The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-08-23
REMARKABLE CAKE Err
OF THE CITY'S
MAYOR
WAS A JEKYLL AND HYDE
How New Jersey CITY Has
Been Unfortunate.

unfortunate city in the world is Pat
erson. Passaic county n j. It has been
the scene Of some OF the most terri
bic oalamties visitations OF food and
flames. enomny and lawlessness and
scourged by crime. and just now i is
ia the throes OF a political and hnan-
c.al eruption through the unmasling
Of the chief magistrate, who turns out
TO be a modern Or. Jel,yl and Mr.
Hyde
VIM II Belcher The mayor is be
ing searched for by the police OF every
city of the country and European cen
ters. branded as forger. defaulter
and swindler Of the poorest class Of
h IS constituents
Paterson is manufacturing town
and produces silk goods in one year
amounting to value to more than
S5.000.0OO. Though this is the largest
industry t supports scores more var
iei and OF large proportions. Its pop
ulatian is 10000. most of them hard
working, substantial. self-respectng
citizens II has 100 churches, a large
free library. many public schools. no
tells public parks and handsome
res dence district The Passaic river
descends at this point 40 Sect In one
picturesque tell and flows between pal.
isades of basalt
The attention OF the entire country
was called to Paterson FIVE years ago
when poor Jesse Besschieter a mill
girl, was lured to a road house by
four wealthy young men OF the town
drugged, brutally assaulted and left to
die under a clump OF bushes by a
roadside Walter McAlister. Wm. A.
Death and Andrew J. Campbell were
sentenced to 30 years Imprisonment
at hard labor and Geo A Kerr who
pleaded gsilty was given 10 years at
hard labor.
Fire. starting early in the morn ing
Of February ., 1902 destroyed 30
square blocks. burned 25S build ings
and caused a financial loss OF 10000
900. but only one life was sacrificed.
The anarchist slayer OF King Hum
bert Of Italy hailed from Paterson.
A couple Of years ago Paterson was
struck by a tornado. scores of build.
ings were razed. and the financial loss
was placed at $l,O0O,OO0
Besides these great calamities Pat
erson has been visited by many foods.
acc dents and criminal actions Of mi
nor Importance during the past fye
years.
Through az OF it's narrowing yicissi-
tudes Paterson has pat entity horne the
brunt Of disgrace and loss, but with
the revelation Of the true character of
her mayor. whom she looked upon as
an exponent OF civic righteousness
and who proves practitioner Of prl-
vate corruption the citys belief in the
honesty of mankind is shaken to the
roots.
Beicher was the head of a building
and loan association. which had a
membership Of nearly 5000. The mem
begs paid 10 him 81 and upwards a
week, which Il develops never found
their way into the treasury OF the as
sociation An expert alleges that
Belcher unscrupulously took thou
sands OF dollars from trusting mem
bers. giving spurious mortgages in re
turn. when the mayor came into Of
fce be was called a reforrier. One o.
the issues ia the campalglf was based
upon his private life and he was callet
"the model man" His popularity wai
shown when he turned 1900 Demo
cratic majority into an 500 Republican
His campaign slogan was "CYic Right
eOusness." He posted no smoking
notices In the city hall and proceede,
TO guafd the city treasury while h
sw ndled his friends poor widows. OF
phans aud children as "side line
His total peculation is estimated nov
al 100000
over the mayors desk IN his prlvat
offiee in the Paterson Savings bank q
an engraving depicting a widow witt
two children In consultation with
venerable lawyer who is scrut nizinI
a legal document The picture /
called "A Flaw IN the Title" Wit
this picture staring him in the face IN
mayor for eight years duped hundred
OF just such women ana children.
The climax Of his career came whe
he secured from $4,000 to $4,000 b.
borrowing from banks aud bushes
concerns and exchanging chscks wit
wealthy friends Thereupon he paeke
-