Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-12-21

lied At the cost Of thousands of
friends, the crushing of scores of
enemies he had triumphed He owned
bank, a railway and newspaper.
But his troubles were beginning.
The railways to which he was forced
to turn over his coal and stone, pun
| ished him for daring to build a road
himself or think of completing a COM
peting line Also his power in WASH
| ington fell off and contracts for Bed
ford stone grew less.
| Political Fortunes Vary.
| But his political enemies We're bus
Ter than ever. To tell about all
Walshs political enemies would be to
write the inner history Of Chicago
and Illinois politics.
His first desperate hand to hand
fight was with the Carter H. Harrison
/ forces. That war continued for years.
Likewise he was fought by politicians
the Cleveland republican gang In
clever style. Cleveland was building
a new public building and Walsh
wanted the.contract. TO bal him the
politicians inserted a clause stating
| that the stone must be produced in
Ohio.
1 Walsh bid and got the contract. He
did it by buying q quarry and build
ing a spur railroad miles across coun-
try to reach it, but he beat his foes
and, with him that was everything.
i Among Walsh's ventures was one in
connection with the Washington park
I race track. in which ne was q big
holder OF stock. That property re-
turned a handsome dividend from each
race meeting. and the rake off, from
the books went to the stockholders
along with the money paid for ;,dmis-
sion. That simply was side line, but
l it left vulnerable spot for his
!, enemies to attack Walsh
The first sign Of the decay OF
Walshs power was the downfall Of his
! republican ally, William Lorimer. For
! years despite bitter opposition, the
Lorimer- Walsh combination defed the
voters, but finally Lorimer was de-
throned.
; The defeat of Lorimer assured the
) nomination and election of a repueli-
can governor in Illinois, and, worse
than that, an anti-Lorimer republican
Charles S. Deneen former states at
torney, was the choice. after the allied
5 forces had expected their strength tc
!. beat him in the convention.
Also, through his defeat Lorimel
: lost some Of his power in Washington
And inside his own party, or the party
with which he had allied himself sc
long, Walsl's enemies We're at his
heels.
The city administra ton, mpelled, II
S is declared, more by hatred of Walsh
than by love of decency, closed dowr
racing at Washington park. Walsh
was cut off from one source of in
| come. His financial foes attacked his
stocks, his railroad foes attacked his
railroad, he met organization. His
;, enemies We're growing powerful.
: Downed by Two Elections.
The election of Deneen to the gov.
. ernorship of Illinois swept the state
! funds out of his hands. Blount los
y the west park treasurership-ant
u more money went out
Then at the last election. republi
can board of drainage trustees, mer
;, not controlled by Lorimer, went int
II Office and the millions on deposit tt
> the credit of the drainage board Were
y !. doomed to go out of Walsh's hands.
=. Already the fight was going hare
9 9 with the old man. Bowed down b.
$ weight of coal mines, railway, quar-
i ries, electric roads, subways, banks
), trust companies, gas ventures, politi
cal intrigues, and troubles, sick, worn
:, and getting old, the man who hat
y trampled upon his opponents all hi
life turned, and showing his teeth, pre-
= pared for the last fight.
Bold and resourceful to the last. HI
{ began spectacular series of plays
But he had made one enemy to-
> ; many. Three years ago, he discharg
q ed c. H. Bosworth from the presi
. dency of the Southern Indiana rail
= way. And Bosworth became ma
Z tional bank examiner.
u With Deneen as governor and Bos
!, worth as examiner, Walsh was be
q tween two foes. And they knew, o
: thought they knew, that all was no
4 well. Deneen, as states attorney, ha'
received hints. Ridgley, as comptrol
o Ter. suspected something.
q For months they were suspicious
but examinations showed noth'n
wrong either with the trust compan
Is or the bank.
q His back to the wall, Walsh wa
!. fighting for life. All his life he ha
IS fought on the aggressive but at las
II he was driven to defense. The tw
: descended together upon the banks.
Walsh was beaten-for the first tim
>. in his life.