Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 29, 1912)
THE MORNING OREGONIAN. THURSDAY. AUGUST 20, 1913. TROUBLE IS AHEAD FO SHARKS Usurers Who Come to Court Face Loss of Principal by Ruling Given. BLUNDER BRINGS TROUBLE Ietroit Prosecutor Vrges Xational Attack on Lenders to Break Vp Like Organization Tbey Have for Protection. Loan sharks, who dare face the courts In their efforts to collect usurious claims are due for a set back when a suit now on file in Jus tice Court comes to trial, at which time the District Attorney will demand the forfeiture of the principal to the state school fund. This action will be taken by Deputy Collier under a stat ute which provides that in any case where a suit is Instituted to collect on a loan and It develops that usury has been exacted, either directly or in directly, the face of the loan shall be forfeited to the state and the usurer shall take nothing:. Though appearing upon its face to be a complete protection against the loan-shark evil, this law never has been invoked, for the reason that the more outrageous claims never reach that point in the courts where the fact of usury is developed. A blunder made by the usurer in the case at is sue. whereby a chattel mortgage ob tatned by him was Invalidated, ex plains the present situation. Goldstein Makes M Intake. IL C Delaney. a barber, borrowed S50. February 6. through Goldstein, an attorney, the actual lender appearing to be a man named Asia. Jelaney gave his note for $66 and agreed to pay 10 per cent. Interest In addition, the loan to run six months. If he closed the transaction at the end of three months, the difference between the face of the note and the amount received was to be divided so that he would have to pay only J58, principal. Delaney gave a chattel mortgage, but says that Goldstein. In recording it. transposed the names, so that it purported to be a mortgage given by Asia to Delaney. At the end of three months. Delaney wished to settle ac cording to the agreement, but the full sum of $66 with Interest was insisted upon and suit was filed in the Justice Court, upon which his goods were at tached. Seeing the announcement of the Dls trlct Attorney that he was willing to render assistance in such cases, De laney appealed to Collier. The deputy advised him to fight the case on the grounds of usury and an answer has been filed to that effect. Upon the contention being supported. the escheat to the state will follow. Sharks Have Organisation. In a letter to District Attorney Cameron from Hugh Shepherd, prose cuting attorney at Detroit. Mich., and a determined fighter against the loan sharks, the remarkable scientific fact Is shown that the shark has tentacles, Shepherd says that his investigations have brought to light that the extor tloners have a National organization reaching every city In the country and he cites one millionaire who has of fices in 52 cities. In Detroit 10 of the trade have been convicted and more are facing prose cution. The prosecutor estimates that $200,000 belonging to the poor of that city have been recovered from the clutches of the sharks. This was done by following 'the line taken up here of letting the unfortunate know that the officers of the law would pro tect them. In all his experience, he says, there was not a case where the usurer dared to face the prosecuting attorney in court, and usually he was glad to get off with his claim reduced 50 per cent. Mr. Shepherd urges a National or ganization of those opposed to the traffic, as, he says, with their widely ramified business, the sharks are able to laugh at the efforts in one city. which merely cuts off one of their many tentacles. first and second classes shall not be open od Sunday for the purpose of de Iivering mail to the general public, but this provision shall not prevent tne prompt delivery of special delivery mail. "Under this law you will close the general delivery, carriers' windows and lock boxes and discontinue all de liveries by carriers on Sunday. Tou will note, however, that special ae livery mall is excepted and you .will therefore arrange to have on duty sufficient force to handle this mail matter promptly. . The department desires to reduce Sunday work to the minimum, so that as many of the employes as possibl may enjoy a complete day of rest on Sunday. You should, therefore, require only a sufficient number of clerks to report for duty on that day in order that transit mail and the man coi lected for dispatch may be handled without delay. If no mall Is dispatched on Sunday a very early colltctlon should be made on Monday morning THIRD PARTY UPSTART STIRS FICJHTIXO BLOOD OK POL ITIC'IAIV I.OXti SI.XCB RETIRED. ATHLETE IS BADLY HURT Ifarey Gibson, In Hospital, Tells of Long Series of Accidents. When Harvey Gibson tried to slide to seconu a week ago last Sunday in a Homeric struggle between Barton, his home team, and Boring, he frac tured another bone in his body, which had already suffered sufficiently to have satisfied an ordinary Individual. Gibson is taking the matter phil osophically these days at the Good Sa maritan Hospital. From his bed in ward 30 he explained how the accident happened, the unusual features of the case, and gave a list of other parts of his body he had damaged at one time or another. In sliding to second his cleets caught and brought him down heavily on his left knee, the cap of which split lati tudlnally. A week ago the two parts were wired together, and Gibson hopes that he will be left without any stiff ness in the Joint if all goes well. Most of his injuries came from ath letics in some way or other, as will be gathered from his account: "I guess this makes about the tenth time I've broken something or other. My left collarbone was broken wrest ling, and the right collarbone was smashed doing some broncho riding down in the country. Then my right leg was broken, though that was'nt due to sports. That happened through falling off a load of hay. None of the other breaks amounted to anything. "Athletics have always appealed to me." continued Gibson, "ever since I was at school." Proof of his fondness for games is evidenced by the fact that Gibson is by no means a young man. and that he intends to continue to play ball when he gets