Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-12-13
ED" BUTLER OF ST. LOUIS, ["z15z%2 SEEEEEz- ross


I for several years out Of that shoe Is
Buffers own statement OF the results
Of his efforts. The GOOdenough horse
shoe Is known all over the world.
with an income Of $4,000 a year
from the horseshoe and as much more
from his shops Butler was soon well on
his way toward becoming wealthy
man, He was looking out FOR invest
ments. Jimmie Finnerty wanted the
Standard theater. Butler bought It ana
backed him and another friend named
Smith. They did not make Il pay But
Ter took II off their hands and handled
II himself. Ii was the theater OF the
slums. Travelling troupes that came
from other cities to the Standard add
ed few immoral or indecent turns TO
make It tlt the Standards style.
As the Butler fortune grew the greed
for money grew stronger and the NOR
al standard went lower. The one pur-
pose to accomplish what he set out to
do was uppermost In his mind. Two
things however. that help make men
admired were never forgotten Butler
was a man of his word, from the day
he became a shop hand In New York
TO the day he was sentenced TO the PEN
itentiary, and during all that time II Is
not recorded that he ever deserted
friend who had not first done some act
that according TO Buffers standard,
justified 'desertlon. An incident In st.
Louis convention will explain the first.
Some years ago Butler was engaged In
warfare with the police machine of
ST. Louis The convention was close,
and on certain important nomination
two wards controlled The delegations
from these wards. to use their own
language. were out for the stun. But
Ter got them. The agent Of the police
machine made this explanation: II
promised 'em a tousand dollars. They
says Let's see the color OF yer mon
ey. Butler comes along and promised
a t'ousand They didn't ask him 10 see
the money, They knowed he pay. Be-
fore | could get de stuff to EN- they'd
voted"
That was the story in a nutshell, II
Butler offered Doodle "dey knowed he'd
pay" And more Butler expected 10
pay for fayors from public officers.
Where he could he paid in appoint
ments and political help. Where he
could not, he paid In money. II the off
Ger would take II. On the witness stand
at Columbia Dr. Merrell testified that
Butler said: You can't be reappolnted
and am going TO pay you That was
characteristic. Butler sees no differ
ence between an officer who violates
his official oath to help a political friend
and the one who violates 1t for money
In that respect IL Is Just possible that
his moral standard Is not any further
from correct than that OF a good many
men who think they are far above him.
Back in the middle Of the hall sat the
old blacksmith. He had said truly that
day that he was for gold silver or pa
per. SO long as he got the money.
COINS Financial school, and other
documents of the sort had never con-
cerned him. But when Charley Maftitt
was president OF mule care line in st.
Louis Ed Butler had nailed the shoes
on Mailitts mules and when the ora
tors sat silent, Butler rose to defend
his friend. The Irish race has a gift OF
oratory and this old rough man with a
speech that few who attended that con-
vention will ever forget
"A shame on ye," he said. "a shame
on We to turn against mon who has
worked for the Dmmecratic party like
Charley Mafiitt. Are We afeare 10 wan
little goold boog?'
But the convention supported Stone.
though many a man Went home having
In his mind the thought that In the Sc
lection Of friend ii was not Ed Butler
that he would put last In his prefer |
ences. He carried his friendships TO his
business, too. When he started the
Standard theater in Kansas City and |
made the fight for saloon license in |
which Bishop Glennon successfully OPP |
posed him, 1t will be remembered that |
the application for license was In the |
name of Michael O'Hearn. Before the |
application was made a score Of Kan
sas City saloon men tried TO get the |
privilege of the place. Dan Spillanc !