davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-10-20

and worcestershire. The per cent
thirty-year gold bonds Of 81, 600 each
are redeemable after twenty years, at
the option Of the company. One would
really think, in reading the prospectus,
that the company expected to attain its
majority. "These bonds, which are a
first lein upon the property on basis
Of only IS per acre, are fully secured by
the terms Of mortgage deposited with
the Commonwealth Title Insurance and
Trust Company.
A CONSERVATIVE INVESTMENT, INDEED.
The Timber Company has provided
the first two years interest on all bonds
issued, and has deposited it in cash with
the Commonwealth Trust Company. II
had to. The Commonwealth people de-
manded that for its own protection.
"The company" says the ingenious
prospectus writer, "belieVes that these
bonds will commend themselves to con-
serYatiEe investors, who will Thoroughly
investigate the same as a security Of
more than ordinary merit"
"The title to the lands has been care
fully examined and approved by most
competent and reliable attorneys"
ALETTER WHICH SAYS NOTHING.
In proof Of this the prospectus offers
a letter from the attorneys OF the COM
pany 10 West Virginia. BE good enough
TO read this letter twice, 1t is exuber-
ant in It's yerbOsity, but it says absolute
~ nothing. Here it is;
"OFFIcE OF PAYNE & TAYLOR, !
ATTORNEYS AT LAW,
"PERRYsvILL, Mcdowell Co., (
August 10, 1892.
''To the Standard Coal and Ttmb CT Co.,
Philadelphia, "a:
DEAR SIRs:-- After a thorough and
careful examination Of the Offices of the
County Court OF Mcdowell county, w.
Va, and Tazewell county, Va, respect
ing the title 20 your large tract of land
located In this county, we find that
beginning at the original grant from
the Commonwealth OF Virginia aud pass
ing down through a period OF more than
one hundred years, that numerous con-
yeyances have been made; but we find
each conveyance properly recorded in
the several courts of record. and the
title now fully vested in your company
according TO said records as set forth in
q certified abstract furnished by Us.
VERY respectfully,
"[Signed PAYNE & TAYLOR.
Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-10-20

nent business men and bankers Of New
York City and Plainfield, II. j. In
reply to our inquiry we received re-
sponses that the persons were OF excel
lent business standing in New Yerk
and Plainfield. We were then furnish
ed with abstracts Of title and the opin-
ions of counsel in New York and West
Virginia, showing that the company
was regularly Incorporated, the title TO
the property was good and that the
mortgage to this company to secure
the bond was a first incumbrance, and
we consented TO act as trustee,
under date of May 2, 1892,
the mortgage was duly execut-
ed The Standard Company from time
to time deposited with US sufficient
money to pay the amount OF the
coupons on certain bonds covering q
period of two years. A limited amount
/ of the bonds were issued. The ordI-
nary certificate was placed on each
bond that it was one OF certain bonds
secured by the mortgage executed by
the Standard Coal and Timber Com
pany, dated May ?, 1892.
HAVE SOLD no BONDS.
1--WE had no other connection with
the company and never bought a bond,
nor have we sold any OF these bonds.
This company have made no loans or
advances TO the Standard Coal and Tim
Der company on account OF these bonds,
nor to anyone else. Everything ap-
peared for over year 10 be satisfac-
tory. The officers and Board Of Direc-
tors of the Standard Company,
largely of New York City,
we found were of excellent position
there and some of them prominent in
business circles. During last summer
an intimation was given TO this compa-
ny that there were adverse claims to q
part Of the land claimed by the Stand
ard Company, whereupon our officers
notified the officers Of the Standard
| Company OF this objection aud asked
for further Information upon the sub
ject. A statement from them not being
satisfactory TO US and the proofs OF title
and opinions Of counsel, which had been
furnished 10 US at the outset, throwing
no light UPON the alleged difficulty, we
sent counsel during the last month TO
examine the records Of West Virginia,
and he finding that the records disclosed
facts not appearing upon the abstracts
furnished US we at once notified the
Standard Coal and Timber Company
that unless these difficulties in
regard to their title could
be at once explained we must
under the terms OF the mortgage be re-
Ilieved from any further duties as trus-
tee, and we at once gave them formal
notice to that effect.
DEMANDED ANOTHER TRUSTEE.
THE following is copy Of the no
tice:
sept. Is, 1892.
sc. C. Cok6dtr. Assistant SecretdTl
Standard Coal and Timber Company,
DEAR Strive notify you herewith
that we desire 10 have you appoint an
other trustee for hrst mortgage bonds
of your company, and until such ap
pointment be made Ne shall decline u
accept any orders or deliver any bonds
Yours truly.
"a. 4. STULL, Treasurer.
"Slnce then some Of the officers o.
the Standard Company have called
and assured Us that they haC
employed counsel who woulC
have the defects in question re
Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-10-20

