The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-08-05
THAT UNIVERSITY.
MIR. SHOEMAKER, OF DECA-
TUR, WRITES IN REGARD
TO MR., COLLIER AND
THE UNIVERSITY.
A NUMBER OF CITIZENS SAY THEY
RELIEVE WHAT THE SIGNERS
TO THE ORIGINAL CIRCU-
LAR SAY.
Fort Worth Gazette.
CARD FROM MR.. SHOEMAKER.

fOTl W OIlH pdZetOc'
A CARD FROM MR.. SHOEMAKER.
DECATUR, Tex, July %, 1S86.-Editor
Gazette: l see in the Fort Worth Ga
zette of July 81 notice to the people as
to the refutation of the said Collier of
the so-called scandalous article from some
of the citizens of Decatur against the
said Collier.
Now, Mr.. Editor, we would just say
that we can prove everything said in that
so-called scandalous article to which you
allude, and we want to make mention of
one of his seductive influences that he
brought to bear on the people of Decatur
that he denies in his refutatiOn concerning
his seven other educators. Mr.. Collier
came to Decatur and went before the
Masonic lodge and made an address of
which the Masons were well pleased at
that time. Then Mr.. Collier went to the
Presbyterian church and preached, after
which he made call for the people to
assemble at the courthouse. They so
assembled, large and respect
able crowd. There Mr.. Collier stated
that he and seven other
educators had conceived the idea of
building an institution of learning, an I'M
sectarian university in northern Texas.
and went on to state the necessity of such
an institutions; that he had talked to the
wealthy men of Galveston and the cattle
men of the west, and they were anxious
for him to put it through, and the wealthy
men of the state would endow the institu
ton with at least S250,000; that the seven
other educators had selected him (Collier)
to locate the institution, and he had been
to Dallas, Fort Worth, Henrietta and
Gainesville, and they were all anxious to
have it located in their towns, and that
those places would give more than he
asked us; but he said that Decatur was
more centrally located, and lie would To-
cate here if we would put up 100000. We
felt of our people, and we informed him
that we could not raise that amount. He
then fell to $4,000. While we were con-
sulting on that proposition he Collier
said to Mr.. Amos Finch that he was re-
ceiving kilograms from cattlemen that If
he had located at Decatur they were going
to buy property there at once, and wanted
him to answer them quickly. We raised
about $4,000, and Mr.. Collier closed
trade with us, and got about $1,47O and
kept it, and if he has ever done anything
else we have failed to find it out.
The above we can prove by as good
men as Mr.. Collier or any of his friends.
A. II. SHOEMAKER.
WHAT THEY BELIEVE.
DECATUR, Tex, July 29.-Editor Ga
zette: Having read the statement in the
so-called refutation of Mr.. Collier to the
article from Decatur in regard to Mr.. Col
lier's connection and conduct with the
Northwestern university, in which he de-
MES the statements made by A. III. Shoe
maker ct. al, and which so-called refuta-
ton was published in your paper of the
goth, 1886, and
Whereas, We, the undersigned citizens
of Decatur, being well and intimately &C
quainted with all the men whose names
were signed to the article from Decatur,
take pleasure in stating to the public that
they and each of them, are honest, trust
worthy and credible citizens of Decatur,
and men who would not stoop to do what
Mr.. Collier charges them with, and that
we believe their statement is true, and
that the statement of John Collier, so far
as it is contrary to said article from De-
catur, is willfuly false; that the parties to
the article are good sound democrats, who
have no political axe to grind,and some of
them Masons, Knights of Pythias and
Knights of Honor in good standing.
R. E. Corswell, county attorney; &. W..
Trenchard, j. A. Trenchard, Will A. Miller,
clerk district court; w. j. Mann, sheriff
Wise county, Texas; j. w. Embry, justice
of the peace precinct No. l, Wise county,
Texas; A. Edwards, lawyer; A. Devereux;
land agent, L. j. McGee, lawyer; William
Greathouse, cutlery man; H. T. Haney,
merchant; A. P. Hayes, jeweler; w. H.
Bullock, lawyer; D. A. Holman, lawyer; j.
W. Sparrow, druggis5; T. j. McMurray,
mayor of Decatur, W. NJ. Leetord, con-
fectioner; j. j. Terrell, land man; G. B.
Beard, merchant; N. C. Cargill, farmer;
John Shanker, alderman; L. W. Means,
grocer; j. P. Robson, hide buyer; W. L.
York, doctor; j. Ullmann, grocer; j. A.
Utley, clerk; John A. Weakley, hardware
murchaut; Murphy, Bennett d Co., mer-
chants; H. H. Fields, trader; S. E. Lillard,
hardware merchant; R. H. Smith, cotton
buyer; G. w. Gill; merchant and cattle
man; John A. Gordon, lawyer; NJ. Dwyer,
NlSoNhOhSN' Oulh-l' %
c.. Mayes cashier First National bank;
Ben F. Allen, collector First National bank:
Jos. W. Bowman, assistant cashier First
National bank.
The State of Texas, County of Wise
l, H. l.. Ward, clerk of the county court
in and for Wise county, Texas, do hereby
certify that the parties whose names APP
pear to the above and foregoing state
ment are respectable citizens of the town
of Decatur, Texas. Given under my
hand and official seal, this July 30, 1856.
L. s. II. l.. WARD.
Clerk County Court, Wise County Tex.
DECATUR, July %, 1856.
To the Statesman:
see in the Fort Worth Gazette, of July
81, "a refutation" of the charges against
John Collier, candidate for superintend-
ent of public instruction, of the 'scanda-
lous article of the people of Decatur"
against him.
Mr.. Editor, l wish to say that the peo-
pie of Decatur can prove everything in
the article, and 1 want to make mention
of few of his seductive influences that
he brought to bear on this people He