The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-08-11
TRIBUNE GETS
PAYMENT OF ALL
FORSYTHE BOARD
Banker Wanted Cut Because
Evangelist Was Invited
Out to Dine.
NELLIE WOODY'S BILL
NOT SQUARED A MONTH
Tells Finance Chairman Tribune
Knows and Gets Her
Money.

Details of how The Tribune, in the
role Of bill collector, aided in getting
the board and room bill of Eli j. For
sythe squared" after it had gone I'M
settled for nearly a month, became
known yesterday.
Forsythe and his troupe left the
Cape almost a month ago after hav-
ing spent about five weeks here con-
Quoting a tabernacle revival in the
West End. Under the terms of his
arrangement with the local tabernacle
boosters, FOrsythe's board bill was to
be paid by the local finance committee.
Forsythe was to just come here and
preach. At the close he was to get his
money and leave. He did.
When he and his party arrived, the
evangelist was housed in the old
Thornton home at AIS North Sprigg
street. There were eight members in
the party: Eli and Mrs. Forsythe, Roy,
Charles, a man called Rhode, Miss
Price and two others-sort of sub
preachers to form a background.
The contract to take care of the par
ty was made by Miss Nellie Woody, a
sister of Mrs. Thornton, owner of the
home. By its terms the members of
the party were to be housed and fed
for four weeks for the blanket sum of
s274.
When Miss Woody's bill was handed
in it was approved by the chairman of
the Finance Committee and it was
paid.
However, the members of the party,
with enc exception, Rhode, remained
at the Thornton home nine days longer
than the stipulated four weeks. Miss
Woody made out bill for that time,
prorating the charges in the same pro-
portion that she charged for the initial
four weeks.
This amounted to $S1. She tender
ed her bill. According to Miss Woody,
this also was approved by the Chair
man of the Finance Committee and
was forwarded to w. H. Stubblefeld,
president of the Sturdivant Bank and
chief disbursing officer of the taber
nacle organization.
M. Stubblefeld held the bill up and
submitted revision, Miss Woody said.
He cut the amount to SOS, on grounds
that for three meals, the members of
the Forsythe party had been invited
out" and did not eat at the Thornton
home at all.
Miss Woody countered with the
statement that she had prepared their
meals for them anyway and declared
that the stuff was there for them to
eat. 1t was none of her business if
they were there or not and she con-
tended it was not fair to expect her
to lose because the Forsythes were in
vited out.
The suggestion then was offered to
her that size might contribute the diff
ference in the bill toward the fund for
financing the tabernacle.
"Not a penny" was the reply to
that. She subsequently remarked that
the Forsythes made her enough trouble
to cost twice the amount she charged
for board and room. She had to insti-
tute virtually hotel service for their
benefit. Cooking had to be Just so and
serving had to be the equal of that
found in a New York dining room.
Just plain, old-fashioned boarding
house ways were not good enough and
the improvements were expensive.
The bill was held up till this week.
Matters between Miss Woody and the
tabernacle people came to a focus.
MISS "OUuN IilS IilAli VI
the Finance Committee and the chief
disbursing officer that she was prepar-
ing to turn the account over to her
brother, John Woody of Bloomfield,
one of the most prominent attorneys in
Stoddard County.
He was to make an investigation
and in the event settlement was not
made on a cash basis, the account was
to be placed in the hands of local at
torney.
In outlining her course of procedure
to the chairman of the Finance Com
mittee, Miss Woody closed by saying
''This matter must be settled. 1t is
becoming known publicly and must
tell you The Tribune knows about
this"
Immediately, to use Miss Woody's
word, the bill was paid in full and the
matrer squared as she demanded Z
month ago.