died, according to his son, on June 1,
1874.
The forged deed is recorded Ia Book
Is. folio 54s, OF the records.
The very next conveyance OF the
property. in 1875, is recorded in Book
IS, folio 550-tWo felios distant. Never
theless eleven years are supposed to
have elapsed-as they say in theatrical
programmes-between these two con-
veyances.
CoKEFAIB WAS COOL.
The deed conveying the land from
Michael Bowler to Henry L. Morris
was pronounced null and void by Vir-
GINA court in 1879. 1t was distinctly
pronounced q forgery, and was set
aside. This happened in one OF the
numerous litigations which from
time to time arose over the
possession OF this much dis
puted tract. This decision reached the
ears of the people Of the Commonwealth
Title and Insurance Company and
shocked them greatly. They communi-
Gated what they had learned to Mr.. C..
c. Cokefair, who, as will be seen, has
been extremely active In negotiating
bonds Of the Standard Coal and Timber
Company.
Mr.. Cokefair received the information
with the greatest GOODNESS. He reas-
sured the gentlemen Of the Common
wealth Company; he told them that that
decision had been reversed and that the
title to the land was as clear as the
Commonwealth own title to financial
strength and honesty. What, then. was
the surprise OF these gentlemen of the
Commonwealth Company TO learn that
In the Circuit Court Of Mcdowell county
au order was handed down on April 10,
1884, deciding two other litigations
about this Same property forgery.
la this order 1t was set forth:
"And the Court is Of opinion that the
deed purporting to have been made by
Bowler to Morris, on the 21st day Of
February, 1865, is not genuine, but
forgery, and casts cloud upon the title
Of the defendants claiming title under
the deeds made Bowler. That
Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-10-20
ia ROMANTIC PROSPECTUS.


The prospectus Of the Standard Coal
and Timber Company, OF West Virginia
is full Of promises, Mulberry Sellers
might have written il. Like most
rOmances 10 has a yellow cover.
The company, according % tho pros
pectus, was chartered April %, 1892.
The capital stock, "full paid and non
assessable," is S2,OOO,O coo. There are
$1,000, 900 first mortgage 8 per cent.
thirty-year gold bonds. The principal
Office Is in the Pennsylvania Matual
Building, No. OPS Chestnut street, Phil
adelphia.
The officers sre President Joseph IL.
Swift, Brooklyn, n. Y, of whom the
prospectus saws: "He has been promi-
nently identified with the lumber and
wood working Industry for many years,
and for the past seven years has been
associated with the Standard oil Com
pany, under contract 20 manufacture
boxes for that concern"
MR.. swIFr'S FINE BUSINESS.
According TO the prospectus, Mr..
Swift has used, during the past year,
FIVE thousand car loads o., material
lumber and box snOOks-in filing the
Standard OIL C0mpany's contracts
alone.
The Treasurer Is Frederick j. Swift,
whose address is given as the DeXrel
Building, Wall street, New York.
Young Mr.. Swift is the son OF the Pres
ident Of the company. He finds enough
time from his duties as Treasurer of
this spendid company 20 act as private
secretary TO Charles w. Dayton, the
postmaster
The secretary is James S. Kendall,
eYport lumber, No. 10 whitehall street,
New York. The prospectus gives as
the company'S trustees and registrars
the Commonwealth Title Insurance and
Trust Company, Of No. Sl3 Chestnut
street, Philadelphia.
In West Virginia "the authorized
agent" is "HOn." William A. Ohley,
Secretary OF State, Charleston, w. Va.
The attorneys tn the same State are
PsVne and TAYLOR, who do business al
the county seat Of Mcdowell county, q
town called WEIGH.
,FoUNDArIoN FACTS, so CALLED.
Then this romauciuR prospectus sets
forth CLOWN ~ what IL calls ''founda-
tIor facts" Il says the company owns
2O4. 900 acres Of valuable mineral. timber
and farming lands, most iavorably To-
Gated in Mcdowell county, w. Va, on
the line OF she Ohio extension OF the
Norfolk and Western Railroad. "Th'
Immense resources and valuable prop
ertv owned bv the company are almoS
incalculable," writes the author OF th'
Drospectus, dazed by the wealth beior,
his mental vision, but ne makes wha
he terms So conservative estimate O.
tSa Inc OF the resources. These art
his figures:
100000 acres Of coal land at $50 an a, o,o M
acre 1900. -...... '--' -'-'.--' -
go o0I acres OF timber land, con ain
inT 500 coo feet, az 50 taou- M, a,
squd feet ....... - go -
100 900 acres Of grazing lan1-"neA ooo m
cleared-at tl0 per acre -''-'''''''' L-----
rot.l value OF property IS computed
- coal timber and a. icuUufal "a, N
ru-Doses alone -..-----.- ---'-' .. 'e0s
,,rvDEENABLE AFTER TWENTY YEARS
no. no.
But in estimating the Pres .sa
value OF the property the write
~ the prospectus is even NOR
o.,servatiye. De says 10
Tortb not less than $1,000, OOO-S<o q
w. - This S.. OOO, 600 is represented 3
~ company's capital stock, g 0OO'Uo
IN ID. COO shares OF 500 eGch' Iull pau
Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-10-20
Iv.-ExPosED BY THE WORLD.

