The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-05-03
BY ISAACS-


the suffering families driven by rebels
from Southwest Missouri"
The notice served read: You have been
assessed the sum OF - hundred dollars as
your contribution in aid of suffering fam
HES. Payment in money or clothes, pro-
visions or quarters within five days is re-
quested: in default thereof a levy on prop
evty. with % per cent penalty will be
made"
PAUL HOME SEIZED"
The old Paul home on Elm street, be-
tween Fourth and Fifth. was taken for the
refugees" with quarters for negroes in the
rear. The assessments were for from one
to four hundred dollars. The following c!ti-
zens. who had been served with this notice
of assessment, entered a protest within the
five days:
Samuel b. Churchill. Rober; NJ. Renn!ck,
h.e.Ty E. Belt. s. S; Harrington,
William q. Clark. oh. Armstrong.
Wiley l~tudo.pn. Ju!iette b. Garesche,
L Dorsheimer, GhaLes McLaren,
Samuel Robbins. /. Oh. Boisiiniere.
d. Robert Barclay, Ersstus Wells.
Daniel Il. Donovan. Mrs. 1rusten Polk,
. 4; ny w r,rnsss9uasr. WWs giiIssc kMir aSSl
Il william. II: MIS- +. Ferguson. . tists I'd Sf Kayser.
L. Z. Sloan.
A regularly appointed board on assess
ments heard testimony, revised lists and
tti Z vi Tie Scuetdi puSlltSS OF what was
called seizures The philosophy of the
assessment business was this certain peo-
pie. who think as we think, have met
loses at the hands Of people, who think as
you think. We can not reach the guilty
parties to punish them. but we have the
power and will use IT. to make you pay for
thinking. as we know you do. like those
guilty people"
Samuel Engler refused to pay his assess
ment. and had $500 worth Of candles
seized" from his place of business. In
January, 1862. ]. kennard & Sons had car
peting. etc. to the amount of $50 taken
from them by the United States authorities
in st. Louis. The firm had been assessed
and refused to pay the amount against
them.
Attachments against DR.. l.. Charles Bois-
limiere on household furniture in his house
caused the seizure of more than 1900
worth of furniture, though the assessment
in his case was for $500. Executions were
issued against D. H. Armstrong, assessed
for s5l4. and r. NJ. Funkhouser, assessed for
1915.
Alexander Kayser was assessed for $500,
and "a he was not ready to pay, his horse
and buggy was seized Mr.. Kayser was
promised furniture and other goods to make
up the amount of his assessment would
be taken. Mr.. Andrew Parks's property
was seized" because he refused to pay his
assessment. So did Mr.. D. Robert Barclay,
from whom 900 valuable books and other
property to the amount of 81, 500 was taken.
The usual method of procedure was to
first seize" a piano and other parlor furni-
ture; then came a second time for all else
on the plea that the "parlor stuff did not
bring enough to reach the amount of the
assessment. Usually it did not. so great
was the abuse Of goods at the hands of
inexperienced men.
From the home of Mrs. Trusten Polk.
Fourteenth street and Lucas Place. furni-
ture was taken to cover an assessment of
S2o. and from Mrs. Rebecca Sire a piano
to cover an execution on a 500 assessment.
DELAYED BY SICKNESS.
Doctor William McPheeterss horse and
buggy were seized" and besides a plano,
sofa. tables. chairs to the value of $3.50,
everything in the way of furniture In the
parlor. TIL visit to Doctor McPheeiers's
home was delayed a day on account of
Sickness. The day following, when the au-
thorities proceeded to exert the power they
possessed. Doctor McPheeters's little boy. s
years old. lay dying. Mrs. McPheeters asked
her husband to remain with the child, and
bravely stepped forward to hasten the
majesty of the law"
The men doing the moving were not in
good humor. In their wake had followed
many a neighborhood boy, expressing his
opinion of their errand. When they were
further hampered by their own ignorance
in getting the plano In moving shape, they
turned to Mrs. McPheeters for instruc-
tons. The lady answered: When thieves
come stealing she was not in the habit of
helping them. And so they worked by
themselves. and finally left with the plano,
a fine instrument. a gift to Mrs. McPheet-
ers from her father. That day week a sec
ond levy was made on Doctor McPheeters's
household goods: the piano. parlor furni-
ture. horse and buggy, had not sold for
enough to pay the assessment. and now
they took everything; the house. with its
bare walls, was left. In the interval be-
tween the two seizures" the little boy
had died.
The second visit paid Mr.. Kayser, caused
by the small sum realized from the sale of
his horse and buggy. yielded a fine English
Rothfeld piano. and a lot Of elegant solid
mahogany furniture. Mr.. j. W. Wills.
president Of the Mechanics' Bank, had
three valuable horses taken Mr.. John
W;ckham of Lucas place and Seventeenth
street, was assessed 1927.
A writ of attachment was issued against
Mr.. Wickham on two certificates Of Me-
chanics' Bank stock. one for five shares.
the other for six at 800 a share. To satisfy
an assessment OF 1927, $1.1OO was Seized"
Later it was shown six Of those shares
were sold at SIS per share. a total of $3.50
on the original levy of 1927. a difference Of
! sl23. Some 1900 worth Of furniture belong
! ing to Doctor William Johnston was
seized" and sold under an assessment OF
S4s.
General d. NJ. Frost vas expected to
give $50, and Mrs. Tullia C. Beckwith $50
toward the support Of the refugees"
When they refused. their property was
Seized and sold. Mr.. William G.. Clark
of Eleventh and Pine street had three car
| loads OF furniture taken from his house to
| cover an assessment of $500.