The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-17
PROMOTER LA TOILETTE.
Checkered Career of the Head of the
Chicago Lake Front Land scheme.


New York Herald.
The news from Washington that Secre-
tary of the Interior Cornelius y. Bliss has
put his foot down hard upon the scheme
TO grab s1s.coo.OoO worth OF land on the Chi
cage lake front brings TO public attention
again Harvey NJ. La Toilette who. with
Matthias Bonner. has been the prime mover
in the case.
a few years ago Mr. La Toilette came to
this city from the West He had been
superintendent of public instruction
in Indiana He had many enter
prises under his care. but his
specialties were the La Toilette Coal
and Iron Company and the La Toilette
Land and Improvement Company. These
properties according TO his state
ments covered very extensive tracts OF
mining and timber land i'm Tennessee. and
he wanted to bond them for million dol
lars or more Major Plmley. the commits
sioner of Jurors In this city. became off,
Ger of his companies. The general manager
of the La Toilette Coal and Iron Company
was man who was known both as Alva
f. Davis and as Eugene Davis. The offices
We're al No. 81 Wall street.
Unpleasant attention was drawn 10 the
company and its officers when the World
exposed the tact that finely engraved
checks bearing its name signed by Eugene
Davis as general manager were being cir
culated through the agency of man whom
Commissioner of Jurors Phmley employed
in a confidential capacity. These checks
were all for small amounts, but they were
returned from the banks as mo good.
When the facts made public there
was great SQUIRTING around on the part OF
the officers OF the company 10 take up the
checks and square matters with the holders
OF them. This done. and prosecutions
that were threatened were not brought Mr.
La Toilette made unsuccessful effort TO
buy the New York Mercury.
Mr.. La Toilette has had lots of trouble
with the law. On Dec. y, 1893. the Ger
mania Bank. of this city. secured Judg-
ment against him for 5000 on promssory
note. ON June 3, 1885, three Judgments. ag-
gregating 1924. were obtained against him
turing Company. to which he had given his
notes. On Nav q. 1926. Daniel Held. of this
city. got Judgment against him for So.ep
or promissory note. About the same
time Ladenburgg. Thalmann a Co.. the
bankers got judements for sli.OiS AGAINST ,,,I
ager of the La Toilette Coal and Iron COM
pany.
sued by Justine Mclean. of the supreme
Court The action was brought by ~. r.
Mooney of No. ~ Liberty street, who al
legged that La Toilette had contracted To
sell him sxty-two first mortgage bonds OF
the Connersville Gas and Electric company
for s2i,S01. Instead of giving him first mort
gage bonds. MIR. Mooney said that La Fol
lette delivered to him second mortgage
bonds worth very much less. la Toilette
was locked UP In Ludlow-street Jail In de-
fault of $4,000 bail
Mr.. la Toilette had had trouble IN the
West also. lie was president of the Fidel-
ity Building and Savings Union of Indian
apoliS. That corporation invested It's saw
ings largely in Chicago real estate Al nm
ally went into the hands of a receiver. and
il was then shown that all of its officers
were deeply indebted TO IL. Mr.. La Toilette
had loaned himself s1l.950 of the ccmpanys
funds.
In the United States District Court at In
dianapois on Oct 2 1896. judgments az
gregating s129 179 were issued against Mr.
La Toilette COMPANIES on prom aI or,
Iron Company the La Toilette Land and
Improvement Company and Mr. La Fol-
lette himself.
The attempt to get the Chicago lake-front
property Is a gigantic scheme. Ii is manu-
featured land. on which there are now slips
for ships, coal elevators. manufacturing
plants lumber Yards saw mills. etc. The
with which freight can be transferred from
the lake ships TO the railroads makes II
among the most valuable land I'm the city
There are at least ten streets cut through
the property. Ii Is largely owned by the
Ogden heirs but Potter Palmer. y. X. Fair
bank c. b. Farwell and others are inter
ested in the properties standing upon n.
Ii embraces quite residence section as
well. and on il stands the Newberry IL
brary.
The set of claimants headed by Matthias
Bonner and Mr.. La Toilette base their
now own and which they say was issued TO
the heirs of w. H. Mckee. who was a cap
tain i'm the Mexican war. by act of Con-
gress. Others have claimed the land.