The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-10-31

Yesterday the Fosr-IsrKnrisrScxs pre-.
dietsd that sensational campaign Lies
would be sprung the people of this
county on the eve of the election. This
prediction was verified in the TslegrapA
yesterday morning. This method of con-
ducting campaign, or the close of a cam.
paign. has of late years become the un.
varied habit of . certain class of news
papers. and candidates who ara opposed by
such newspapers have come to conh-
IDENTIFY anticipate that At the latest
day they will be attacked with false.
sianderous stories. stories so garblsd
and perverted as to become infamous
ISLANDERS. These attacks are habituallv
delayed until. by reason of lack of time
to procure and present the facts properly
substantiated, perfect retutation OF the
charges is render almost hopeless. If not
absolutely impossible The Telegraph,
notoriously addicted to this method ot
moral sandbagging and assassination OF
character, justified the warning given by
the Posr-lSrEtIIsrScER by the nature,
scene and character of its sensation. laying
the scene in a stata too distant for imme-
diate communication, and producing its
allegations at date too late to permit
exchange of letters of inquiry and re-
sponse.
Under flaring head lines the Telegraph
yesterday morning devoted ten columns
to-what7 To proving that A. T. Van dc
vanter. when young man fresh from
Michigan farm. failed in businessl
That is the top and the bottom. the
heighth. breadth and depth of the great
scnsationi Ten years ago A. 7. Van de
Vanter was IN business and found him
self unable to pay for all the stock hs had
purchased on credit and suits were
brought against his firm by creditors tn
recover judgments for their claims.
The Telegraph says that Mr.. Van dc
Vanter is fugitive from justice. IL lied
when IL made that statement. Van de
Vanter & Berger failed in La Grange. Ind.
on or about the lst day of October, 1ss4.
and Van de Vanter remained in La Grange
until the day after election, November z,
when he left in broad daylight for his
fathers home In Sturgis. Mich, only
twelve miles distant from La Grange,
where he remained until about the holi-
DAYS, when he started for the West. This
alleged indictment is said to have been
found against him In La Grange on No
vember ~, and yet he remained in Sturgis
only twelve miles distant from La
Grangv--nearlv one month after the al
legged indictment and remained where
everybody in the county knew whore he
was.
With references TO his failure and leav-
ing La Grange Mr.. Van de Vanter has
this to say:
VAN DE- vAsrEs TELLS THE FACTS
SEATTLE, Oct. so, 1904
To the People Of King County: have
read the published matter respecting my
self which appeared In tho Telegraph this
| morning. / desire to say that the real
facts have been grossly distorted. / was
never 20 my knowledge indicted for any
offense at any place. In iSs2 | lett the
home of my BIRTH Sturgis, Mich, and
went TO La Grange. Ind, twelve miles away,
and engaged in the farm implement and
supply business. In partnership with James
Berger, who afterwards sold his interest
TO his brother, Carl Berger, and the bust
| ness was continued By us. For time the
firrn did we'll and built up quite q trade.
We sold our goods largely on credit. Our
market was limited and times became
| dnl. Our creditors, who verc largely
machinery manufacturers. pressed us for
| payment. There was nothing but fail.
ure before us. In this condi-
| ton we made mortgage to Mr..
| Charles X. Buck for something ike $50
| TO secure him for cash and matters for
| which he had become security for our firm
| at the bank for the purpose of keeping
| our business afi0at This was about OctS-
Der 1. iss4. A few day, later We gave .
second mortgage to secure . Michigan
! buggy company and others. This Was ~
| a second mortgage. We gave no bill Of
| sale They were both mortgages.
Ny parents stiiI lived at Sturgs, Mich,
| and went m TO see them. returning every
| day or so TO La Grange. assisting our cred
| itors all in my power. i remained In and
around La Grange until the day after the
| general election which occurred in the
| hrst week of November, 1884, when, in
broad daylight in the afternoon OF THAI
day, left there bidding my friends pub
as sy .s.. ssa ''sss' sss sdss Sssa'ys e sss,.
| gis. Mich, 10 see nay father and
mother, and would later 20 West and begin
anew. / did not again, in the day time
| or night time return to La Grange. Ind,
until the TALL OF iss6, aud positively stats
way secret After reaching Ssur-
gis remained there until about
| December -. 1854. closing up
| matters and visiting friends. when !
| publicly left in the day time and came to
/ this coast. At no time before leaving. OF
since, or until this morning. did l ever
| hear of any indictment. or WAS l ever
threatened with arrsst--in fact. had done
| nothing to warrant such treatment. Our
| failure was unfortunate but honest, and
/ left me without dollar.
| Arriving in Seattle in the early part of
ise5. / determined TO make this my home.
| and purchased soon after my present
| farm. ON time. In the fall Of she next
/ year fss5. returned East on visit TO
| nay parents. In Stnrgis. Mich. also wens
| down TO La Grange. Ind. on two different
occasions remaining there week or ten
| days. appearing publicly on the streets.
and visited friends. hoperson meniionsd
an indicfment to me or thrcatened ms
with arrest / again publicly leis and re-
4 turned home TO King county.
/ since eoming 10 King county my resi-.
/ dence has been we'll known 10 everybody
interested At sturgis and la Grange.
Asf stated. purchased mr. farm here
1 near Kent on credit and have bsen in debt
/ ners ever since for purchase pr1ee, i'm.
| uroysnents, stock and implements, but 40
4 ta~t a. vas atsie have bssn paying the
4 al debts Of Van de Tantsr & berger.
/ They have been sent for collection to
1 c4fterent persons and firms In King
| ceungy have paid through
Leafs 4 Gilman, asyers. the claim Of the
NIbnrn Wagon Company, mentioned in
the telegraph, and have the receipts for
/ the same Tsrough George II. King
/ Ia1yer four claims das another firm.
| Also a claim through Marshall X. Smell,
III Tacoma Also four or tvs claims
i through James II. Cavansagb. Jusisee of
| tie peaes. hsnt and also tso or three
e!xauas taxcuss Tie EAnk ~ ksna In