered and that he was not con-
of the fraudulent transactions. The sales which
Pollard reported to him were nearly all to
Daviess and Harrison county trustees, and the
aggregate amount is not large. Mr.. Van VIE
holds some of kits warrants, but the goods for
which they were given. he says, were not sold to
the trustee by Pollard.
About FIVE weeks ago, Frank Pollard stated to
friend in this city, in the course of a converse
ton one afternoon, that he was trying TO make
sale to Kitz. Later in the day he told the
same gentleman that he had completed his nego-
tiations with Kitz, and had sold him goods, but
the amount involved in the transaction was not
mentioned.
Arthur Davis, of the firm of Davis Brothers,
the Chicago school-suppy dealers, was in the
city yesterday and left last night for Chicago
While here he made the boast to several persons
that his brother had made $75, 900 out of his
dealings with Indiana trustees, and said 1.-THE
grays' ought to have been swndled for not hav-
ing more sense" He reiterated the statement
that Trustee Kitz had sent them large orders
through Pollard 1t may be said for young Mr.
Davis that he is very loud young man, and
talks far more candidly than discreetly.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-22
$500

The reporter took the 81 500 order and the
$500 warrant to Henry Chandler, engraver, for
the purpose of having the signatures engraved
Mr. Chandler, while not prepared to pass an
opinion, acknowledged the characteristics to be
identical in the two signatures. 1t will be noticed
that in this last signature which Mr. Kitz can
not deny, and which there is need to deny
the initial E is made with bold flowing upward
stroke There is room for large
signature and the hand is I'M
cramped. As he finishes the ~" at
the close of the name he makes long flourish
1t will be noted that these signatures are I'M
like not in kind, but only in degree The initial
IL" in the signature on the smaller paper is made
with the same upward stroke and the letters in
the word Ernest" that follow the initial letter,
are smaller, because the hand is slightly con-
strained. For the same reason they are sharper
In their outline, and from the additional reason
that they were made with harder and sharper
pen. The ''K's" in the two signatures are as like
as two peas. The 'z' at the close does not show
the like flowing establishment, the difference
being, as stated, in the freedom with which the
larger signature seems to be written.
1t was about these orders or warrants that Mr..
Kitz, on Friday last, made the following aft
davit:
State of Indiana. Marion County, S.:
Ernest kitz, being duly sworn says that am in
formed that the Jennings County Bank, of North
Vernon, Ind, reports among its assets paper of my
township purporting to have been signed by me, as
follows:
One warrant dated April 8, 1885, due June Is.
1888, for 5 800
One warrant dated May 20, 1885. due July Is.
1886, for 81 600
One warrant dated June II. 1885. due Jan. IS,
1887 for 81 900.
One warrant dated July 8, 1885, due July Is,
1887 for 81 500.
state that never issued such warrants nor paper
of any kind whatever. for sucn amounts and at such
dates and further state that if any such papers exist
purporting TO nave been issued by they are
fosgeries.
So far as r. B. Pollard is concerned make the
general statement that never gave him his rep
resentative any of my township paper.
ERNEST KITE
Subscribed and sworn to by Ernest Kitz before me,
this 18th day of September. 1885.
VIM. S. HUBBARD Notary Public.
Mr.. Stark next visited the law Office of Messrs.
Harrison. Miller & ELAN and engaged these gen
temen as counsel Accompanied by Senator
Harrison and Mr. ELAN, Mr.. Stark went TO the
township trustees Office. Mr. Kitzs attorney.
Mr. Spaan, had been previously notified, and
was on the spot When the Pollard orders were
shown to Mr.. Kitz he looked at the signatures
and said they not his; he had never had
anything to do with Pollard and the signatures
were not genuine; that he had never issued any
such orders and exhibited his stub book for
the purpose Of showing that his orders
we're on larger paper-like that given
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-22
TRUSTEE OF CENTER TOWNSHIP.

to Auditor Adams. This showing was unneces-
sary as the So, 500 in orders. whether thew shall
be proved to be signed by Ernest Kitz or by
some other person, are Mr. Pollard's blanks
and the pattern he has kindly furnished to
trustees in various townships over the State
You say these are forged warrants" said the
reporter to Mr. Kitz; What steps have you
taken to find the forger, and bring him to pun
lshmenti AS the custodian of township moneys
you ought certainly to have done something in
that direction"
Ms. Kitz said he had, through John P. Frenzel,
his bondsman, telegraphed for the North Vernon
ORDERS but had not been able to get them.
though be thought they should have been sent,
as they would have been in the hands of that
banker and would have been safe Mr.. Kitz
SAID his attorney advised him to 60 to the grand
jury and see this thing through. The Trustee
says he is now willing to make an itemzed re-
port to satisfy the people, and will present it to-
day,
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-22
A Prospective Candidates Troubles.

