Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-12-20
SINS WAGES PAID.
The Sinner Footing the Bill with
Cold Lead.
FAST LIVING AND A QUICK DEATH

Tells the Story of Ed Foerstel's Career
An Attempt to Cover Up Shortage in
City Treasurer's Office Fails, and the
Apparent CuIprit Takes Arms Against
Sea of Troubles''-His Father Left to
Garry the Burden of Trust Betrayed and
Deficit of S63, 900.
ST. LOUIS, Dec 20.-Sixty- thousand
dollars short. That is what Comptroller
Stevenson tells the mayor in the brief re-
port of partial examination of City Treas
urer Foerstel's books which was ordered
yesterday because of a fire and 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, a prominent banker, has been ap-
pointed to succeed Foerstel as treasurer
temporarily He filed his bond within an
hour. He is eN-president of the American
Bankers association and one OF the best
known fnanciers in the United States
The Fire in the City Hall.
About S 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 a
quantity of paper had been taken from the
walt and placed on a table in the treas
urer's Office and set on fire, which was the
cause of the alarm. There was hole near
1@ -. -.
sion that the vault had been burglarizeti
Tragical Coincidence.
About the time the discovery was msde
news reached the city hall that young Ed
Foerstel, son of City Treasurer Foerste!.
committed suicide by shooting himself
through the head at his room at No. 2i12
Pine street. He went home Sunday night
shortly after il 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 good night and went to his
room. just after a. m yesterday shot
and heavy fall were heard in his room
and when the door was burst open his dead
body was found OH the floor with a bullet
hole i'll the temple.
Some Sinuous Financial DoinGs.
The occurrences related in the foregoing
are supposed TO DE thc CuliHl1atIOn OF some
sensational suits and developments con
cerning the city treasurer and certain
| money lenders. About Sept. % suit was
brought in the supreme court by Sanford
NJ. Barton against City Treasurer Foerstel
aggregatiug s. $50, drawn by W T. Vow
an employe 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 coucealing a
| shortage in his cash n the regular monthly
auditing of the tTeasurer's accounts.
A Lot More of the Notes Out
William F. 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 Foerstel's
Endorsement, hut that on the contrary he
had been negotiating such notes with j
Brooks johnson, John II. Fette and Sand
ford NJ. Barton, all money brokers, for
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.