Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1903-10-30
BLAIR BREAKS DOWN.
sensational Disclosures Crush Noted
st. Louis Man

l
st. Louis Man.
Ii the testimony of James T. Roberts
before the grand jury is true, there is in
st. Louis a man who for the last seven
years has been living dual life. That
man is James Lawrence Blair, son of the
late Gen. Frank Blair, who saved Mis-
souri, to the Union, lawyer and reformer,
and until recently general counsel of
the worlds fair.
When Mr.. Blair was informed of the
charges against him Saturday afternoon
at his country home near Kirkwood he
suffered total collapse. He had stood
for two hours on his porch and dictated
statement of his case before the grand
jury. Following the close of the state
inent he was asked IL he did not wish to
discuss the report that his alleged mis-
conduct was the result OF an effort to
shield others. Mr.. Blair replied that
he would not volunteer any information
as to what may have been done in this
particular. There was moment of 81
lence following this remark.
us that all you want to say to the
public?" he was asked.
Mr.. Blair made as il to answer. He
gasped for breath. His eyes rolled and
his body trembled lie was facing the
house, and directly back of him were
the stone steps. The crutch which had
partly supported him fell to the floor,
and, throwing his hands in the air wild
ly, the attorney fell backward, going
headlong down the steps His head
struck the stone pavement with tremen-
dous force A physician was summoned,
and late at night Mr.. Blair regained con-
seriousness,
The charges supposed to involve Blair,
but not mentioning his name, have been
circulated in ST. Louis financial and
newspaper circles for more than month,
but none credited them, nor was any
reference to them published until after
Mr.. Blair had applied for warrant for
Editor Brokmeyer on the charge of Grim
inal libel, though Mr.. Brokmeyer had
carefully kept the name of the supposed
wrong doer from the columns Of his pa
per.
The charges made by James I. Rob-
erts who, as stenographer, had access to
private books and papers, are in brief as
follows:
/. That deeds and mortgages aggre-
eating 100000 were forged.
&. IHdl PofO,OUU WIS oDldlueu AioHi
the firm of Dick Brothers & Co. of Phil
adelphia.
g. That $4,000 was obtained from the
Blow estate in st. Louis on these papers.
a. That notarial and other necessary
seals and stamps were counterfeited.
Roberts says these transactions took
place more than three years ago. Thus
the statute OF limitations would be OPP
erative il any Of Them came within the
Law.
James l.. Blair has been one of the
fgureheads of business and social st.
Louis for years. Handsome, popular,
member of nearly every club in the city,
keen lawyer, an eloquent orator, public
spirited, and apparently a man of the
highest and most aggressive principles,
he has stood for what was believed to
be the best and most noteworthy in the
citizenship Of conservative old st. Louis.
At his beautiful home he entertained
lavishly. At Y. M. G. A. meetings he
lecthred OH Business Morals" "Integ-
rity in Business" and kindred subjects.
In the counse1s of the worlds fair direc-
torate his voice was often heard and his
advice usually respected. Although not
politician, his influence in this sphere
Of action was MS broad as it was in the
social, commercial and moral life of tire
city