Yesterday, in the Superior Court, Jennie Car
penter filed complaint of singular char
acter against John johnson, whose father
was one of the rich farmers of Marion county.
She claims that at the instigaton of Johnson,
and under agreement between them, she rented
the house No. 222 North Tennessee street, fur
nished it, and was at considerable expense in
keeping up the establishment. He agreed to
meet all these expenses, but failed to do SO
from the Both of June, this year, to the 18th of
the present month. She wants $500 damages.
The claim is also made that she loaned him
5000, which is unpaid and sold to him a lot of
personal property for the same amount John
son is prospective Democratic candidate for
sheriff.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-22
BANKER COOK.
His Return to Settle with His Creditors-The
Widows Mite Restored.

Widows Mite Restored.
Toledo Special to Cincinnati Enquirer.
Charles E. Cook, the unfortunate banker at
North Vernon, Indiana, called at the Enquirer
bureau to night just before taking the train for
home via Cincinnati. He was accompanied by
G. M Splitter, prominent banker here with
whom he has been on business errand since
Friday. Mr.. Cook felt deeply hurt at the insin-
uations made against his integrity. and desired
to make the following statement:
Il did not leave North Vernon in any such
sneaking manner as is charged left Friday
morning to come here. purely on business, as
have done ten or fifteen times year. l took
particular pains the day before to let number
of my creditors know that was coming, and
LETT In the usual manner, without any secrecy or
stealth. | am so unfortunate as to hold 500 600
In the Indiana township warrants, and from that
dates my trouble. l made an assignment last
Monday after paying my deposits from $50, 600
down to $32 900, and turned over all my property.
which Is the best in the county, and unincum-
bered together with notes. cash, &C.. in bank,
that is worth at least 60 per cent. l can take
them and raise fifty cents on the dollar In ten
days, and any banker will tell you that is not a
bad failure. especially after being swindled out
of $29, 900, about all my capital.
The statements in the dispatch from North
Vernon are entirely incorrect. 1t speaks of my
creditors getting nothing, while have demon
strated that they will get at least so per cent.
right away. The Knights of Pythias had only
$3.50 with me, and not So. 900. The heaviest de-
position, the county clerk, had only ST. 500 AS
for the widows story, let me say that she had
500 with me-all she had in the world-and
put that $500 in an envelope and sent it to her by
my clerk"
What do you propose to do9" the Enquirer
representative asked.
81 am going home tonight to effect com
promise with my people and resume business. /
have had no thought of injuring any of them,
nor do believe any of them imagine such a
thing / came here merely to do business with
parties who have faith in me. and with whom ]
have dealt for years"
Mr.. Splitter remarked that Mr.. Cook was we'll
and favoraby known in this vicinity, his father
living in Sandusky and he has always had the
confidence of the banks here with whom he has
transacted business.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-22

iscics Mr.. Stark has had seventeen years ex-
perience with commercial paper. and, as mat
ter of course, is entitled to be considered an ex
pert in signatures. Before leaving the auditors
Office he expressed himself as satisfied that the
orders he held were signed by Ernest
Kitz, trustee of Center township, Marion
county Ind, Auditor Adams, and his deputy
John Clinton, both expressed the opinion, after
careful examination and comparison of the I'M
doubtedly original signatures with those whose
genuineness is questioned that all alike appeared
to be in the same hand. The reporter obtained
$500 warrant from the auditor, signed by Ern-
est Kitz, which Mr. Stark took with him for
comparison of signatures, and then went out for
corroborative expert opinion. The order held by
Mr. Adams is s. inches long, by So inches wide
of the form used by Mr.. Kitz, and torn from his
stub-book AS there is much room for the sig
nature, the trustee has, in this, written his
name in larger hand than appears to the re-
ceipts he has signed in the auditors Office 1t is
also a larger hand than appears upon the orders
shown by Mr.. Stark
Theodore P. Hauehey, president of the Indi-
annapolis National Bank, and Henry Latham.
cashier of that bank, examined the orders and the
signatures, and expressed the opinion that in
their judgment the same hand that signed the
Adams order had signed the other. William
Wallace receiver for Fletcher & Shapes Bank,
was Of the same opinion. Alex G. Jameson,
who has had nearly twenty years experience as
bank cashier said that the characteristics were
the same and the variation not to be taken as
evidence of forgery. but rather of genuneness. He
thought the same hand appeared on all Frank D.
Stalnaker, who has also had long experience in
commercial paper, expressed the opinion that
the same hand that signed the Adams order had
signed the others, and that the variation was
immaterial. and such as existed in all penman
ship. The paper was shown to number of
other persons and each gave the opinion that the
signature TO the warrants was that of Ernest
Kitz. Mr.. Stark thought it not worth while to
pursue that line of investigation further. The
orders he held from the Jennings County Bank
are respectfully for $1,000, $1,000 and $1,000
So, 500 in all.
The fifteen hundred dollar order is in these
words, on pink paper, little longer than the
usual sized bank check:
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-22
MIR. KITS OFFICE,
A Look at His Order Books-He Will Send in
Another Report To-Day.

