Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-10-10

on the south side of Sixth street. near Smith.
There was lot of fine gravel being taken
from the cellar and / had no place to store it.
One day went TO the boar1 Of public affairs
and waited to see Mr.. To1p. 1t was about
noon, and when / met him ! asked him
whether he wished to purchase any gravel for
his district, stating that had some to SELL
Gravel was bringing at the time between
Sil0 and Sil5. Wnen he asked me what wanted
for mine told him 30 cents. You see, wanted to
get 1t of my hands. He remarked the price was
reasonable enough, but that he would have to see
bis man. meaning Frank GlAEel, his timeke eper.
Frank Just then came along, and Topp informed
the same time taking him to one side,i and whs.
peTing consultation followed. went to my dinner,
and when reached the cellar GlAEel was just com.
ing out Of IT, He said to that II was good gravel
and that he wanted all the loan he could get 70 1t
aud thai he would pay me IS cents yard. told
him that he was not treating me right, that the
gravel was worth more money, but he would not
give any more and so had TO be content with the
price, he telling me to deliver the gravel at the Free
man avenue yards. / commenced doing so, but
made 1t business few days later to see Topp in an
effort to get better price, but he simply informed
me that he would moi give me any more than Glazel
had offered! That settled 1t 30 far as l was con-
cerned.
SHOW many yards of gravel were there?"
Just 4S6, which at IS cents gave me SS6i 80.
Then when did you receive the letter."
Ihad almost all the gravel removed when one day
Jim Robinson. who, by the way, succeeded Frank
and handed 1t TO my son William. The letter was
IN an envelope which had been enclosed in another
envelope, which, I suppose, contained note 10
Robinson telling him what disposition to make Of
the note ad dressed to me. Robinson said to my
on:
There's letter from Mr.. Topp to your father, then
turned away. OF course was astonished at the au-
dacity displayed by Tupp III asking me 10 steal the
money for him, which, in ALL would have q n ounted
to only Sl2i.5O. The letter was dated Detroit. 1
learned when Topp was expected home, and on the
day succeeding his arrival went out to his home on
Walnut Hills to see him. wis just stepping out
OF drug store on WoOdburn avenue where l had
In CURED as to his residence, when some person re-
marked: ''rhere comes Mr., Topp now." went up
to him and he asked me whether had received his
letter. said that had, but that could do moth
ing Of that kind He said all right or something of
that kind and passed on. The next day met him
at the board public affairs. He said:
Il have made out your bills at IS cents yard"
"That is right" I replied, and that ended the
matter.
"what did Mr.. Topp mean by telling you to get
your bills in such shape that none will exceed
S5O02"
Of course he did not know how much my gravel
would call for and trouble would have been expert
enced in the board of affairs in approving bill larg-
er than $50.
Mr.. Topp was seen by reporter but had
nothing to say. He would not deny the au-
then ticity of the letter-which could not be
denied-nor would he make any explanation.
He appeared broken down by the exposure.
The Commercial- Gazette admits the authen-
ticity of.the letter and that it is San outright
proposition of an improper character" but
says the writer was "affiicted with insanity"
at the time he wrote it. That is the only ex-
planation offered. Does the letter read like
the production of crazy man? Mr.. George
Campbell's statement of the circumstances
under which the contract was made disposes
of that shallow plea.
The Republican managers at Cincinnati
were in CONSERVATION when the publication
of Topp's letter became known. They were
wild to have the Governor remove him from
the board of public affairs and to get his
resignation from the Republican committee,
but it was too late. The mischief was done.
The bomb had exploded under the Cover
nor's chair and Forakerism and third term
ism are hopelessly shattered. Plain Dealer.