throughout the financial stringency
Of the past five months t-e World maln-
tanned q very careful watch on all
banking institutions. In the course OF
INQUIRIES tire World learned that bonds
OF a questionable value were being put
I'D as collatered on loans st a number
OF banks in this and other cities.
These bonds were Of the Standard
Coal and Timber Company. The bonds,
on the surface. appeared to be sll right.
They were nicely gotten up, The Com
monwealth Title Insurance and Trust
Company, OF Philadelphia, was named
on them as the trustees OF the mort
gage. A trust company must have full
Knowledge OF the bonds it guarantees
Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-10-20
A BIG FRAUD EXPOSED.
The New York "World" Shows Up
the Standard Coal and Timber Co.
HOW IT OPERATED ITS SCHEMES.

Bonds For a Million Dollars Issued
and Many of Them Negotiated.
They Are Worth Only Their
Weight as Scrap Paper-The
Company Does Not Own an
Inch Of Land in the State-Hon.
William A. Ohley Explains His
Connection With the Crooked
Concern.
Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-10-20

even II the deed purportinG 10 have oeeh
made by Rouyiere 10 said Henry H.
Morris on February 81, 1866, was Ren0,
inc. still the parties claiming under SAID
last mentioned deed had constructive
notice OF the fact that Bowler had, long
wears before, conveyed away the Iands
aforesaid, and that at the date OF the
deed of February 81, 1866, said BOWER
had no interest or title to any OF the
yortions so conveyed TO him.
VOID AND CLOUDS UPON THE TITLE.
And the Court being further Of opin-
lon that, in order to prevent multiplicity
of suits, circulty OF action, and 10 &C.
oDira titles and prevent further lltiga-
ton. that it is right and proper that the
cloud created by the pretended deea Oh
February 81, 1856, of Bowler to henry L.
Morris, as well as by all other ueeoS
and conveyances under, through or rom
said dead and Henry L. Morris title,
should be declared void and clouds upon
the title of defendant Jaeger and others
who claim under the Bowler DEEDS
made pursuant TO the agreement OF De-
cember Z, 1856
ut is therefore adjudGed, ordered
and decreed that the said deed OF rep
ruary q, 1868, purported TO have oeen
made by Michael BOuvier TO Henry H.
Morris, and all other deeds and convey
apces TO parties claiming under, by OF
10 said deed, be and are hereby declared
void ana OF non-eftect.'
When this decision was read to the
astounded Mr.. Cokefair he struck po
sition and explained tragically:
"Gentlamen, if what you tell me be
true have lost every penny In the
worldw
Poor Mr.. Cokefair.
WARNING OFF rREsPAssERs.
These decisions declaring the deeds
TO be forgeries have been recorded In the
deed books on file there, so that the
letter OF their attorneys, Messrs
PAYNE 81 Taylor, to the Stand
ard Coal and Timber Company, the
| letter Quoted above, which says moth
! inp-is all the more extraordinary.
Asa matter OF fact, 1t is so well
! known ip West Virginia that the titles
TO these lands are disputed, that warn
ipCs are published in the newspapers
to would-be trespassers on the lands. i
is so we'll known that the newspaper
called the Mcdowell Recorder, pub
Hshed at Welch, w. Va, so lately a:
Saturday, Oct. II, 1898, is full OF thes'
warnings. 1t is more convenient Il
publish them than to put up signs or
the lands to keep of.
Itis so. we'll known that the rea
, owners of the land have had 8 map o
il made, q map that is reproduced here
Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-10-20

