The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-08-23
STORY OF CONGRESSMAN
Washington Man Active in Durkee
Claim Pushing Tells How Senator
Durkee Told Life Story to Con-
gresham Derwese Before Death.

Judge George w. Taylor Of the
County Court is thinking in millions
and tens Of millions today as Tuesday
afternoon he heard for the first time
the "real dope in regard to the Dur
kee "claim. It was related in all
seriousness by }. G. Stoner of Wash
ington, one of the veterans in the
battle for the Durkee millions under
the examination of Attorey W. II. UT
Of Chicago. 1t was brought out in
connection with an informal petition
to the court demanding that he direct
the administrator de bonis non Henry
j. Hastings 10 proceed at once to col
lect and pay into the court all the as
sets of the estate Of Charles Durkee.
The story of stoner was here-say
but at that it was interesting as it
formed the only existing basis known
for the great drive that has been made
from time to time to sell stock in the
Durkee claim The whole claim by
this testimony, was shown to be based
on conversation between Senator
Charles Durkee and former Congress,
man Derwese, who at one time repre-
scented one of the South Carolina dis
tricts in the lower house of conl, e
The conversation took place on train
near Omaha only a few days before the
death of Senator Durkee.
According to Stoner, Derwese has
been dead for many years, but he per-
sonally told Stoner the story. At the
time Senator Durkee is alleged to have
displayed to Derwese a wealth of bonds
against the Union Pacific Railway and
the senator is alleged to have told
Derwese that he was planning to re
tire from political and business life at
once with view of living off the in
come which was certain to come from
the bonds. 1T believe' and 81
think were very much featured in
the testimony Of Stoner, but inter.
mingled with these statements he told
the story which the deceased congress-
man had told him. 1t was intimated
at the hearing that real money and a
lot of it was waiting for the admins
traitor to come and claim it.
The story brought out revealed that
some time after the conversation be
tween Congressman Derwese and Sen.
ator Durkee and after the death of
Durkee the Union Pacific Company had
a legal housekeeping and fore-closed
all mortgages against it. 1t is alleged
that at this time the sum Of forty mine
thousand dollars was deposited with the
federal sub treasury in New York to
pay for bonds which had not been
found by the attorneys for the com
pany. The Durkee bonds, which are
alleged to have been shown to Con,
gresham Derwese, are alleged to have
been the bonds for which the deposit
was made. Stoner had with him in
court long list of numbers of these
bonds anu his evidence Of a documen.
tary nature was an imposing array
Throughout the story there was the
constant fact that the story was the
story of a man long dead without evi
dence to substantiate it.
No formal action was taken by
Judge Taylor as the petition to have
the administrator gather up the
pieces of the millions was not form
ally before the court. 1t is said that il
will be filed within a few days
The most interesting fact in eonnec
tion with the hearing was the offer OF
wager that within three months The
millions of the Durkee estate would be
right in the treasury Of the County
Court of Kenosha county. Attaches
of the court were too good sports Il
bet on a sure thing and the bet offered
by one Of the interested attorneys re
manned antaken when the session
closed.