St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-08-09
M 'MURRAN ARRESTED
He Is Accused Of Swindline
st. Paul Men to the Tune
of $4,000.
is ARRESTED AT MEMPHIS.
Gov. Nelson Issues a Reuuisi,
tion for His Return to
st. Paul
HAS PLAYED HIGH ROLLER.
He Was Once a Wealthy and
Respected Citizen Of
st. Paul.
IS ARRESTED AT MEMPHIS.
HAS PLAYED HIGH ROLLER,

The storm has broken lose upon the
mead CT j. Royal McMurran, who from
the early SOS up to year or so ago was
recognized as one of ST. Paul's wealthy
citizens. and held high rank in social
circles. He is In hook on serious
charge. growing out of his extensive
deals, being under arrest at Memphis,
Ienn., IN pursuance of telegram sent
tuesday night by Chief Clark, of this
city. Detective Dan l.. Ahern left last
night for the Southern city armed with
eXtradltion papers to bring McMurran
10 this city to answer to charge of grand
larceny in the first degree. The com.
plant is made by Eugene Underwood,
or st. Paul, who has made oath that
about the holiday season of 1892
he gave McMurran a note for So. 900
"nen he was about to leave
for Washington with the understanding
that it was to be negotiated and the
proceeds turned over to Underwood. It
Is asserted that McMurran said he could
sell the note in Washington and took it
Tor that purpose. A few days after the
note was sold to E. r. Gilman and the
money pocketed by McMurran. When
IN Washington few days after Mr.. Un.
derwood says he asked McMurran about
the note aud was informed by him that
the note had not then been disposed of,
While as matter of fact he then had
the money for the sale thereof.
GDV Nelson
last night asking the governor of Ten
nessee to send McMurrau back to this
state for trial on ID charge of larceny.
McMurran was well known real
estate dealer in this city and prominent
IN social circles. He had number of
big schemes in the wind. such as deals
In large tracts OF land in the Puget
sound region.
1t is stated that Mr.. Underwood is
only one of large number of St. Paul
men who have been yictimized by Nc
Murran. and that the amount secured in
the peculations of McMurran foots up
to over 5000.
Opened Wine Literally.
McMurran was in st. Paul during the
presidential campaign of 1892, having
returned from an extended absence in
the West. During the campaign he
lived at the Minnesota club. He opened
wine literally to the young buds and
old millionaires; bet heavily and won
large sums on Cleveland's election.
Slowly but surely he interested we'll
known business men in a number of
western great land grant schemes. One
of these he called the Casa Grande land
grant. He made it appear to the salts
faction of his dupes that millions could
be had by the expenditure of few
thousands of dollars in some lawsuits.
As the story is told, he secured the sum
of at least $4,000 from as many different
men, In amounts ranging from $500 to
$1,000 each. catching Underwood for
$4,000. This money he promised to in
vest In the plan by securing the services
OF able attorneys to fight the land grant
cases in the Western courts.
Instead of using the money that yay
he sold the notes given him to repre-
sent the money for heavy discounts to
Z. X. Gilman. of Chicago, formerly St.
Paul's electric light king. The money
McMurran obtained upon the notes he
spent in layishiy entertaining noted
United States senators and congress-
men at John Chamberlain'S and other
famous resorts in Washington.
McMurran rolled high during the
winter and spring of 1898. When the
financial panic swept the country Nc.
Murran was said to be crippled by if.
like many other high flyers. Since thai
time he has been engaged in the bucket
shop business in Washington and othei
large cities. But for some months
past little has been heard of him.
j. Royal McMurran came to ST. Paul
from Richmond. Va, somewhere about
1854. and was looked upon here as
royal representative of the T. F.. VS.,
his success as real estate speculator
was something phenomenal. He was
for some time the leading member of thu
firm of McClung, McMurran & Curry,
He was reputed to be very rich, and
could easily have cleared up in 1875
from 100000 to 100000. But like many
other ambitious spectators he failed to
pull out, and has since lost most of the
property he held here through the rapid
fall in the values of real estate.
McMurran's Enterprises.
McMurran set on foot number OF
leading enterprises in St. Paul. 1t WAS
he who brought into existence the great
ColOnnade apartment house, corner St.
Peter and West Tenth streets, about
the first building of its character in this
city. AT the time there was a CRYING
demand for mammoth apartment houses,
The newspapers were agitating the mat
ter vigorously. Soon McMurrau, who
had come to be recognized as young
Napoleon in important movements,
stepped to the front and interested Vir-
ginia capital in the building of an
apartment house that would be credit
to the Northwest. Before long the
Colonnade came into existence.
Another important movement of Nc.
Murran's was The locating Of Il string
of stores, adapted for the use OF whole-
sale commission men, on East Sixth
street, between Broadway and Wacouta.
This scheme contemplated the building
of an underground steam railway from
Trout brook valley through Kittson's
and up through the alley at the
rear of the commission houses. This
railway was also to serve 10 revolution
iza tha Wholesale district pS the citv. tsa