The Irish standard., 1908-04-18

the Minneapolis Commercial club.
Henry Gjertsen will be toastmaster of
the occasion. and a number of short
speeches will be made by the other
members. The banquet is in charge of
committee headed by w. E. Brown.
John T. Barnum. president of the
Barnum Trunk Co., who died at the
family residence, 1910 Third avenue
south, Saturday morning after short
illness Of pneumonia. is remembered by
all pioneer Minneapolitans and by many
OF the younger generation as a man of
business integrity, strong personality
and charitable instincts. Mr.. Barnum
who was 81 years Of age at his death,
was born in Rochester, N. Y, and came
to Minneapolis in 1880. He secured his
first position as a bookkeeper with the
Wales Book company, then located on
lower Nicollet avenue, across from the
cid city hall. Mr.. Barnum had small
amount Of money with him when he
left his old home in the East, and his
capacity in the book concern did not
satisfy his aspirations. He severed his
connection with the firm after working
for abour four months, and in after
years became a successful trunk deal
er.
Fire early Wednesday evening did
100000 damage to the building and
stock Of the WcumW Watt company,
2O0-2-4 Third street N, wholesale deal
ers in notions and mems furnishings.
The fire was discovered shortly after
| the building was locked for the night
The confined hot air caused an explo-
| sion which attracted the attention of
several people, one Of whom turned in
an alarm. This was followed by a Sec
ond alarm by Chief ]. r. Canterbury.
The fire had spread over large por-
tions of the second and third floors
when the department arrived, but rapid
work held it in check and it was soon
extingu;shed. The fourth and first
| floors We're damaged by water and
smoke. NJ. T. Weum, manager of the
company. said the stock was valued at
$4,000 The building was erected last
fall and was of the burning con-
struction. The loss is covered by in
surance.
A verdict of guilty was returned
Wednesday against Herbert F. Robin
son, +. F.. Holiday and John L. Layne
tried for conspiracy to defraud by mis-,
use of the mails in connection with the
Edward A. Vaughan brokerage COM
pany, which operated in Minneapolis in
1905, and through which it is claimed
by the government they secured from
$4,000 to 100000 by fraud. The trio
has been on trial before Judge Page
Morris in United States district court
since April 8. The verdict was reached
Wednesday at 4:2O p. M. after two
hours dcliberation. G. D. OBrien, at
torney for the defendants, moved for
arrest Of judgment. 1t is zaid that the
case will be appealed to the circuit
court of appeals. Edward A. Vaughan.
under whose name the swindle was
worked, has already served fifteen
months sentence in the reformatory at
st. Cloud for his part in the scheme.
John Hogan, another defendant, has
forfeited his bail by not Appearing for
trial.
L Tfafoiscd hn no Rnoovn
hotel to be erected on the corner of
Nicollet avenue and Fourth street are
rapidly assuming definite shape. The
most recent additions to the plans pub
Nshed are the fountain lobby and the
circular balcony. Few hotels in the
country or on the continent have the
novelty in the nature Of the central
fountain When the plans are COM
pleted. they will call for a hotel much
of the description of the New Alexan-
dria in Los Angeles, in this particular
detail. ]. E. Rogers, who is financing
the project, has recently signed papers
obligating him to the extent of $3.50, 1000.
The leases of the property to be in
cluded in the building have all been
secured with the exception of the East
man block. It is not known at this
time whether the Eastman property
will be available for the hotel building,
but in case it is secured, it will be Of
fered to the Commercial club as site
for the future home, plan which has
been agitated for some time past. Mrs.
Eastman has not consented to lease
the property for the hotel purposes,
but, if it is secured, either by Mr. Rog-
ers or the Commercial club the work
taken Up with the hotel work. The
club has been considering the FEAST
bility Of leasing the two top floors of