Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-10-05
'F|NGEY' Is CHAIRMAN
WI. Corners, of Buffalo, Chosen
Chairman OF New York Demo
cratic Committee
REPUBLICANS ARE JuR'LANT
Hearst Campaign Is to Be Managed by
Champion Of the Saloon Interests
Unlimited Funds for criminalIy De-
bauchins voter.-conners' Fighting
Ability-A Character Study.

OnlJmlIeO 6unQSA IOT ~
bauchino voters-conners' Fighting
Ability-A Character Study.
New York. Oct. 5.-The selection of
w. I. Corners. of Buffalo, better known
as "Fingey" Corners, as chairman OF
the democratic state committee, has
caused the republicans of New York to
become jubilant.
If Corners selection as chairman
means anything, it means that with
the use of unlimited funds the Hearst
campaign managers are going to DO
this fall just what the Hearst papers
charged Charles F. Murphy with doing
/ in this city last fall-criminally de-
bauch the voters.
The republicans welcome Corners as
an object lesson. All around the state
the Hearst men have yoked up with
the Anti-Saloon League candidates, IN
an effort to break into the republican
strongholds and pick up votes for
Hearst. Now that the Hearst cam
paign is to be run by the champion of
the saloon interests of Buffalo. a nah
who built up a large fortune by run
ming saloons and compelling his ems
ployes on the waterfront, in lieu Of
wages, to use brass checks good only
at the Corners chain of saloons, 1t IL
believed that republican voters who
were at first attracted to the Hearst
movement, will recognize the gigantic
sham.
The republicans do not for minute
underestimate the fighting ability OF
Corners They know that he will get
everything within reach, and that he
will be- willing to ride close finishes
with the law in carrying out his plans.
What they are glad about is that
Hearst has picked a man like Corners
to carry his banner in his crusade.
A Corners Character Study.
Corners is a man of lamentable IL
literacy, tremendous force, large wealth
and possesses code Of morals that
will make the honest voters Of the
state of New York sit up and pay strict
attention. 1t is not difficult to get
character stories about Corners, be>
cause Corners is an institution in Buff
falo, which has a Diamond Back and
an East Side district Corners used to
abide with the East Siders. He now
lives with the Diamond Backs, but 1t
rests with the reader to classify Cons
=. y. So. fNo 3,,rr
what acquainted with him.
Mr.. Corners does not like the nick
name of "Fingey," and he has been
known to visit personal chastisement
on man for addressing him by his
East Side handle. But the name sticks,
and doubtless will go with him to the
United States senate, if Mr.. Hearst
and his friends ever are able to send
him there.
In justice to Mr. Corners it should
be said that the stories about him told
by Buffalo people living in New York
probably have not lost any Of their
pungency by transportation. In the
main they are true In some of their
minor features they perhaps would
possess a greater degree of accuracy
if Mr.. Corners himself could tell them.
Taken altogether, the stories told of
him by former townsmen living in this
city make a truthful portrait of the
new democratic state committee chair
man..
There are two stories Of the loss of
Mr. Conners' thumb, loss, by the way,
which gave him the nickname of
"Fingey." One is that when he was a
young man he was painting the side
Of a boat on the Buffalo waterfront.
The boat rocked, and the swinging
scaffoli caught Mr.. Corners thumb
against the side and crushed it. An
other story is that fellow longshore-
man twenty years ago had a new re-
volver and was looking around for a
mark at which to shoot. His wander-
ing glance caught Corners attention
and irritated him. Corners does not
like indecision in any one.
What you'se lookin fer?' he asked.
"a mark to shoot att
"ShGot at me t'um', said Corners,
sticking it up. The Buffalo William
Tell shot little low for the personal
comfort of the new state chairman,
the result being that his thumb was
shot eff short. Since then he has been
Tingey'' Corners along the Buffalo
laketront
following ore version of the loss of
the state chairman's thumb, the story
runs thus;
How He Began Life.
Corners was laid up with his wound
ed hand, and went to work cutting
sandwiches with one hand in III restaur-
ant. Here he stayed for two or three
months cutting sandwiches and serving
beer to customers He liked the work,
saw the money to be made in It, bought
out the saloon and restaurant and soon
had a snug sum laid by. The elevator
he catered to had trouble with it's grain
shovellers, and Corners agreed to do
the work. He hired the men, kept a
close watch on them, compelled them
to work harder than they ever worked
before, and at the end Of a year had
made lot Of money. His saloon
business also had prospered. He took
q grain shovelling contract at another
elevator. and bought another saloon
and eating house He made more
money than ever, and bought another
saloon and took another elevator core
tract. Then he spread out suddenly,
got all the shovelling contracts, and
started saloons in connection with all
The elevators. In order to drive the