The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-20
Owner of Hotel Had Planned to
Leave Debts Behind.
FORCED TO SETTLE.
Papers Served Just as Belated
Train Was Leaving.
Many Merchants We're Number
ed Among Creditors.


Of Herington-especially the merchants
are not going to kick any more be-
cause the trains on the Rock Island are
late occasionally. The fact that Rock
Island train was late 40 minutes the
other day saved the business men of
Harrington over $4,000.
If this train had not lost 40 minutes
down the line between Wichita anu
Herington, a hotel keeper. with debts
amounting to two thousand dollars.
behind her and in q short time would
have been beyond reach of the local
courts and attorneys-the business men
would have held the sack.
Harrington has been blacklisted by
every travelling man in Kansas because
of the largest hotel in the city, the
"Avondale," was placed On mere
money making basis without the usual
accommodations that are granted the
Knights Of the Grip and without the
| precautions that are required by the
state board of health. Realizing this
| the Commercial club planned secret
campaign with the hopes of erecting
large modern hotel and pulling the
town out of the hotel mire into which
it had unfortunately fallen.
Travelling Men Complained of Hotel.
AS a result of their plans to give the
Portable hotel facilities and the writ
ten complaints from the travelling pub
lie over the state, Mrs. A. L. Coffey,
proprietress of the Avondale, decided
to quit the business and leave town.
Mrs. Coffey, together with her family
and a number of relatives. have lived
in this citv ever since the Rock Island
first came through this part Of the state
and she was. always considered one of
the leaders in civic improvements and
lodges of all kinds.
Two days before the sensational at
tempted flight of the bird" at the
Rock Island depot the Avondale was
sold to John Peugh of this city who
contracted with Mrs. Coffey to pay over
the whole price for the hotel in cur
rency which was the largest amount of
cash exchanging hands in this city for
some time. The money was given over
and the hotel changed hands at once
without the general knowledge Of the
Harrington merchants.
Two days after the sale Of the hotel
it was learned by B. L. Thompson. a
prominent merchant in the city, that
the ex-hotel keeper was intending to
leave the City. Mr.. Thompson took an
early train to Topeka and consulted
with attorneys and found that his first
course of procedure in bankruptcy
could not be carried out. Then tele-
phoning to Abilene for his, personal at
torneys, Mr.. Thompson hustled around
accounts which were scheduled to be
deserted by the society woman and
prepared for the legal battle.
And here is where the late train
saved the many accounts of the bust
ness men. The Abilene attorneys ar
rived on the Rock Island from Abb
lene Just a few minutes before the east
bound train on which Mrs. Coffey in
tended to leave. If the east bound
train had been on time the attorneys
had
their papers and warrants.
AS it was the excited delegation OF
business men were told by the station
master that the train was forty min
utes late. Never was such news re-
ceived with more joy than was given
the report that day. The attorneys
rushed up town, made out their papers
in the justice court, procured their
warrants for arrest and flew back to
the depot in the fastest automobile in
the city.
just in Nick of Time.
The train was standing in front of
the depot, the conductor had called
.'all aboard" and the engineer had re-
leased his brakes in readiness for the
long speedy run to the Missouri line.
The policeman flung on the car steps
and ran down the aisles while the pas
sengers stared in, wonderment. Back
through three cars he ran until he
spied the society woman in the rear
he served the warrant. Before the
train could leave the city limits and
thus out of the jurisdiction of the po-
| liceman, the warrant was served and
| the lady arrest ed.
The rest Of the story involves the
| interests of almost every business
man in the city. Such firms as the
Hawley Lumber company, the Thomp-
son meat market, the Petit & Lamb
Mercantile company, the Schilling Dry
| Goods company and the Carruth Jew
! e1ry store We're strong holders of the
! sack-but after an agreement by the
attorneys and a settlement the mat
| ter was settled on the basis of fifty
cents on the dollar
With this move HeringtOn expects
| to have one of the finest hotels IN
central Kansas. The Avondale will be
remode1ed and placed in modern con-
| dition, according to the state laws
| This city is big division point on the
Rock Island is is on the main line of
| the Missouri Pacific and the hotel
| service is in continual demand by al
| most every travelling salesman doing
| business In the state. Railroads radi-
ate in almost every direction from the
| city.
And the people of Herington are
not going to kick any more about late
| trains.
| IRON BOLT IN BABY'S THROAT.
| xt,,,~ HTo,,tI,s Ola rr.,ry w. MI