Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-09-16
THE bARbER-OLN-
STEAD SENSATION
The Republican Ticket Of $685.
Every Republican Elected
by Substantial Ma
jorities.
SHORTAGE OF THE TREASURER.
Two Important Reforms Revolution
lied the Politics of Ham
ilton County.
SHORTAGE OF THE TREASURER

! From the History OF Hamilton
County by F. @. and J. w. Lee:
George G. Olmstead was count,
attorney, and George Barber hat
been his client, in suit in which
Barber's wife had secured a divorce
! Barber had about $4,000 and dur
ing the trial Of the divorce case had
turned this money over to Olmstead
and then swore on the witness stand
that he had lost it in Chicago. Ohm
stead had paid Barber money at diff
ferent times but finally by the use
of his knowledge of Barber's perjury
secured a settlement for about $3.50
while he still owed him about s3,-
900. Barber, when he recovered
from the first effects of his Scare
employed ]. L. Kamrar to bring suit
against Olmstead to recover his
money.
|
sensational manner by the Tribune
which had been antagonistic to Ohm
stead's political friends, and this
caused the Freeman to rush to his
defense. Charges were freely made
that the Barber suit was political
conspiracy to Mr.. Olmstead because
he as county attorney had urged the
Indictment Of w. H. HELEN for libel,
and was working against G. D. Hell
len, who was candidate for the
postoffice at Webster City. Indeed
the fight between the Freeman and
the Tribune had grown so bitter that
the Freeman was, on impulse, ready
to oppose any cause the Tribune
championed, or defended any trans
action that the Tribune assailed.
| The Barber-O lmstead case was
tried at the February, 1899, term of
the district court.
Judge Weaver delivered an elabor-
ate written opinion covering every
phase of the case in most COM
plete and comprehensive manner.
His judgment was that Olmstead ow-
ed Barber $2,744. At the close of
the trial Judge Weaver appointed N.
B. Hyatt, A. N. Boeye and Wesley
Martin as attorneys to commence
proceedings to disbar both Olmstead
and j. F. Howard and at later
term, Olmstead was disbarred and
Howard suspended.
The republicans in 1898 nominat-
ed w. H. Weir for clerk, A. A. Cook
for recorder, John A. Berggren for
auditor. A. N. Boeye for county at
torney, o. A. Hall for coroner and
c. d. Doolittle for supervisor from
1st district.
The democrats nominated J. w.
Lee for clerk, Charles Gerber for re-
corder, Nels Fardal for auditor,
George Wambach for county attor-
ney, T. f. Desmond for coroner and
r. B. Wyckoff for supervisor, list
district.
The entire republican ticket was
elected.
During the year an examination
|of the books of ex-Treasurer w. II.
Dygert showed shortage of about
$500. Dygert, though abundantly
able to do so. refused to make the
amount good on the ground that he
had never taken the money, and that
to pay it would be to admit that he
had wrongfully taken it. The mat
ter was taken to court and finally
adjusted, the shortage being practic-
ally all accounted for by errors in
bookkeeping. Those who investi-
gated the matter were satisfied that
Dygert had never taken a cent that
did not belong to him and that he
was entitled to complete vindica-
ton so far as any moral wrong was
concerned
In February, 1899, T. Leroy Ev-
ans sold the Graphic Herald to w.
j. Pilkington, who at once assumed
editorial charge.
In 1899 the republican convention
convened at Webster City July 1st,
An important step then taken was
to adopt resolution favoring the
primary system of nominating can
didates for office.
r. G.. Clark was unanimously re-
nominated for representative. There
were eight candidates for sheriff
and the first informal ballot stood
as follows: c. l.. dublin, 20 votes;
J. H. shaffer, rs: N. H. Bawden,
Ish; Will Cavana. 13, George W.
Black. It; John X. Wyatt. 12h; III.