The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1902-01-16
KenOsha Daily Gazette Suspends
Publication After Fourteen Years
of Life as Newspaper.
FINANCIAL. TROUBLES THE CAUSE
q. Robinson Forecloses a Cbattel Mort
gage on the Plant and 1t Goes Into
the Hands of the Sheriff.
From Fridays Daily


The Kenosha Daily Gazette, the
oldest daily paper in Kenosha and the
| official paper of the city, was forced to
suspend publication Thursday after
noon and the effects of the paper are
now in the hands Of the Sheriff pend
ing a settlement of the financial diff
cuIties which have arisen. The sus-
pen sion came as a surprise. For some
time it has been an open secret that
the Gazette was in financial straits,
but Thursday the office was open as
usual and the typesetters were prepar-
ing the matter for the regular daily
edition. Up to four o'clock it was ex-
pected that the paper would De issued,
but shortly before this hour the pro-
prietor of the paper, H. G. Jay, was
notified that H. B Robinson, who held
chatte1 mortgage for 81, 800 on the
plant, had demanded a foreclosure,
and when this information arrived the
typos put down their copy and their
sticks and Managing Editor Jay went
to the door of the office and announced
to the representatives. of the two news
stores that the paper would not be
issued. With this announcement work
at the cases was stopped and none of
the employees returned to work this
morning.
The closing of the plant was forced
by the fact that neither Mr.. Jay or At
torney Ben Sturgis, who wore manag-
ing the paper, had the money to swing
it. When they took charge of the pa
per it had been allowed to degenerate
until it was only ghost of it's former
self, and although they made game
struggle against fearful odds the
money was not forthcoming and they
were forced to give up.
A short time ago the managers of
the paper started a subscription list
among the leading Democrats OF the
city in order to keep the paper going
until after election and many of them
subscribed freely, but the aid proved to
be only temporary one and the sus-
pension was delayed ou1y few weeks.
H. B. Robinson, of the Merchants
and Savings Bank, is the heaviest
creditor of the paper and it's ed
itors. Some time ago he assumed a
mortgage of 81, 300 against the stock
and fixtures of the company and this
mortgage was the cause of the final
shut down of the publication. It is
understood that portion of the note,
to secure which the mortgage had been
given, had been paid, but the amount
was not sufficient to give the paper a
longer lease of life. Other claims are
held against the paper by the help EN-
ployed at the time of the suspension
and by Foreman George w. Sweet.
| The latter this morning got out an at
| tachment on a number of accounts due
the paper and hopes in this way to Sc
cure the settlement of claim of $50
for labor.
The execution to seize the plant was
given into the hands of the sheriff
Thursday evening and he sent man
to the office to keep watch. This
morning efforts were made to serve the
papers on Editor Jay but he refused to
inter- the office and for that reason the
service was delayed.
| L l
or Sturgis will lose anything by the
failure of the paper, as it is generally
known that they had contributed little
to the plant.
AS to the future of the paper moth
ing is known. It will probably be
offered for sale in due time at sheriff S
sale and will probably be bought in by
| of V1f of
mortgage.
The suspension of the Gazette marks
the passing of the only Democr attic
Daily paper in Southern Wisconsin.
| The paper was founded in 1888 as IN
Independent Republican paper, but
with the coming of the EVENING
NEWS, F. G. Cu11ey, who was then the
editor of the paper, turned it into a
straight Democratic paper. 1t has
since continued to support the princi-
pies Of this party. During the last
year the Gazette has been under many
arrangements, and since the paper was
sold by ex-Mayor Culley it has not
proved profitable enterprise.
At the time of the suspension H. c..
Jay was the owner and editor, while
B. O. Sturgis was named as the man
aging editor. There is little reason to
believe that the Gazette will appear
again within the next few weeks, but
| it is probable that its suspension will
open the way for better and more
representative Democratic paper in
! Kenosha.