The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1893-01-07
The Panama Canal Man And
His Record In The United
States.
He Narrowly Escaped The
Big Chicago Fire---In
California.

ago. His name is DR.. Cornelius
Herr.
Herr came to San Francisco in 1874
announcing, as he established him
self as a physician, that he was a
pupil of the famous DIR. Soulage, a
specialist on diseases of the brain.
He Immediately went to work form
ing acquaintances among the men,
bers Of the upper ten in which he
was very successful; so successful,
indeed, that he was sort of Ward
McAllister. Soon after his arrival
he prevailed upon DR.. Stout, an old
practitioner of San Francisco, to 60
into partnership with him. Or.
Stout agreed, but from what he says,
his experience with Herr was not of
the most pleasant character. DR..
Stout was seen last night at St.
Luke's hospital, and here is what he
has to say: THAT man Herr made
the fairest representations to me and
l believed him, but he left me bank
rupt. 1t was too much for me at my
time of life. gave him everything
l had. am not surprised that when
he reached Paris he cut figure and
worked other schemes. am too old
now and too intlrm to care much, but
if / was younger ] would like to meet
| Herr for few minutes"
Herr treated w. A. Lyon, brewer
of large wealth, for some brain
affection. 1t was not known till
several weeks after Herr suddenly
left in 1877 to 60 to Paris how much
he had collected. Note after note,
each for $4,000, and each bearing
the undoubted signature of Lyon,
came pouring in on the brewer.
''The total am)unt," said Lawyer
Thomas, who had been Mr.. Lyons
attorney, twas over 100000. AS
Lyon was known to be responsible,
Herr had an easy job to discount his
notes. They were placed with at
least ten different parties. Alto
gether Herr had cashed about $780,
600 in these notes. The signature in
each case being genuine the notes
had been paid. Mr.. Lyons had
always been very prompt about pay
ing his debt. He insisted On squar
ing with the world each day, even
down to the smallest domestic
expenses. Yon can readily under
stand that this avalance of indebted
ness drove him almost mad. l have
not heard of Lyon for dozen years.
There was report that he had gone
to Europe, and / heard later that he
had turned a mild imbecile in Paris
and that Herr was taking care of him
there"
Herr is charged with many other
financial transactions which, it is
said, would not bear the light Of
rigid investigation. Among these
was the uttering o. notes under the
firm name of Seliere & Herr,
electrical experts. Seliere is quoted
in published interview as having to
pay S13,O of these notes. Another
transaction in which he is said to
have figured in an unfavOrable light
was the inveigling of Millionaire
Latham into an electric light scheme
in Paris whereby he Herr secured
$23, 900 of the millionaire's money.
IN CHICAGO.
DR.. Herr. whose connection with
the Panama scandal in Paris is causing
such sensation, was once resident
of Chicago, having gone there just
prior to the big fire.
In 1S48 the Herr family emigrated
from Besancon, town near the
German frontier, to New York,
where they settled. DR.. Herr
received an early education in New
York and completed his studies in
Europe. When the Franco-Prussian
war broke out Herr was in Germany.
He Immediately left his books and
offered his service to France and
fought bravely through the war.
After the war he came back to
America and found that his parents
had moved to Chicago. He arrived
there just in time to see the big fire
and to narrowly escape with his life.
He stayed in Chicago until late in
1872. He made many friends, but as
the times were hard for newcomers
he went to New York. Here he was
received by prominent Hebrews who
had him appointed physician in
the great Jewish hospital, Mount
Sinai. His abilities soon gave him a
position on the medical staff.
But Herr was ambitious-ambi-I
tious to be even more thoroughly
American among other things. So
he married a Boston lady and went
to San Francisco in 1872 to live.
There he practiced medicine and
served several years on the municipal