The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-23
/ HERALDiSNO MORE
TOpeka's Second Evening Paper
Suspends Publication.
Receiver Had No Money to Meet
the Obligations.
EMPLOYEES NOT PAID.
Last Weeks Labor Account Is
dissatisfied.
Mr. Kaizar Thinks That PaDpr
EMPLOYEES NOT PAID.
Mr.. Keller Thinks That Paper
May Still BE Sold.

After being published as an evening
newspaper since July 1, 1901, the To-
peka Daily Herald, official state paper
suspended publication Monday even
ing. July %. and will not appear al
the usual time this afternoon.
The order for suspension was made
by Charles F. Spencer, receiver of the
corporation, and the announcement
came as a surprise to the employees
The move was strongly opposed by
Dell Keller. owner and editor.
The paper should have been kept
running until Friday" said Mr.. Keller.
The trouble is that Mr.. Spencer is not
familiar with this business he Ism
used to a hot time. There were very
good prospects that the paper could
be preserved as a going concern if 1t
had been operated until Friday, when
1.-THE advertised sale would have taken
place.
There was no money on hand, per-
haps, but a paper could be run with
out money for n few days. The en-
ployes we've all willing to work free,
If necessary. for the rest of the week"
In speaking of the difficulties which
he has encountered in establishing a
new evening paper in Topeka, Mr.
Keller said:
Twice I had the Herald on its feet
so that it would have paid, and twice,
by extraordinary fate, it was dragged
down. The first time 1 had the
, Herald in shape to pay its way, the
flood came, and newspaper men know
how that flood affected business and
I circulation. AS the Herald was the
third paper in Topeka, it naturally got
the worst end of it. However. man
aged to pull the paper out of that diff
dculty and had just got it where it
could do a good business when the
First National bank crash came. That
was a very serious blow to the paper,
because 1t destroyed our credit, and
deprived us of banking accommoda-
lions.
1T has been said that this was
@Devlin paper. That is not true. Mr..
Devlin never owned a dollar of stock
in the paper. The Herald simply Dor
rowed money at the First National
bank as any other customer borrows
money. When the bank failed, it left
us without any financial backing.
Debts piled up against us, and we were
unable to carry the load.
'It is also true that the Herald has
been on the unpopular side in political
matters. That has handicapped US, but
1 did what I believed was right in po-
liticaI matters, and had to stand the
consequences.
ing the Herald. and keeping it going.
Men with plenty of money were inter-
ested in the project, and believe there
is still a prospect of making a trade
be surprised to see some lively bidding
for the paper next Friday. We have
plant here worth $4,000. 1 don't know
whether ii will be decided to resume
business after the paper is sold"
May BE Sold PiecemeaI.
Charles F. Spencer. receiver. who
closed down the Herald plant contrary
to the wishes of the old owner, Mr..
morning opening the Herald mail.
Before him lay solitary money order
which he had cleaned from the bundle
of letters.
Herald because there was no money to
pay for running it longer said Mr..
Spencer. I'VE had reached the end of
the rope, that's all 1 took this action
bankruptcy. We believed that it was
the only thing to be done under the
circumstances. I had already borrow
ed 81 100 on receivers certificates, and
this was all gone. 1t went in a hurry.
] knew something about how a news
paper eats up money, however, and was
not surprised
There has been only one good pros
pect for selling the paper as a going
concern, and that was to Henry Allen
and Chas. NJ. Harger. When that deal
fell through, there was nothing else in
sight. If there are no bidders for the
entire plant next Friday, we will sell
off the equipment of the office for what
ever we can get.
I'VE nave three linotype macn1neS
here, which are said to be worth SO, 000
The lien on them is about So, 500. The
press is valued at $1,000, I believe, and
there is a 81, 100 lien on that. Then there
Is the stereotyping outfit, the cases of
advertising type, the office furniture,
equipment. There is a good deal of
valuable stuff here, but there was no
money to continue operation and moth
ing was coming in. 1t would be fmpossi-
IL frfA +ha 6r7n oil
which made 1t impracticable to keep the
paper going until the end of the week.
1t IS a tangled web, which I have been
trying to unravel ever since my appoint
ment as receiver
Owe Money to the Employees
The Herald suspended leaving all its
employees a week back in salary. Mon
day was payday and the employees wait
ed around to get their checks. Finally
the receiver called them into his office
about p. m and informed them that
the paper had no money, and would
have to suspend publication and post
pone the payment of the salaries due.
Nevertheless the employees were loyal,
and did not want the paper to suspend.
They offered to work for nothing the
rest of the week, or take their chances
on getting their pay, simply to keep the
paper going, in the hope of some one
stepping In and buying the business as
a going concern. The receiver felt that
he would not be justified in accepting
the offer.
Most of the employees are also cred
itors of the old Herald company, prior
to the receivership, to the extent of from
one weeks salary up TO several months.
One of the employees stated that the old
company owes him $3.50.
It is likely that all the employees will
get their pay, as these claims constitute
q first lien upon the property after the
court and receiver costs are paid.
The Herald was placed in the hands
of receiver on July l, just six years 20
q day from the date it was started by