Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1907-07-11
A PRIEST WITH
A RECORD
Father ScheIl, Who Has Put Many
Bad Men Behind the Bars, will
Investiuate Bank Failure

Accompanying a cut OF the familiar
physiognomy of Father Schell, last
Sundays Minneapolis Journal con
tanned the following special from
Ladysmith:
Although transferred by his &C.
clesiaStical SuperiOrS to Il parish IN
the Wisconsin woods, has resided i'll
the village OF Tony surrounded COM
pIetely by in penetrable forests, Rev.
Joseph Scheli, the fighting priest has
lest none of his courage, but has
undertaken u new investigation that
promises to develop many sensations.
After vigorous campaigns carried
on i'll Oregon and Nebraska, which
started the machinery OF the UnlStd
States government and revealed
gigantic timber frauds and stirred
tile Indian department to its depths,
Father Scheil is now engaged in
probing into the failure OF the First
National liank of Ladysmith, which
closed it's doors two years ago. The
priest declares his intention OF get
ting ut the bottom of the failure, to
ascertain ii it was due to irregulari-
ties of the officers. If so, he asserts
he will see they are brought to au
accounting before the law.
The fact that Father Schell had
taken up this failure became known
here few days ago and his cam
paign has created 81 genuine sensa
tiOn, inasmuch us the former officers
Of the bank are occupying high posi-
lions in society and business.
HIS WORK FOR THE INDIANS
Father Schell is 81 years of age.
lie came here a few months ago
from the WinnebagO Indian reserva-
tiOn in Nebraska, near SOuiX City,
where his trials were many. Being
a missionary priest his duties brought
him in close touch with the business
affairs of the red men and it was
not long before he discovered that
there were sharks among the white
men adjacent to the reservation who
were rObbing the helpless Indians
right and left of their heirshtp lands
and Of their annuities.
He promptly filed charges in Wash
ingtOn against the Indian agent in
charge of the reservation and de-
manded thorough investigation by
the commissioner. He declared the
Indians had been robbed Of nearly a
qnarter of million of dollars.
The result was the subsequent re-
tirement of Jones as Indian COM
missioner and the appointment OF
Francis Z. Leupp, personal friend
of the president, to succeed him.
Father Schell declares that since he
left the reservation the demOraliZa-
ton of the Indians has been resumed
and that the old grafters are in full
sway.
In addition to the parish at Tony,
Father Schell also has &C parish in
this city. His congregation was a
depnsitor in the defunct Ladysmith
bank, which gives him the right of q
creditor, as we'll as q citizen, to
demand an accounting.
I'm q recent letter which he wrote
to the receiver of the bank, p. r..
Earling, of Chicago, he asserts that
there is n wrong somewhere and he
proposes to find it if he has to carry
the matter from the United States
district attorney to the controller OF
the currency, then to the president
of the United States. The receiver
replied: II have not the least OBJ
lection to anything that you or any
body else may choose to do" The
priest then responds very earnestly
that the - per cent paid to the
creditors is not satisfactory and
adds: "YOu were out hunting and
must return with the game or have
xour gun examined"
Notwithstanding his unusual activ-
itv along the lines of reform in the
public service, Father Schell does not
neglect his PASTORAL work and is said
to possess executive ability. In his
first charge at TillamOOk county,
Oregon, he established a cOngrega-
sion, built Il church and an academy,
having property valued at 1000,
with no debts.
Father Schell has a copy of the re-
port of Noah G.. Bainum, a secret
service man from Washington, who
investigated the failure of the bank
two years ago. This recommends to
the controller and to the receiver
that all of the officers OF the bank be
Immediately arrested. Father SchelI
declares he will find out why the
arrests were not made.