Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1899-04-26
"JUSnCE" m OBLIVION.
A Topeka Cellar the Home Of Montana's
Noted Fraud, the "Statue OF
Justice"

OF the famous silver statue oil Jus
tice," which, when last heard OF, was
stored In the cellar OF Barnum's dry
goods store?
The question is easily answered. 1t
is still In the cellar.
Two years ago there was a sensa-
ton about this wonderful statue, the
estimated value OF which is all the
way down from $50. 900. There was
a falling out among the owners. Suit
was brought in the Shawnee county
district court by one faction to re-
cover damages from another faction.
Judge Hazen appointed Samuel Bar
mum receiver for the statue. pending
the settlement of the trouble.
Who owns the statue now? No
body seems to know. What has be-
come of the litigation? Look atcase
No, 1916 at the office of the clerk OF
the district court and you may find
all that remains of it. But the statue
is still down in thecellar of Barnum's
store-two tons of silver securely
boxed up for future reference.
Judge Hazeu OF the district court
was asked in regard to the condition
of the litigation involving the statue.
He said: "Well, that's a hard ques-
ton. l have not heard anything
about 1t for a long time. The last l
heard was that the case was to be
compromised, but ! have not issued
any orders concerning it,"
Clifford LISTED, who is in charge of
the case for the plaintiffs, said: "Ev-
erything is in statu quo. The statue
is still where we put it. l have not
heard anything about it for a long
time"
The statue il insured for a compar-
atively small amount az a work of
art, its bullion value not being con
sidered.
But there is a great doubt, as pom
derous as the statue itself, as to the
truth OF the claim that the statue is
solid silver. Perhaps 1t is plated.
Perhaps this awe-inspiring, glittering
female Is a white metal fraud. Per-
haps her $4,000 presence had better
be made into cast iron frying pans to
increase it's market value. The lapse
of time is dimming the honor OF her
shinin personality instead of illumi-
mating it with historic luster.
Is il not time that the Commercial
club investigate the question and
clear up these doubts?
How would it do to rig up a block
and tackle and hoist the old girl up
to the top of the state house dome,
to hold down the 'lantern" till the
legislature appropriates money for
the proposed statue of "Cross?" II
the statue itself were consulted it
would undoubtedly prefer such dig
y nifty to it's present solitary confine-
ment in a dark cellar.
Or the statue might besold to some
Topeka cigar dealer to be used In lieu
of a wooden Indian. A bunch of
cigars could easily be substituted for
the old-fashi0ned and inaccurate
weighing machine with which myth
ology has endowed Justice.
Or consider the enthusiasm which
would be aroused by railing o I "Jus-
tice" for the benefit OF the auditori-
um, or to raise money to build a dam
across the Kaw river.
1t has also been suggested by free
silver partisans that the face of the
statue be hammered into a semblance
of Bryan and used at the Democratic
free silver hallelujah meeting to be
held here.
Evidently the possibilities of the
statue are immense, even II IL IL made
of potmetal, as unkind critics assert.
AS to the history of the statue, II
will be remembered that it was man.
ufactured by a company known as
the Montana Silver Statue company,
Ada Rehan, the celebrated actress,
posed as the model OF Justice
which the statue ia supposed to rep.
resent. The figure Ia of heroic size.
1t was mounted on a solid gold base,
the estimated value of which was
$500, 600. 1t was exhibited at the Co
lumbar exposition and was won
dered at by all.
After the exposition the travels OF
the statue commenced. 1t was taken
from its solid gold base and put on a
plated pedestal, because the owners
decided that $780, 900 was too much
money to be tied up in an unpro-
ductive chunk Of gold. The owners
of the statue toured the country, ex-
hibiting it in windows OF stores In
the larger cities OF the country. The
man in charge of the statue was
Frank d. Higbee.
Finally Higbee was accused OF
crookedness in his transactions with
the rest of the company. 1t was
claimed that he withheld part OF the
proceeds Of the exhibitions, and that
he defrauded the company by means