Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-12-21
FROM NEWsBoY TO FINANCIAL
CAR, THENCE TO BANK
RUPTcY AND DISGRACE
HIS OWN POLICY
BRINGS UNDOING

same HeartleSS Methods He Always
Employed, Turn Them Against Him
And Cause His Ruin-The Golden
Rule Reversed.
Chicago, ILL.,, Dec. 10. - This is a
story of the golden rule-which was
not applied. 1t is a story of battles
and struggles, of desperate conflicts, of
fights where quarter was not given or
asked. It is the life story of John r.
Walsh, and his rise and fall. 1t
might, if it were a sermon, be founded
on the following text:
They that take the sword shall per-
ish by the :word-Matt. XVI So
interviewer in the story is the tale
of the making of Chicago and the his
tory of a man who eliminated friend
ship from his business, whose business
creed was fight, who loved a. fight
er, who showed no mercy-who asked
for none-and whose enemies, waxing
strong, finally overthrow him.
newsboy who became a multi-mil-
lionaire-a power in politics, a ruler
of men, one of the greatest financial
characters in the country, whose in
fiuence was felt through city, county,
state and even in national politics =
has fallen because he had won enc
mics; because his creed of trampling
upon all who opposed him finally add
ed to the ranks of his enemies until
they were too powerful for him to
fight against. Then they overthrow
him and the millions Vanished
Leaves His Native Ireland.
He was born IN Ireland, in Leinster,
a rough, rugged Irish lad, Roman
Catholic and Of parents who all their
lives had breathed the peat smoke and
loved it. And with his parents. young
Walsh dreamed of lane of freedom
across the sea.
Old men in Chicago who came from
the same part of Ireland, tell stories
even now of the boys prowess in
school and especially in fights.
When the lad was IL years old-ir
1S49-he came with his parents tc
the United States, and they stopped in
their wanderings in Chicago. 1t was
the time Of the gold craze in California
and the boy, it is declared. fretted tc
push on into the gold country but the
family stopped and began the work OF
establishing the Walsh name in Chi
cago.
They were poor, but they coul6
work and they did
Those who remember him then say
that the snub nosed, freckled, bare
footed boy even in those days, show
ed the qualities which during his
stormy, adventurous financial life
made him one of the most feared ant
best hated men in the world.
A man Of, violent. almost uncontrol
liable temper, yet a temper that was
far removed from viciousness. he
could be as soft and genial as an,
one. His explosions of temper mean
little, but his hatred, once earned
meant everything. Daring, fearless
unhesitating and determined, he swep
everything before him by sheer force
and gained his points by the onl,
means he knew-by fighting and win
ming.
Begins as Chicago Newsboy.
He began as a newsboy,. selling the
old Chicago papers. At first he had {
little stand, made Of a barrel with {
board upon it and two bricks to holt
down the papers, ana his place wa.
on Dearborn street, near where tn,
alley cuts through between Madison
and Monroe streets
The competition for the street trad
was keen in, those days and among tn
principal rivals of John R. Walsh wer
John M. S1hyth, now a millionaire mel
chant, a republican leader in Chicago
ff l,,n
Christopher C. Duffy, now clerk of tn
state at Ottawa; and the late Franz
LAWYER
And it is admitted by these oil
rivals that Walsh crowded them out O
his district and held his trade by force
if necessary, until he became the hos
newsboy of the downtown district
1t is one peculiar phase Of his lif
that the men who were his rivals a
boys are even now among his closes
friends, and they have been loyal t
him and he to them ever since.
Walsh's genius for organizing an
handling deals developed rapidly l
addition to the paper trade he wen
into another venture For always
through his financial life-Walsh wa
reaching out and taking hold Of an,
luluto tuuI lllCdIll LhohSS.
Makes New Venture.
Near where he had his stand 1
Dearborn street; there was sma
news and book store, and it becam
the goal of Walsh's ambition. TIL
store was owned then by ]. McNall.
afterward one of the founders of Ram
McNally & Co., and Walsh entered h
employ.
He was worker. One of the fir
ventures thereafter was a maste
stroke In those days the ushers
theatres peddled apples, popcorn an
candy through the audiences durir
the performances, and Walsh saw
chance TO make good thing of it. +
approached the management of Rice
theatre and proposed that for II
privilege of selling between acts
would furnish the usher service to II
theatre The offer was accepted, Walls
Erio oh fl