Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-31

FREDERICK ]. SHOYER, Republican
4 candidate for City Treasurer. is the
senior member of Shoyer & Arronson, law
yers with offices in the Commercial Trust
building His partner is Henry Arrorson.
The firms principal business is corporation
law In business and in the practice of his
nrofesson Mr. Shoyer's conduct has been
above reproach. Mr.. Shoyer is president OF
the Board of Registration Commissioners,
having been appointed member OF the
hoard by Governor Brumbaugh in June,
1916. and having been chosen to head the
body at its reorganization meeting on June
IL 1916. Mr. Shoyer, however, is not
sitting with the board at this time. since
he is Interested as a candidate in the ap-
preaching election.
BEGAN AS A GROCERY CLERK
Mr.. Shoyer was born in Philadelphia, and
clerked in a grocery store as a youth He
registered as a law student in the Office of
John s. McKinlay and later entered the
University of Pennsylvania law school,
through which he paid his way by working
as clerk in the Commonwealth Title In
surance and Trust Company Offices He was
admitted to the bar and began to practice
law in 1882
Mr. Shoyer is an unusually clean and
neat-ooking man. There is nicely about
his speech and manners and he is an agree
able person to meet.
In 1901 John Weaver destined to play
40 important and sensational a part in
Philadelphia politics, was elected District
Attorney over p. Fred Rothermel Jr, the
Republican Organization proving powerful
enough to overwhelm the reform forces
that had aligned themselves behind Roth
ermel In 1902 Mr.. Weaver appointed
Frederick J. Shoyer special Assistant Dis
trct Attorney, at salary of $4,000 year.
Mr. Shoyer at that time had taken only
a minor part in politics and his appoint
ment was not a reward for political SER
vice. He was Weaver's personal choice.
The appointment was satisfactory to Dave
Martin Organization leader Of the north
east because what influence Shoyer had
been able to exert had been eNerted In
favor of the Organization Weaver was
satisfactory to the Organization, which In
those days meant Israel w. Durham, ara
Shoyer also was acceptable.
THE sALTER CASE
In the spring of 1902 the town vas
treated to a sensation. Samuel Salter, car
ence Meeser and Joseph Rodgers, who had
been missing since 1899. when they had
been held for court for balotbox stiffing
in the Seventh Ward, calmly walked into
court Their original bail had been for
feited Now they were here and ready for
trial Three days later John +. Sheehan
and Harry r. McCabe, alias Clark accused
with Salter. Messer and Rodgers and also
missing, appeared for trial
Weaver. with Shoyer and other assistants,
prosecuted the alleged ballotbo1; suffers.
There was no doubt that the stutfing had
been done; the only thing necessary was
to prove that tne defendants did II.
Samuel G. Maloney, now figuring so large
ly in the Fifth Ward political murder scan
dal and other politicians were witnesses
for the defendants, who offered what APP
peared to be an alibi The trial resulted in
an acquittal. 1t subsequently appeared that
some of the alibi testimony had been per-
1ured but for one reason or another the
District Attorney and his assistants had
failed to show this at the time. There was
an immediate cry of "collusion" and frame
up" and it was declared that the whole
trial was well-planned piece OF acting,
the defendants having been assured Of ac-
quittal before they ever returned to face
the charges
If there was any legal prof of these ac-
cusations against Weaver and his aids 1t
has never been made public Defenders of
the public prosecutors declared they had
spared no efforts in seeking convictions and
had acted in good faith throughout
In 1903 John Weaver was elected Mayor
by the Republican Organization, which had
found him satisfactory as District At
torney Frederick ]. Shoyer, still Weaver
man and still satisfactory to the machine
was appointed by the Mayor Director Of the
Department Of Supplies in April, 1908
GAS FIGHT BRINGS REVOLT
In May. 1905, came the famous gas-lease
fight, which fairly shook the city. Sensa'
tion followed sensation. The whole plan tC
extend the United Gas Improvement Com
panys lease of the city's gas works fifty
years for $4,000, 900 had been worked ou
In detail Councilmen had been lined up
Tor tha lease Those that could be whipped
into line had been whipped; those that wer'