The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-12
MR.. WILLARD DENIES.
Comments Upon the Statement Made
by Mr.. Pope at Mankato.


by Mr.. Pope at MankatO.
To the Editor of the Globe:
I notice in your issue of. this morning
headlines reading, "HonorSof the Dead.
1t Was Shielded for Months by Gen. E. M,
Pope. Paid the $500 Loan Himself, That
the Dead Vice President, John A. VIII
lard, Owed the Library Board" l have
not felt called to say anything here at
home, as the unanimous feeling is that
there is not one single word of truth in
Mr.. Popes statement of Mr. Wizards
connection with this money. Knowing
Mr.. Willard and his reputation, as you
gentlemen certainly did, 1 cannot under
stand how, even for political reasons, YOU
could accept the story and put it into the
shape you have done. l must insist that
for the sake of the ''honor of the dead
you give this matter full investigation on
the ground, or publish my letter
Let me say that instead Of an effort to
shield Mr.. WIZARDS name, more das-
tardly attempt to escape responsibility
by besmirching the name Of the honored
dead l have never known Not one of
his statements would he have dared to
make if Mr.. Willard was alive, If Mr..
Pope had desired to shield Mr.. Wizards
honor, he would long since have conferred
with Mr. Wizards family, who are In
position to have taken care of any such
debt Of honor Instead of that, not one
word OF warning was given to them till
within half an hour Of the meeting, and
after he had told many other persons.
knowing that Mrs. Willard and myself
were abundantly able to protect my
fathers name. If there had at the be-
ginning Of this trouble been any idea in
Mr.. Pope's mind Of Mr.. Willard being re-
sponsible for this $500 he would never
have paid 1t himself. He Is not built that
way. The simple fact Of the matter is
that, finding himself in a corner, Mr..
Pope has made up this story
Mr.. Pope had borrowed at the First
National bank 5000 to help him over a
tight place in his business. He gave to
MI j. A. Willard mortgage on certain
real estate which Mr.. Willard was to
hold for the bank, and Mr.. Willard in
dorsed Mr.. Pope's notes at the bank This
is very common thing with national
banks, who are not allowed to take real
estate security. This Endorsement was
never by Mr.. Willard or the bank consid.
cred as a personal liability beyond proper
care OF the security. Mr.. Pope made an
assignment. The bank took it's dividend,
Mr.. Willard still holding the collateral
the understanding being that Mr.. Pope
should take care Of the debt the peculiar
obligations under which he was to Mr..
Willard, not only in this instance but
before being the ground for this under
lard For the sake OF appearances in the
bank, Mr.. Willard gave his personal note
to the bank and took up Mr.. Pope's notes.
Mr.. Willard now began. to press Pope
for payments, according to the under
standing between them, and finally, after
a great deal of delay, got from him two
checks of Pope company aegregatsng $500.
which checks were upon the very day
applied directly on the debt of Mr.. pope
at the First National bank, never having
passed through Mr., Willards bank &C
count even. Mr.. Pope's statement that
he did not owe the bank is bubble,
and he knew exactly what was done with
the money The statement that Mr. Will
lard knew that the Pope company had IL
brary funds Is absurd, He was not used
to doing business that way; and, least of
all, after his experience with Mr.. Pope's
business matters, would he have been
party to loaning public funds to Mr..
Popes Company
The statement that Mr.. Willard borrow
ed this money from the Pope company
is without the shadow of truth First.
Mr.. Willard was not personally liable on
this debt Second, his credit was at
that time good, and he, did not need to
borrow 1t. Third his affairs were kept
In such shape that such loan" could
not have been overlooked. Fourth, he
never did business that way. Mr.. Pope
SIMPLY AAAdOS d pay ACCORDING TO u1l.
outstanding on his own debt, making It
through the Pope company, as he could
| not have funds in his own name, making
| the entry on Pope companys books. ~
A. Willard loan to identify the entry
as an application on the loan he himself
had obtained at the bank through Mr..
| Wizards kindness.
might have detailed this matter mora
at length, but did not want to trespass
! too much on your space
w. D. Willard.
Mankato, Mimi, Nov IL