The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-02

L
| life was 10 purchase a store filled with
| merchandise. lock it up just as 1t stood'
| and never allow ii to be opened again LOT
business. This was dozen years or more
| ago. and the goods are still in the puliu-
| ing, several thousand dollars worth, molo-
| ing and rotting away. The storS winch -
| located at President, not far from CldPp
| house. was the only one for several mics
around, and the country people came lohs
! distances to trade The business done was
| light but there was some all the time anu
it is not thought that the store was closeo
on account of the light trade 1t would De
more like Clapp to keep it open Tor the
benefit of the public, although ne io i1
| the store one morning he came into the
store and told the clerk he had bought ouI
| this partner Nail up all the doors aIu
| Windows said he, and give me the key.
| We will not sell any more goods. nc
clerk did as he was ordered, ana tne sto 1 e e
| still remains IN tnat cohultlona, VII W. day
| goods rotting on the shelves. To TINS gay
| no one knows just why it was closed.
! said that Clapp has refused TO sell or lease
| any part of ms land This is not literally
| true, as some years ago ne dld tease d lew
| acres TO an oil man. we'll or Two We're
| put down on this lease, and proved a ldI Se
| stretch of country TO be good LOT Oh =, Pu a.,
poses. CIapp, however, refused 10 sen OF
he save this lease The Standard people
| once offered him S750000 for a part of his
| land, but he declined TO accept II. he WIZ
! put no price on the whole or any part OF
| it, but simply declares that 1t is not Tor
| sale or lease. Oil men have given up al
| hope Of getting anything from Clapp, anu Ii
| wealth. He says that when oil gets to $40
barrel he will open, it up himself, WHICH
| means, Of course, that it will never be
| opened up while he is alive"
However" said another member or the
6property tbda old dS aare NeWe Of Brad
| ford, did of his. Talk about spendthrifts
| Johnny Steele was miser compared 10
| Newell; The squire, as ne was called.
| about thirty years ago as the agent OF Bos-
ton capitalists who owned nearly 100000
acres of land in that section. he looked
like Jew, but was YANKEE porn ana
bred, with the pluck needed by financial
agent in the wilds, and until 1876 faithfully
served the capitalists who had intrusted
him with their property, at the same time
securing large holdings for himself. with
the advent of the oil men, however, he be-
gan to go wrong. Wine and women ruined
him. Piece by piece, warrant by warrant,
lands owned by Newell or his principals
faded away, while the hand of the squire
did little to stay the invaders, who were
bent on robbing him with little ceremony
and less respect than they would nave
shown toward a Digger Indian He re-
tanned few farms and city lots, which
have been a source Of great revenue to his
family, but the large tracts in ms keeping
We're practically given away to the oil men
and land sharks. The revenues obtained by
Newell were squandered in every conceiV
able way. One of his ventures was an OPP
era house, which he called the Academy
of Music IT was built of wood and was
soon destroyed by one of the fires so alarm
ingly frequent in the early days of Brad
ford. Only few vaudeville performances
ever occupied the boards. Sharpers, gam
biers and beats of every grade victimized
him and played upon his weaknesses as
successfully as though their schemes were
directed against child. Even the ancient
gold-brick trick cost him several thousand
dollars. In his cups he would back any
note that was handed him, and was so ac-
on
dubbed him the indorser of the city. He
staked broken-down actresses and stranded
theatrical troupes, and sent them on their
way rejoicing. Ten years of fast life broke
down a constitution naturally robust.
Newells physical and financial resources
gave away about the same time, and his
relatives stepped in to check a career that
could only end in ruin and death. The
remnants Of his estate were taken from his
legal charge and his family supported him
out Of the proceeds and assumed rents until
his death, some six or seven years ago.
Johnny Steele never squandered as much
money as did Newell Steele may have
thrown away $l5O0OO0 Newell frfttered or
gave, away five times that amount. His
family received less than $500 from the
wreck OF his fortune. Newell was the east
est mark the oil country has ever known"
A DYNAMITE EXPERIENCE.
Newell" said a former oil scout, who is
now an editor, was great friend of Bill
Gallagher, the well-shooter Bill and his
brother Jim are all that are left of a fam
been killed, one after another, while han
ding ntroglycerin. Bill and Jim Gal
lagher once gave me the liveliest experience
of my life, and one that I don't care to ever
have repeated. We were riding one night
along the streets of clean, and Bill was
telling me about the tricks of nitro
glycerin thieves, when of a sudden the
sky away to the south of the town was red
dened by vivid fash, and the ground
trembled beneath US. Bill said that the
thieves, whose practice it is to do their
work at night. and then fire the looted
magazine in order to destroy all evidences
or their crime had been at it again, and
mad just robbed and blown up magazine
belonging to the Gallaghers, and located
on the Wildcat road. couple of miles out
or Olean. He declared that if we made
haste we might be able to oVertake the
thleVes, ana the next instant we We're driv-
ing rapidly behind a splendid team of
blacks along the main street Of clean and
OUT INTO the night. Half an hour later we
turned into the forest road leading to the
scene of the explosion. Bill leaped from
the wagon and closely inspected the road
with the aid Of lantern The fresh i'm
showed that the thieves had been there
within the hour and the direction in which
they had gone.
Bill climbed back into the wagon. saw
ing that as the thieves had carried away
a heaVy load, we should be able TO overhaul
Az n ana we again started in pursuit
would leap to the road and hurriedW in
spect it with the lantern. Each time the
trall was easily disceTnible. We had gone
but short distance when the fun moon
came out from behind Il cloud making tbn
road plainly visible for a long distance
aIead. AT the end of another half a mile
the rattle Of wagon came to us through
the clear night air. plainly audible above
the creaking of our own vehicIe lin
pulled up, and we all bent our heads and
listened. The wagon was coming tovard
us us az Preakneck speed from in front. We
nad matted at the foot of a steep hill and
az their present pace the horses would soon
become visible at the top of the incline a
moment later they shot into view AT me
top OF the hill. "A dark object that wa
eltner q blanket or man, was outlined
against the shining tin boxes which fiiied
the wagon the half-crazed animals Were
dragging after them.
The thieves team were running away
ana, as the road was narrow WOuId t5e
next moment be in deadly collision with
our own. Quicker than it takes TO tell il
JIM pulled his horses sharply to the right
ana gave them d wicked lash with fhe
WHIP. STARTED by the blow they leaned
mo the bushes at the side of the road
ana stuck fast, with only the rear Wheels
OF the wagon projecting into the highway
Kun and lie down., shouted Bill We
needed no urging. The three of as as ooe
man leaped from the wagon and fled away
from the road-and death. SteD bv stem
fought my way through thick under
CROWN of bushes, threw myself on the
ground and waited for the explosion a