The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1892-12-23
SINS WAGES PAID.
The Sinner Footing the Bill with
Cold Lead.
FAST LIVING AND A QUICK DEATH

Tells the Story of Ed FoersteIs Career
An Attempt to Cover Up a Shortage In
aCity Treasurer's Office Fails. and the
Apparent Culprit Takes Arms Against
IA Sea of Troubles''-His Father Left to
Carry the Burden of Trust Betrayed and
aDeficit of s63, 900.
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 20.-Sixty-three thousand
dollars short. That is what Comptroller
Stevenson tells the mayor in the brief re-
port of partial examination of City Treas
urer Foerste's books, which was ordered
yesterday because of fire and a tragedy
which occurred early in the forenoon. The
fire was in the city treasurer's private office
and the tragedy was the suicide of the
treasurer's son. Acting Mayor Walbridge,
upon hearing of this big shortage, imme-
diately suspended the treasurer and Off
cially notified him of the fact. Charles
Parsons, prominent banker, has been ap-
pointed to succeed Foerstel as treasurer
temporarily. He filed his bond within an
hour. He is ex-president of the American
Bankers association and one of the best
known financiers in the United States.
About 8 o'clock yesterday morning fire
was discovered in the city treasurer's Office
in the city hall The fire department re-
sponded and the fire was soon extin-
guished. Then it was discovered that the
vault of the city treasurer was open and q
quantity of paper had been taken from the
vualt and placed on a table in the treas
urers Office and set on fire, which was the
cause of the alarm. There was hole near
the vault calculated to leave the impress
sion that the vault had been burglariAed::
A Tragical Coincidence.
About the time the discovery was made
news reached the city hall that young Ed
Foerstel, son of City Treasurer Foerstel,
committed suicide by shooting himself
through the head at his room at No 2112
Pine street. He went home Sunday night
shortly after II o'clock appearing perfectly
natural, went in TO see Mrs. Lewis, who
kept the house he roomed in, and with
whom he was on the friendliest terms, and
then bid them goodnight and went to his
room. Just after a. m. yesterday a shot
and heavy fall were heard in his room
and when the door was burst open his dead
body was found on the floor with bullet
hole in the temple.
Some SinuOus FINANCIAL DOtngs.
The occurrences related in the foregoing
are supposed to be the elimination of some
sensational suits and developments con-
corning the city treasurer and certain
money lenders. About Sept. 20 suit was
brought in the supreme court by Sanford
M. Barton against City Treasurer Foerstel
aggregating 1900, drawn by w. f. Vow,
an employee of the city treasurer, and pur-
porting to bear the endorsement of Mr.
Forestel. The notes were held by the st.
Louis National bank for account of bearer
of Barton, who had discounted them for
Vow. Mr.. Foerstel at once repudiated the
endorsements on the notes, claiming that
his name had been forged on them. On
the other hand Barton claimed the endorse
ments were genuine, and that the money
had been obtained with the full knowledge
of Mr. Foerstel, to be used in concealing a
shortage in his cash at the regular monthly
auditing of the treasurer's accounts.
William +. Vow, the maker of the dis
honored notes. claimed that they were not
the first by any means which he had nego-
tiated bearing City Treasurer FoerstePs
Endorsement, but that on the contrary he
had been negotiating such notes with j.
Brooks Johnson, John II. Vette and Sand
ford NJ. Barton, all money brokers, for a
year past. He claimed that not only were
the Endorsements of Treasurer Foerstel
genuine, but that fully two-thirds of the
money borrowed ON them went to the city
treasurer.