Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-10-29
SOCIAL LEADER
UNDER A CLOUD
Rnihors Affecting James l.. Blair,
of st. Louis, Take Form.
SEVERE SHOCK TO HIS FRIENDS
Name HOnOred in Missouri Now
Coupled With Which,
II substantiated, Will
Prove Its UndOing.

st. Louis, Oct. 25.-For the past few
weeks rumors have been current af-
fecting the probity of James l.. Blair,
former law partner of Judge James A.
Soddon, former police commissioner
and former general counsel for the
Worlds fair company. These rumors
have been persistently denied by the
friends Of the gentleman named, and
one newspaper publisher who had the
temerity to publish them by inucndo
was threatened with prosecution for
criminal libel.
The story revealed almost staggers
belief, involving, as it does, forgeries,
embezzlement and breaches of trust
covering about S400, 900, much of which
has been dissipated in paying interest
on forged notes, premiums on enor-
nous life insurance policies and ex-
travagant living.
The Globe-Democrat gives the fol-
lowing synopsis of a story that takes
up the greater portion of two pages of
that journal:
THE history of James l.. Blair's
methods in the handling of trust funds,
and the story of how he is alleged to
have secured hundreds of thousands Of
dollars by inducing Philadelphia bank
ers to accept bogus deeds of trust as
genuine, or by Incorporating trust
funds was narrated in detail to the Oc-
tober grand jury yesterday. Among the
allegations against him were the ut
tering of forged notes and certificates
of title, the issuing of bogus deeds of
trust, and the embezzlement of funds
by trustee.
"The aggregate amount of his al
legged crooked dealings was given as
$403 800. OF this amount, $340,000 was
said to have been taken by him from
Dick Bros. & Co., bankers, of Philadel-
phia, Pa, for whom he acted as loan
agent, and $63,300 is alleged to have
been taken from the Blow trust estate,
for whom he acted as trustee.
in both instances Mr.. Blair is said
to have confessed and to have offered
to make restitution.
His operations are said to have ex-
tended over a period of about ten
years, and at a time when he was TAX
ing a prominent part in demanding re-
forms of various kinds. Those whom
he is alleged to have wronged placed
the utmost confidence in his integrity.
They had chosen him because of his
reputation for honesty, and were mex
pressibly shocked when the news was
conveyed to them that they were losers
lieve that they. had been mistaken in
Mr.. Blair, yet they were furnished with
evidence to ~substantiate the charges,
and were forced to admit the awful
reality.
THE story of Mr.. Blair's career for
the past ten years, as related to the
Globe-D Democrat and to the grand jury,
is a revelation which will seen almost
beyond belief to many who have known
him and his reputation during that
period.
"The man who appeared before the
grand jury with what were declared
to be facts concerning MI. Blair was
Attorney James II. Roberts, who has
an office in the Odd Fellows building,
and who was formerly in the employ
Of Mr.. Blair in the latter's office.
"Mr. Roberts was before the inquisa-
torial body five hours. 1T required that
lopotb of tiuo IN baar tba dotoi1c IF
his story. That the jurors were inter
ested is evidenced by the fact that they
held him so long, not even adjourning
for lunch.
"The story was highly dramatic.
When the Dick brothers were first told
of the alleged c~rookedness of Mr.. Blair,
who is their relative, they absolutely
declined to believe it, Roberts said.
Proof, it is said, was shown them, and
then one Of them hurried to st. Louis
with a Philadelphia lawyer to ascer-
tain what he could relative to the
startling charges.
Evans r. Dick, the story is told,
confronted Mr.. Blair in his office and
uCCuDCu him, WHCl CupOL, IL L CldllllCu,
Blair readily confessed, in the presence
of Dicks attorney, and promised to
make restitution and lead a better life.
The attorney, it is alleged, desired to
prosecute, but the client, the man who
is said to have suffered the heavy loss,
declared that he would give the &C
cused an opportunity to redeem him
self.
Blow Estate Matter.
According to Roberts story, Her.
bert Wadsworth, husband of Mrs. Mar
tina Blow Wadsworth, one of the bene-
ficiaries of the Blow trust estate, hur-
ried across the country from New York
In response to a message that it was
suspected that Mr.. Blair, as co-trustee
of the estate, had dissipated securities
amounting to more than 8 1000.
Mr.. Wadsworth, too, is said to have
confronted Mr.. Blair with accusations
that he had abused the trust imposed
in him, and again, it is said, Mr.. Blair
admitted the facts and pleaded for a
chance to repay the amount of the al
legged ENFORCEMENT.
In telling the story, Attorney Roberts
omitted none of the details. He I'M
earthed the evidence, it is claimed, that
resulted in Mr.. Blair being dropped as
the agent here for Dick Bros. & Co.,
and which forced him to resign as CO.
trustee of the Blow trust estate, the lat
ter shortage, it is said, being made up
by friends.
Mr.. Roberts was the only witness
yesterday in the Blair case before the
grand jury.
"As the alleged forgeries and other
misdeeds were committed more than
thrpe rs 900 tho etat1fo nf I~iuoito-