"SInce then some Of the officers Of
the Standard Company have called
and assured Us that they had
employed counsel who would
have the defects in question re-
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-05-09

The removal OF Captain A. L. Mahan,
president of the war college at New
port, by the secretary of the navy is a
misfortune to the navy and to the
country.
Captain Mahan has earned the right
to be allowed to select his own post,
and the government could do no better
than to give him berth that allows
him all the time he desires to prepare
the works that are making him famous
and rejecting great credit upon the
American navy.
II is manifestly impossible for Cap
tain Mahan to pursue his literary work
on board the Chicago, and his assign
ment to that command looks very much
like studied effort on the part of the
secretary of the navy to put an end to
the series of important works Captain
Mahan is engaged in writing.
1t ought not to be the policy of the
government to squelch such talent as
Captain Mahan has manifested.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-05-09
aim their charms at the "half-grown


After months of weary waiting Lizzie
Borden was taken from prison yester-
day and arraigned for the murder of
her father and step mother. No date
has yet been fixed for the trial, but it
is presumed i. will not be much longer
delayed.
Those who have criticised the govern
ment for its unusual procrastination in
taking up the case Of this unfortunate
young woman are not all animated by
morbid curiosity or desire to hear the
details of a sensational trial. A ma
jority of them are honest, sensible peo-
pie, who believe that punishment should
be meted out to wrongdoers; but they
objected, and with good reason, to the
hardship and seeming injustice to which
the prisoner has been subjected by be-
ing confined the greater part of year
and deprived of an opportunity to free
herself from the terrible charges
brought against her.
However, the final disposition of the
case now seems near at hand. for which
not only the friends of the young
woman but the public at large will be
thankful.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-05-09
PERSONAL.

The late Lord Derby was considerate
enough to bequeath el0o, 900 to his brother,
with which to pay the heavy duties en-
tailed by the latter's succession.
While Lotta remained in st. Augustine
in search of rest and health, she astonished
and delighted the visitors by her pro-
ficiency in the masculine game of pool.
Secretary J. Z. Norcross Of the walthain
CMass.) Young Mems Christian association
is to resign to accept the position of assist
ant pastor of the Baptist church at Water
town.
Mr.. John Whitmore, general traffic man.
ager Of the Fitchburg road, is quite rap
idly improving in health, and there are
hopes that he will be about again in the
near future.
While Mr.. Cleveland gets only s50. 900 a
year, the Emperor of Russia, who can
send too importunate officeseeker TO
Siberia at a moments notice, receives over
ts,0o0,0o0 annually. And the Russian
ruler is hardly ever called on to open any
thing much bigger than a case Of wine.
much less get up big annual messages.
! The Earl OF Craven and several New
Workers. who are his companions are hay.
ing unpleasant experiences with Chicago
clubs. They are the guests Of very aristo-
cratic club. but the walters, In an exceed
ingly inconsiderate way. have struck in
company with those Of all other Chicago
clubs, and the restaurants have been
closed
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-05-09
THE Clay OF PROvIDEN,E.
PUBLIC HEARING,
once of the Clerk Of Com mitsees

Once OF the Clerk OF Com mi tees }
City Hall, May 4. 1893.
The Joint Committee OF the CITY Council OH
Sewers TO whom was referred the pefititlons OF
side street. from Public street to Colfax street.
VIM. III. Shaw ct al. for a sewer In Jrssamine
street. fro Cransion street TO salem street
A. 4. Bowen, ct al, for n sewer In Black stone
street, from Friendship street 20 Prairie avenue;
Peter Greene It al, for a In Waldo ctr eet.
VIM. II. Wildwood ct AL. for a sewer In Briggs
street. from Ocean street TO to Eddy street;
#. J. Hughes ct al for sewer I'm East avenue,
from Pleasant street to Olney street,
A. J.: Smith ct al, for sewer In Poter's avenue,
from Broad street 10 Hamilton sire
Patrick Conley ct al. for sewer In Bogman
street, from Prairie avenue TO Plain street;
A. G. White for a sewer In Orchard avenue. from
Wayland avenue to Butler avenue;
X. II. chase at al, for sewer In Hospital street.
from Point street 20 Manchester streets
Michael Martin ct al, tor sewer In Stampers
sire Il, from No tn Main street To Hewes street,
Joln III. McGrath ct AL, for n In Preston
street. from Ives street To Grant street;
j. J. tcutallche et al. for sewer In Williams
ST Get, from Ives street 10 Gano rect;
Fred Talcott. for sewer ia Sabin street, from
Aborn street to Cove street.
Resolutions orde Ing sewers In fremont street.
from Governor street TO Ives street and from Ives
street 10 Gano street, and In Transit street. from
street fro Lester street To Pearl street; also In
lamp. North and North Main streets. from Grand
View street to r. vergreen street,
Hereby give notice that they Will give Public
Hearing upon said petitions I'm Room ~, City Hal.
on FRIDAY. May II. 1893. at THREE ocl OK.
pear. IL they shall see flt, and be heard thereon
By order Of the ComInittee
GEORGE r. BARsTOw Chairman.
d. r. HAYDEN, clerk of Committees mys-4t
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-05-09
HOME RULE.

