The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1908-11-26
JOHNSON NO LONGER RICH
CLEVELAND'S EXECUTIVE HAS
LOST HIS FORTUNE.
Mayor Says His Money Was Lost
Through Devotion to the Affairs
of Others.

Cleveland, Ohio. November 19.-
Mayor Tom l.. Johnson, who for years
has been credited with possessing a
very large fortune, to-day announced
that he had lost everything and
would be compelled to give up his
beautiful home on Euclid avenue and
move into smaller and less expensive
quarters. The mayor also stated that
he would give up his automobiles
and other luXurieS, as he could no
longer afford to keep them. His for
tune was wrecked, the mayor declar-
ed, by his devotion to the affairs OF
his dead brother Albert, who was
heavily interested in traction proper
ties in the East.
After Albert's death question was
put up to him whether he should re-
sign his office as mayor and take up
the management Of Albert's estate.
81 decided that l would not. l
had entered the fight in this city with
certain ideals before me. l wanted
to fight privilege and special inter
ests and had already decided to
give up working for dollars. So l
concluded to stay right here and do
what ! could to help my brothers 8
children at long distance.
"Why did choose the course did?
I'll tell you. wanted happiness and
nothing else when I closed up my
business affairs and took up civic
activity.
"And I've been happy, too.
I'm going to be happy yet, TOO.
We may have to 60 back to cot
tage, but that's the way we started
and we can look upon life just as
joyfully there as we did in the Dig
house on Euclid avenue.
"They tell me my enemies are plan
ming to bring financial trouble upon
me. I've been expecting it.
my enemies are capable OF doing
that. One may expect nothing else
from special privileges. Let them
make any sort of attack upon me
that they choose. I'll never give up
and they'll always find me at the
front.
Could Have Saved Fortune.
eff had been coward-if l had
run away from this fight for the peo-
pbe of Cleveland-I could have saved
nv fortune and built it up. But ]
had chosen my course. l haven I
been laboring as mayor with the ex-
pectation Of being rewarded by the
gratitude of the people. One can
not count on that. It's pleasure IN
doing work that like that has Kept
me. in the fight.
81 have never made single penny
ont of the street railways since l be-
came mayor. / don't feel discour-
aged, I'm a free man, and that means
a great deal to me. Don't you sup
pose it will be worth something to
me to have my friends realize that l
entered the mayors Office rich and
left it poor?
'sI'm going to keep on just as I've
started. I'm going to be candidate
for mayor again when this term Is
over"
The Municipal Traction company,
of which Mayor Johnson was treas
urer, passed into the hands OF the
receivers in the federal courts sever
al DAYS ago. Following this came
the transfer of two local banks OF
the Depositors' Savings and Trust
/. company, of which the mayor was
president. It is said this action was
precipitated by the threats of Mr.
I Johnson's individual creditors to t1le
suits to obtain payment on notes en-
dorsed by the mayor. ,
It is said that Mr.. johnson had
recently lost approximately $400,00o
in connection with his interests at
Lorraine, Ohio.