The Wichita daily eagle., 1895-12-06
LEWIS BOND DEAL
1T WAS THE SUBJECT OF DISCUS.
SION IN THE CHURCH.

1
Good Topeka Avenue Lots i'm Considera-
tion of Some Boom Bonds-Throckmor-
ton and Others Took Issue with Him
and Defeated the Resolution-Contro-
versy Over the Ownership OF the Bonds
and How it Came About-Detaiis-
Last night very important congre-
! gational meeting Of the First Presby-
| terian church was held in which five or
| six prominent members locked horns
in a Christian spirit as they very well
expressed it.
! A reporter for the Eagle called there
I! to join in the prayer meeting called and
in the announcements heard that a
business ma tier would be called UP.
When the prayers were over and some
| interesting passages of scriptures Were
dwelt on by Dr. Winters the business
meeting announced was called.
L. n. Carver was selected as moder-
ator and after taking his seat Mr.. Nc
Clure of the firm of Maxwell & Nc
| Clure, was elected secretary.
II. w. Rule, after a very brief state
| ment, read a resolution authorizing the
church TO make quit claim deed TO
Mrs. Kitty Lewis, wife of Colonel
Hiram Lewis, for four valuable lots
south of the corner of Topeka avenue
and Second street, with the residences
| thereon. The resolution stated that the
consideration for the deed should be
the cancellation of twenty-six bonds,
covering the property, held by Mrs
Lewis. Mr.. Rule asked for the adop-
tion Of the resolution
Councilman Throckmorton was soon
on his feet opposing the resolution. He
said that the call for the congregation
meeting had been a short one and that
1t was made when not more than half
the congregatf was present. he said
that the matter to be considered was
very Important one and needed the
most thorough consideration. He was
served with a notice which to him eX-
pressed a grave doubt whether Mrs.
Kitty Lewis or c. II. Davidson was
the owner of the bonds and he thought
it would be better TO have the owner
ship of the bonds settled before the
church should purchase them in. If
not he was afraid that the church
would he dragged into court and in
volved in law suit.
Colonel Lewis stood up and ably de-
Tended his wRe's interest. He wanted
the resolution passed and the deed
ton but what the bonds were the prop
erty of Mrs. Kitty Lewis, his wife.
Mr.. O. A. Keech arose and made an
amendment to the resolution TO the ef-
feet that the church take no steps or
make no deed for the property to any,
body until the ownership Of the bonds
was thoroughly established and then to
make the deed to the said owner as
properly established.
Mr. Lewis and Mr.. Rule objected to
the amendment. Mr.. Rule wanted the
deed made and given TO the party who
would turn over the bonds. He said
that party was Mrs. Kitty Lewis as ne,
himself, had bought the bonds, or most
of them, paid for and delivered them.
He also said that the church should
take no cognizance of the the notice
served by Mr.. Davidson, in regard TO
his claim to the bonds, as it was not
made out legally.
Mr.. ThrOckmorton did not think that
a church organization should confine
itself to the technical methods of the
law; on the contrary that it should be
guided by a moral principle in dealing
with the question. in other words, that
il should do what was morally right in
the matter. He knew Mr.. Davidson
TO be a splendid, honest man, who
would make no claim unless he knew or
believed he was right in ii.
Earl Evans, in vigorous speech, de-
Tended the amendment of Mr.. keech 10
the resolution of Mr.. Rule at the end
Of which vote was taken resulting in
the success of the amendment and the
defeat of Colonel Lewis and Mr.. Rule
in the position they had taken.
All this contention has quite an inter
esting history which was not brought
out wholly in the meeting, but which
was stated to a reporter for the Eagle
by a well known business man who is
in a position to know the facts.
During the boom when everybody
was building castles in the air and on
land the Presbyterians made arrange
ments 10 build an immense church on
the corner diagOnally across from the
residence OF Colonel Lewis. The con-
gregation went in debt to the amount
Of SS0, 600 or ,thereabouts and the church
was never built.
Later on this debt was reduced to
$4,000 and bonds issued. secured by the
Topeka avenue property. At the same
time a deed was authorized TO be made
for the property. TO be put in the hands
of Mr.. Rule as trustee and he to issue
il upon the surrender Of the bonds. The
bonds being scattered around a great
deal they had practically no value or al
least a greatly reduced value. Colonel
Lewis collected them and bought them
very cllaep except 81 900 worth which
was held by c. II. Davidson Of the Kan
sas National bank
Sometime ago, according 70 the state
ment of the Eagles informant, Colonel
Lewis piUted himself against Mr.. Dav-
idSon in deal for these two $500 bonds.
He offered Mr.. Davidson a certain sum
for them and Mr.. Davidson refused,
whereupon Mr.. Lewis offered him the
other uwenty-fOur bonds that he held
at the same price that he offered Mr..
Davidson for his two. Mr.. Davidson
being comparatively stranger in town
did not know the value Of the bonds
but he made this kind Of a trade with
Mr.. Lewis: He sold the two bonds 10
Mr.. Lewis for specified sum and de-
livered them TO him after first getting a
written agreement from Mr.. Lewis that
II he Davidson desired he could buy
back his own two bonds and MIR. Lewis
twenty-four bonds, al any time before
November %, at the same price per
bond that he sold his for. This was z
written agreement and Mr. Davidson
put IL in his safe. Before the option OF
Mr.. Davidson on ali the bonds had ex-
pired he concluded TO ACCEPT uheTn and
on the 2Sth he went 10 Mr. Lewis and
50 informed him Some question arose
about the payment and Mr.. Davidson