The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-01
A SONS INGRATITUDE.
0rth Stein Abuses His Mothers Confidence
and Dissipates All Her Available Means.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
LAFAYETTE, Ind, March 3I-A few days ago
Ofth Stein, proprietor and editor of the Comet,
left the city for St Louis, for the purpose he
said, Of removing his paper to that city, in order
to give it wider field of circulation. He failed
to return for several days, and his continued alb
sence caused much comment in regard to the
state Of his business To-day Henry Torr, a
brotherin-law of Stems mother, arrived in the
city, at her request to SETTLE up affairs. It
seems that Mrs Stein agreed when the Comet
was started to advance 81, 800 to her son for
business capital. AS he stated he did not wish
to draw all the money at once she, at
different times, gave him checks on
the bank. with the amount left blank
to pay current expenses. The last of these was
given the day before he left, to pay the expenses
of the proposed removal On Mr.. Torr's apply
ing to the bank he found, however, that $1,000
had been drawn from Mrs STEMS account, leav-
ing but 5000 on deposit. This is the, amount of
the life insurance of her husband, the late John
A. Stein, the amount he had laid up for the
future support of his family, and its loss will
leave Mrs. Stein and her daughter In poor cir
cumstances.
Orth Stein started and run the Comet regard
less of expense, paying large wages and keeping
everything in frst class style about him. During
his trip to Chicago to buy material it is said ne
paid 5000 for type, and the expenses of the trip
were $500 Besides being extravagant. he lost
large sums at poker. His gaming drafts amount
to $500 or $i00 per week
Late this afternoon his mother received tele-
gram that he was seriously i'll at St Louis and
to come to him at once; but Mrs. Stein is entire
ly prostrated by the shock. and could not leave
her bed. Stein has some other debts in the city,
and the amount of his delinquency will probably
reach $4,000 He has always been wild char
acter, and his fathers death was undoubtedly
fastened by disgrace from his sons career in the
West. and his trial for the murder of Fredricks,
at Kansas City, while city editor of the
Star. His almost entire fortune was spent in
clearing his son from this scrape. Mrs Stein
to-day sold the law library of her late husband,
numbering over 500 volumes, to Fraser & Cor
don, attorneys.
Charles E. Wilson, formerly Of the Lebanon
Patriot, who was employed by Mr.. Stein in an ed
itorial capacity on the Comet, was in the city last
night, having come here expecting to receivesome
word from Stein. He was in entire ignorance Of
yesterdays developments, and when the news
was communicated to him was greatly surprised.
On last Friday he found letter on his desk
inscribed In Stems handwriting, "Not to be
opened except in case Of death, disappearance or
accident" The contents of the letter related to
Office matters only, and gave no hint as to his
whereabouts or the cause Of his action. Mr..
Wilson received letter from one of the attaches
Of the 0ffico referring TO Stems departure, and
saying tEat the writer had contributed $l85 to
the erratic editors funds prior 20 his leaving.