West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1896-04-23
SOME MCKINLEY TIN
A Good Story Of Republicans BOodIe
That Went Astray.

me story OF how young Ma
poleon Of Finance" of this place.
got away with $3.50 Of COED hard
Republican Campaign Doodle. has
been talked around IN political cir
Giles here for some time and various
reports and surmises and theories
have been advanced and circulated
aud e.pubhc has been expecting
The ARGUS to give the details Of
the matter. Vague and ind, finite
accounts have appeared IN other
papers, bnt here 10 the true story
down to facts and figures, which
we have been to considerable trouble
to secure. We have refrained from
publishing anything about the mat
ter Till We could give the whole in
teresting story I'd our readers.
The smart young man who beat
the Republican politicians ont Of
this money and is now having a
good time spending it. Is T. Iw ,rd
McGrew Hcermans, who has been
the hero OF several spicy escapades
heretofore. He is smart but totally
irresponsible, and chatting under
restraint at home, made bold
stroke for freedom and gilded
career. He comes from one of the
most prominent families in the
| county, his father, Francis Heer.
mans, having been Sheriff OF the
county and Cashier of the King
wood Bank for long time. bat is
down ut Phoenix, Arizona, now
where he has been spending the
winter for his health. His grand
father, Hon. james G.. McGrew.
served in Congress and has been
President of the Bank here for
long time. The young man has
lived for years with his grandfather.
We mention these facts in order
that the reader may understand
how it was possible for him through
his standing and position to secure
this amount OF Doodle from the Re-
publican leaders, who were acauaint-
ed with the influence and promi-
neHce OF his father aud Grandfather.
The young man entered into
correspondence with certain Re.
publican leaders, who controlled
the distribution of the doodle, and
by appointment met a certain very
active agent, (who is we'll known
and whose name we will not give
now at Tunnelton and had two
conferences with him there. The
whole details of the plan were ar.
ranged between them and it was
agreed that young Heermans was
to have a certain sum to use in this
comfy, partly in the interest of
Mckinley and partly to down Ex.
Senator VIM. NJ. O.. Dawson. the
Chairman of the Republican State
COMMITTEE, who is candidate 70.
the Republican nomination for Gov.
ernor, and, is for ElkiDs for Pres
ldent, and who is anything else but
n Mckinley shouter. The money
was from the Mckinley fund, but
came through his leaders for this
State, who reside in Wheeling and
are determined to nominate Geo.
w. Atkinson OF shat place, for Gov.
ernor. Mckinley and Atkinson is
their cry and they refuse to throw
mp their hats for Elklns or recog
nize Dawson's boom at all. This
being his home, 1t was determined
to down HIM in his own county if
possible, and as the Heermans- Me-
Grew element has always fought
Dawson, it was easy for young
Hcermans to fool the bOodlers into
accepting him as tool in the mat
ter.
1t was agreed that the money was
to be divided among six Of the party
workers and DR.. II. f. Lanham, of
Newburg, and James Terrell, of
kingwood. were selected as two of
the six. Lanham is an anti Daw-
son man and Tsrrill is a colored
barber of this place, and the leader
of the colored vote.
At the second meeting at TIM.
Melton the Doodle agent placed
draft in Heermans' hands for the
money as per agreement. The lat
ter insisted on having the hard cash.
but the other told him they would
only manage IT ia that way as it
was safer and according to their
plan for using it.
Here is an exact copy of the draft
from the original.
1880 90
FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF FAIRMONr,
pov 60 n,ta dsn W, y. March9 1896
Fourteen Hundred and Fifty DOllary
To The National Bank Of West virginia Virgil Il'n'e''
No. 30iGG. Wheeiing IL Va
The draft was purchased Of the
FairmOnt Bank on the Wheeling
Bank and does not show who Uur.
chased t. Heermans came home
with it and attempted TO collect it
himself by indorsing it and sending
it TO the Wheeling Bank for collec
ton, but as they did not know his
signature or anything about him,
they refused 10 send the money and
returned the draft TO him.
Ii vas then that he took another
man into his confidence. lie wrote
1