A Look at His Order Books-He Will Send in
Another Report To-Day.
With the permission of Trustee Kitz, and his
attorney, Mr.. Span, Journal reporter yester-
day afternoon made examination of the
warrant books in the trustees Office There are
two such books. One covers period of four
teen years, from 1870 to 1884 the stubs in which
are nearly all Endorsed paid" Although this
book was laid aside over year ago. the blank
warrants in it were not all used, and
there are yet twenty five or thirty left In the
back part three four blanks have evidently
been torn out, including the stubs. The new
book was purchased by Mr.. K;tz, and has been
in use only during the present year The larg-
est warrant issued from 1t. according to the
stubs was one for 81 $50 to Mr. Kopp, and
there are no stubs of the amounts or
dates corresponding with the warrants reported
to be in the possession of the North Vernon
Bank, or to have been negotiated by Pollard
The stubs are numbered from / to 49, part of
No. 70 has been torn from the book. and across
the fragment that remains is written paid I"
Mr.. Kitz explains that this was the warrant for
So, 100. upon which be endeavored to raise funds
but, failing to sell it, destroyed it and issued
other warrants for smaller sums. There are
evidently no other blanks that have been torn
from the book
Mr. Kitz stated last evening that he had pre-
pared supplemental report to the Commission
ers, giving an itemized statement of the war
rants that were not specifically mentioned in the
first report The statement embraces forty five
items, the aggregate amount of which is
$40, 2O6 45-the sum which covers. he says the
Indebtedness that he did not itemize This sup :
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-22
PROSPECTS for the Fair.

The managers of the State fair are busily en-
gagged making preparations for the annual show
next week About all the space has been taken,
and there will be fully as large an exhibit, it is
stated, as in previous years The headquarters
of Secretary Heron will be moved from the
rooms of the State Board of Agriculture on
Thursday to the Exposition building. tele-
gram was received yesterday from w. l.
Marshall at Omaha, offering to bring Joe Davis
and Phyllis here for race during the fair
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-22

In this Mr.. Kits name is written, showing
the same character and style as upon the other
orders and certificates.
The order spoken of as held by Mr. Adams
question, even on Mr.. Kitzs part, reads as fol-
lows. This, it will be remembered is on paper
81 inches long and So inches wide. 1t is given
here for the purpose of showing Mr.. Kitzs sig
nature larger than on the smaller orders that it
may be compared with that on the Pollard paper
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-22
Methodist Ministers.

The Methodist ministers met yesterday morn
ing at Roberts Park Church and organized the
regular Monday morning meeting. No particu-
lar religious topic was under discussion, but the
experience of the summer vacation was the
theme which occupied the hour. The next
meeting was deferred, by common consent for
two weeks, when Rev. l. FL Mcconnell ard w.
h. Halstead will discuss THE Best Method of
Conducting the Church Work This Year"
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-22
Sixth Ward ReDublicaps.

Last night the Sixth ward Republicans held
an enthusiastic meeting at Bacons Block, on
Fort Wayne avenue Addresses were made by
Ferd Ward and others. The outlook for Repub-
lican success in the coming city election was re-
ported TO be very promising The general feel
ing of the delegates present was that Denny is
gaining strength every day, and that triumph is
assured.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-22
Fifty Cents on the Dollar.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
NORTH VERNON, Sept 21.-Mr Cook late
banker at this place, returned this morning from
his visit in Ohio 1t is said he will try and get a
settlement with his depositors at so cents on the
dollar. 1t is hoped that things may so shape up.
that the depositors can get at least half loaf.
Many believe that Mr.. Cook could, if he would.
pay dollar for dollar Public feelingis decidedly
against Mr.. Cook and it would be impossible for
him to ever get the confidence of the people.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-22
$1,000
p. o., INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.
Accompanying this is piece of white paper,
Of like size, upon which is printed:
July s, 1885.

This is to certify that Center township school
rant. of Marion county. Indiana dated July g. SS5.
for fifteen hundred dollars, payable to r. 3. Pollard
or order on before July is, 1887, at Ritzingers
Bank, of Indianapolis Ind was given by him self
which have been received and accepted and that said
warrant issued according to law and will be
promptly paid when DUE The entire Indebtedness Of
said township is less than per cent of it's assessed
valuation. ERNEST KITZ
'"Trustee of Center School Township,
'Postofice address, Indianapolis, Ind
"Dated at Indianapolis Ind July 8, 1885"