The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-09-15
Alleged Plot Of the Young Napoleon
of Finance to Rob Million
aires Estate.
Forging Henry Meyers Name to an
Agreement and TestifYing to
Its Genuineness.
Never said 30 Have Been Driven to His
Grave by the Rascality of Ives
and stayner.


Sun in its last edition prints q sensational
story of an attempt to rob the estate of the
late Christopher Meyer of 5000 600 by
means of forgery, and charges Henry s.
Ives with the crime. The headlines are as
follows: "Ives as a FOrger-Detsils of his
Bold Scheme to Rob the Christopher Meyer
Estate of 81, 900, 0OO-Ives Traced the Dead
Mans Initials and Stayner Touched Them
Up-Periury but an Incident-The Master
Thief Calmly Told Woodruff the Details
He Was TO Swear to-"
The sun says: "Henry 5. Ives, who has
been so often and so freely referred TO in
these columns as g master thief, also ranks
high among the forgers. This narrative
will show that he, by the forgery of the
two initials &C. and NJ was in fair way
to obtain at least 500 900 in cold cash. and
open a till which contained something
more than S7OO0OO0. These facts. pub
Iished 10 day for the first time, can be sub
stantIated whenever it shall become neces-
ssry."
For several years back Meyer had had
dealings with Stayner, which had resulted
worse for Meyer To the tune of about $780,
100 Stayner was indebted Tor about that
sum TO Meyer and after going into insol-
vency compromised the debt, leaving bal
Rnce of many thousand dollars unpaid.
When Stayner and Ives became squeezed
for funds StAyper betheught himself of
novel and effective expedient for recaptur-
ing old Meyers confidence and making
him contributor to the scheme in which
he had embarked with the thievinR Napo-
leon. After drawing on the Mineral
Range fund, of which Ives * Co. had made
themselves She repositories, Immediately
after they had got control of the road,
Stavper presented himself to Meyer in a
high moral attitude. Hedeclared 10 Meyer
that be bad come to perform what he con-
sidered his duty as Christian and an
honest man: that he was now happily in
funds sufficient 10 discharge the
last cent of his obligation aud
that it was for that praisewOrthy
purpose he had called. Meyer from that
Stayner's declarations. and was soon per
suaded by him to give his aid to the syndi-
cate formed by Ives, Stayner and Netter.
He agreed 20 receive for them, when pur-
chased end brought 20 New York, n total
of SIX thOus and shares of Cincinnati, Hem
iltOn x Dayton common stock At an average
price not 10 exceed LIS per cent and to
csrry it for them, receiving 8 per cent for
the use of his money, an arrangement
which was pi iacticaliy loan by Myers 10
that extent upon the stock, since it was
agreed that Ives and Stayner should cast
the votes at all elections of the road and at
the stockholders meetings. This agree
ment was carried out by Meyer TO the
| letter. The stock was held in his name
| during all the existence of the swindling
| firm of II. ). Ives Il Co, and when the
/ inevitable exposure and smash came it was
| still so held. lhe exposure OF Ives and
! S,avner's unscrupuIousness, the daily
mention of his own name in connection
with them. and the keen sense of disgrace
drove Meyer TO his grave in a few months.
| Within three months after Meyers death
| there was put into operation through Ives
agency a scheme TO impoverish Meyers
estate ana open up 20 himself and bis con-
| federates mine of 81 00O.OOO.
The Sun then says: "Within three months
after Meyers death there was put into op-
Grafton through Ives agency a scheme to
| impOverish the Meyer estate and open up
TO himself and confederGtes s., ,OO0. 900. In
the fall of 1883 suit was begun in an Ohio
court by Albert Netter VS. Henry ) Ives.
| George II. Stayner and the executors of the
estate of Christopher Meyer for the bal
ance of the purchase money of this syndi-
cste remsing unpaid. No sooner, how
| ever. had the plaintiff begun his case, than
| the character Of the action was revealed
Ives and Stayner, nominally the defend
ants. were the principal witnesses whom
| the plaintiff called TO prove the claim
against themselves. Neither was
solvent and the manifest intention
/ defendant, the estate OF Christopher Meyer.
| To make that estate answersble IL was nee
essAry to prove that Meyer had been the
/ partner of the Ives gang. and as such re-
/ sponsible for all their losses Meyer was
dead and could deny nothing. Ives &
Stayner therefore produced a document
/ which fully met the case. "The Sun then
/ gives in full the agreement which Ives &
\ Stayner said made Meyer a full partner
/ with them in the Cincinnati, Hamilton *
| Dayton deal. This document was signed
| H. ). l., c. NJ, G.. II. ). The sun
charges that Ives forged Meyers initials
! to the documents, and powerful magnify
| ing glass shows that the initials were first
| traced then touched up. The Sun then
/ gives a detailed account of the conception
! and execution of the crime. The Sun re-
I porter this morning had an interview with
/ Ives. He still insists that the initials are
/ genuine.