The great home-rule demonstration
last night not only evidenced the deep
and abiding interest the people of Amer
lea take in the splendid fight for man.
hood suffrage being made OH behalf of the
Irish people, but proves that the Amer
jcan people are unalterably devoted to
the fundamental principles Of their own
government.
This is being continually demon
strated. The loss of liberty is as firmly
Implanted in the Americans of today,
and would be upon occasion as fercely
defended, as it was in the hearts of the
men who sacrificed life, property and
every tie that lends charm and value to
life in its defense when our liberty was
secured.
This is the secret of the ardent cham
pion;ng Of the Irish cause in America.
1t is not owing to the large number of
Irish people in America chiefly. We
zee our Revolution being fought again,
and fought with the weapons of peace.
The parliamentary struggle has all the
Eest for us that the spilling of the tea in
Boston harbor had for our forefathers.
II is thus that Americans look upon
the home-rule struggle. They are
ready to do their utmost to aid the
movement, regarding it as a part of
their own fight. The Revolution was
but battle ia the great war for uni
versal frecdom--the capture ofeae of
Che trenches behind which the oligarchy
Of kingcrsft had intrenched itself.
There is another battle, or at least an
important skirmish, impending in Ger
many. Belgium has just been the
scene Of a sharp attack upon redoub,.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-05-09

GIRLS AND "HALF-GROwN MEN,"
Tho teachers and trustees of Balti-
more school for girls are much disturbed
over the proposed erection of boys
college near them. Their agitation has
become so violent that the city fathers
have been petitioned to build the boys
school in some remote part of that city,
above all far enough away to prevent
such serious calamity as flirting be-
tween the pupils of the two institutions.
The students have become interested
-qrite naturally-in the proceedings.
and are almost too loud in their pro-
testations at being suspected capable of
ogling and smirking at each other.
The boys-perhaps with an eye to the
future-assert that the very idea of
their flirting is ridiculous, but create
considerable doubt in the minds of
those experienced in that sort of thing
when they add that even "if we did
flirt there is no harm in 1t"
Indignation overcomes the young
ladies, and with becoming hauteur they
icily ask their instructors if young ladies
are capable of flirting with "half- grown
men," But driven by the distrust of
the elderly maidens upon whom rests
the responsibility of the whole diff
Guilty, they hold an excited mass-meet-
ing and solemnly resolve to snub the
first youth who is daring enough to at
tempt even the mildest Irritation.
''The idea," exclaimed one indignant
maiden, "as if we with a tremendous
accent on the ,ce) would nohce any of
those half grown men! If they were
tall, handsome and wore curly nous
taches IL wouldn't be so bad-but with
callow smocth-faced boys-isn't it
awfulg' And the other girls echoed
the lawful"
The girls of the end OF the ninteenth
century are little different from those
who tripped along the marble halls of
the palace of Versailles and the Little
Trianon, and all the carefully stored
mp angles, hypothenuses, constructions
and syllogisms fly away to the end of
the earth at the sight of bon vivaut
with curly moustache The young
ladies Of the Baltimore school were not
so offended at the charge OF flirting as
at being thought youthful enough to
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-05-09

Mn. CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS depre-
Gates ''the popular hallucipation which
seems to prevail as to some approaching
millenium whenever new administra-
tion is inaugurated." Mr.. Adams
should remember that the "hallucina-
tion" in the present case was caused SOLE
ly by the boastful predictions of the
party now in power. 1t is scarcely re-
lspectful to great body of the people to
assert that their belief in the ante-elec-
tion promises of the great Democratic
leaders was hallucination. This
would seem to be one of the cases where
the truth had better been left unsaid.