Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-01
THAT FAMOUS BOND DEAL
Mr.. Evans Writes a Plainly
Worded Letter
TELLING ALL ABOUT IT
Mr.. enslen Was the Central Figure in the
ransacton-The Evening News
Called Down.
To the Democracy of Birmingham.

To the Democracy of Birmingham.
BY insnuation, but without evidence,
Mr.. c. F. Enslen, candidate of the reform
party, In opposition to the nominee of the
democratic party, in his organ yesterday
afternoon, again attacks my public rec
ord by asking me a question as to a bond
transaction. My answer in Sundays
State Herald is here repeated.
never bought or received profit in any
bond transaction with the city of Bir-
mingham while its treasurer. and dare
the president of the Jefferson county
Savings bank to present proof of such a
charge. None has been or can be pre-
scented. Furthermore defy proof to the
effect that 1 ever traded in any claim
against the city of Birmingham while an
official thereof-and I do this with full
knowledge of the fact that my opponent
has been clearly proven guilty of the very
same base offense with which he charges
me, to-wit: Dealing in city claims while
an officer. The records prove it.
With bitterness and in its wall of de-
feat, while nearing the verge of the pre-
cipice and but one day intervening be-
fore its mocking cry of reform and
good government" is to be silenced by
ening News falsely and mallciously
charges that evans did buy bonds,' and
in a paragraph says: These charges
and statements are based upon a written
document, signed #. V. Evans which is
now in the possession of the News. Any
Anxious Enquirer can see this document
by calling at the editorial rooms of the
News
Immediately upon reading the scuril
Gus article l went last evening to the
Office of the editor of the News and ask
ed him for a copy of the alleged document
that 1 might publish it to the world. He
refused to allow me to have 1T, stating
that he needed 1T for his own defense.
He would not even allow me to take a
copy of it, but did allow me to read it.
1t was simply an article OF partnership
between E. T. Enslen, cashier of the JEFF
ferson county savings bank, son of my
opponent and myself, entered into on
the 29th day of January, 1894, one month
after my term of office with the city ex-
pired. At this writing he states that
upon an order from Mr.. Enslen only, can
l have a copy for use. The article to
which he refers is simply an agreement
that whereas Mr.. Enslen of the JEFFERSON
County Savings bank, has instituted suit
against a certain EASTERN firm for failing
to take up and pay for certain Birming-
ham city bonds, and that If the said suit
is recovered the firm of Il. V. Evans &
Co. shall participate in the funds arising
from such source. This agreement was
signed in January. 1894, and the consid-
of t. " Evans and E. F. Enslen were
then handling real estate loans. stocks
and bonds,> and Mr.. Enslen turned over
all this branch of business to our firm, Of
agreed to do so. That was the out
come of the famous Caldwell hotel pool,
to which the Jefferson County Savings
bank, of which my opponent, Mr.. Chris.
F. Enslen is president, and his son and
my former partner, Mr.. E. F. Enslen, is
cashier, was party A pool entered
into by about seven foreign and two local
banks for the purchase of Birmingham
city bonds. These bonds were bought
for the pool in the name of the Jefferson
County Savings bank; and by the pool
bid off to Splitter & Co., bankers, of New
York.
The Jefferson County Savings bank
was stake holder. and Splitter s. Co. fail
ing to come to time as agreed upon, said
Jefferson County Savings bank, OF which
my opponent is president, seized the
bonds, and it's cashier FASTENED to the
eastern markets to sell them. Threats
of suits followed. Sales were made to
two or more parties, purchasers failing to
respond on call, and the panic found the
Jefferson County Savings bank still in
possession of the greatly deprecated Sc
curfty. This regretted, and did all in
my power as broker and as friend
| to Mr.. Enslen to render relief to him
| and to the bank which he represented
I submit to a fair-mfnded public (the
| voters of this city, that such a docu-
psat , hidas g freq ths Rs5lS fys; R ~, the
| fair. or reasonable basis upon which to
| enter such a charge as that preferred by
| the News. 1t was due TO the public, due
| to the party attacked. due to a proper
sense of manhood that the whole writ
| ten document should be published with
| the charge Of wrong-doing. At time
| like this men who WELD the ballot to de-
| termine issues have no time to "call of
| the editorial rooms of the News" The
| News poses as q purveyor of facts: and
its readers are entitled to publication