Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-12-05

pay a fine of $1,000 for sending
improper matter through the
mails, according to the verdict of a
jury at Trenton, N. j., Monday.
Before McFadden left st. Louis,
five years ago, he established and
successfully conducted here the
magazine through which later he
got in trouble with the authorities.
At the beginning of his st. Louis
career McFadden was just a plain
wrestler and his friends called
him Barney. Trained and de-
veloped by Mike Mooney, he gave
up his place as clerk in a sporting
goods house and took to the mat
game as a professional. He was
considered one of the best Greco
Roman lightweight wrestlers in
the west, but his commercial in
stincts were SO strong that he was
never in high favor with the
Sports, who more than once ac-
cused him of taking. His egotism
also helped to make him unpopu-
lar. Toward the end of his stay
in st. Louis he came out strong
for vegetarianism and similar
health fads and established a sort
of physical training cult, which
he exploited in his magazine. He
let his hair grow long and called
his followers "My dear children"
From this it vas but a short step
to the establishment of a "colony"
and as a place for this he selected
a farm neal Trenton, Nj. He in
duced many of his followers from
all parts of the country to join
him there for the purpose OF
making themselves physically per-
feet under his direction. AS a
financial anchor to windward he
had a string of "physical culture
restaurants" in Trenton and an
illustrated magazine in which
pictures of more than doubtful
propriety were printed to illus
trate the physical form as it
would be if developed according
to the McFadden standard. These
were the pictures which caused
him to be prosecuted. Beauty
shows were one of his recent fads.
He conducted one big show in
Madison Square Garden, but
when he tried to do it again An
thony Comstock and the New
York police tore down his posters
and forbade him to proceed with
the exhibition, which was to con-
sist mainly of a display of beauty
in a union suit"
Have you seen him? He hap
pened into town possibly a month
ago. D~apper-like fellow. Little
stature, big clothes; coat reaches
to the knees or nearly; wears eye
glasses, we believe; dark-skinned,
suggestion of Burnsides, and gen.
eral appearance that of a foreigner.
Did he make you a call and tell
you what a great, glorious good
thing he had for you? Getting out
a ''booster'' edition for a local pa
per mot the REGIsTER), and it was
your opportunity of a Lifetime.
OF course, he wanted you to put
up some cash to him; it would
come back to you, like bread cast
upon the waters, many fold. Well,
he sighted this shop. Didn't ev-
en- condescend to favor us with a
neighborly or brotherly call.
Guess we didn't "look good" to
him and he didn't look anything
extraordinary to us. We waited!
1t wasn't long until we heard OF
some actions of "Mr. Booster Man.
that made us grow suspicious. 1t
might be that he had a record in
the "booster and industrial edi-
ton" line long before he came to
lronton. A little inquiry convinc-
ed us that Booster Man has a rec
ord. 1t may not be just the kind
OF a record that he would haunt
in the faces of the people of this
community in an endeavor to get
them to part with some of their
hard-earned shekels. But Booster
Man has a record. What! You
don't believe it? Then read the
following:
TUSCALOOSA, Ala, Nov. IS, 1907.
Mr.. E. D. AXE,
Iron County Register, IyontOA, Mo,
Dear Sir Yours of November 22d in
curing about 'tIndustrial Edition Man
duly received. To Judge from your descrip-
ton, the party referred to was in Tuscaloosa
during the past summer. We had a mar
calling himself M. E. Strouss engaged il
getting up data and subscriptions for a spe-
cial edition of our paper. Our recollection
Of Strouss is that he filled the description
given in your letter of the 22d. Our expe-
rience with Strouss was not fortunate fol
either the paper or Strouss. After he hac
been at work for US some three or four weeks
we found that he was collecting money in the
name of the paper and failing to report col
%lections, disappointing the money collect
ed. He also issued drafts and checks or
banks in which he had no funds. We wert
forced to have him locked up in the County
jail before we could reach a satisfactory set
Element with him.
AS to where Strouss went after leaving
this place we are not advised.
Trusting that this information may be O.
some benefit to you, we remain,
Yours, fraternally,
TUSCALOOSA TINES GAZETTE co.
JOHN WILLS, Manager. ~
Now, what do you say? Is this
your Booster Man? Did he look
like he "came from the county
jail"? But, most of all, did you
give him any cash? If you did,
without having it attached to q
strong string, you are very likely
to be out just that much money.
that's all! In the meantime, the
monster booster edition that was tc