out of the hospital. Brought up on a farm he has been connected with the soil most of his -life. .but was for four years in the Government Post al service. POSTAL RULING IS M0DIFIE0 Instructions From Washington Ke dnce Sunday Work to Minimum. The following letter was received yesterday by Acting Postmaster Wil liamson from C. P. Grandfleld. First Assistant Postmaster-General, with ref jrence to the conduct of the Portland office during Sundays, but a wire was later received modifying It to the ex lent of permitting mail to be placed in boxes: "The postofflce appropriation act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1913, orovldes: "That hereafter postoffices of the i t y - x : . L. L. Whltcomb. COTTAGE GROVE, Or., Aug. 28. (Special.) An octogenarian two years ago. his interest in po litical and economic questions dulled by advancing years, L. L. Whltcomb, of Saginaw, one of the old-time Republican war horses, gave up politics years ago. But." said Mr. Whltcomb, while in the city toda', "this fight be tween Taft and Roosevelt has set my blood tingling and awakened my old-time interest," and he in timated in no mistaken words that he would be satisfied with nothing less than an overwhelm ing victory for President Taft. In 1854, when taxes could not be paid with greenbacks, Mr. Whltcomb was Assessor of Mult nomah County: in 1863 he was Sheriff of Yamhill County; in 1868 County Commissioner of Washington. His mind, still ac tive and vigorous, is filled with the lore of early political battles and he speaks from a personal acquaintance with all those men who made history in Oregon in the 50's and 60's. Mr. Whltcomb'S'. great-grandfather came over in the Mayflow er, his grandfather was an offi cer in the Revolution. He sees no crying need now for the party composed of Roosevelt, Teddy and the Colonel and predicts suc cess for the Republican party. and the mail for local delivery dis tributed before the carriers leave for their first trip." DRUM CORPS SHY $200 OLD SOLDIERS AXXIOCS TO AT TEND EXCAMPMEXT. Frank E. Ifodgkin Sends Contribu tion "Vyth Loyal Plea for Help for Americans. But $200 remains to be raised to al low the drum corps of old veterans to participate in what will be for some of them, at least, their last encamp ment of the Grand Army, which com mences at Los Angeles September 9. Seeing that this is the only old sol dier drum corps on the Coast. If not In the entire Union, It is regarded by many as not only fitting, but almost a duty, for the citizens of Portland to provide sufficient funds to enable the 10 members from this city to atttend. Pride in their powers as musicians Is excelled only by their pride in the Oregon Department of the Grand Army of the Republic, and their desire to see the state delegates marching with a band at the head. Two contributions were received yes terday by T. M. Kellogg, the secretary, 270 Graham evenue, one of $10 from H. V. Gates, the other of $5 from Martin Winch. As an example of the way the request for funds has appealed to many old timers the following letter from Frank E. Hodgkin, of the Phoenix As surance Company, will serve: "1 have watched with no little de cree of interest the efforts being put forth by a number of the old veterans of the Civil War to raise a fund suf ficient to warrant sending a drum corps of old soldiers to represent old Oregon at the National Encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic, to be held at Los Angeles during the com ing month. Permit me, as I deem it a privilege, to add my mite in assisting in paying the expenses of the delega tion. "Although the frost of many Winters has changed the color of the few strag- line hairs that cling to my cranium and Father Time has imprinted a num ber of wrinkles beneath my eyeiasnes I am not too old to recall the depart ure of troops from my Illinois home; nor have I forgotten the return of many of my boyhood friends in cas kets around which were wrappea tne flag they fought for. "The ranks have been thinned out until there are but comparatively few of the old boys left and it seems but tardy Justice to them now to refuse their plea to be permitted again to gather around the camp fire of their grand encampment and renew old friendships and fight again the battles of their early manhood. God speed them on their way." Deceased Postmaster Honored. Acting: for the Beaver State' Mer chants' Mutual Fire Insurance Associa tion, six of its members passed a reso lution at the special meeting of the board of directors last Monday, extol ling the late C. B. Merrick, who had been identified with the Institution ever since its inauguration, for which he was chiefly responsible. The reso lution praises the deceased Postmaster for his sterling character, his high Ideals and nobility of soul, which Im pressed those who knew him with a desire to do their work better, to give more to their fellow men and to ex pect less. The resolution was signed by D. C. Burns. C. W. Stubbs. H. L. Truax. B. J. Dresser, F. J. Carney and F. Fargo. MUZZLES IN DEMAND Ordinance Regulating Dogs Now in Effect. POINTER DIES OF RABIES Poundmaster and Deputies HaTe Busy Time of Gathering In Ca nines Running Loose Coll ie trary to Xew Law. Just before the ordinance compelling the muzzling or "leading of dogs at laree took effect yesterday morning, a valuable pointer owned by R. B. Miller, traffic manager of the O.-W. R. & N. Co.. did of rabies. It was Infected by the same Collie that bit little Mildred Dickson and which was killed by the police July 26. Owing- to the failure of the council to carry the emergency clause on tne or dinance, it did not become effective un til yesterday morning, 30 days after its passage. Everything opposed the rabies yes terday, the ordinance taking effect, tho poundmaster immediately commencing enforcement; the police also were or dered to act under it, and the elements contributed their mite by a downpour of rain. Notwithstanding the fact that 30 days' notice had been given, a good many dogs of all kinds, but principally mongrels, were' at large with neither muzzle or leash. A half dozen of the common variety were picked up by the poundmaster s deputies and are now impounded. Some of them wore collars with the license attached, but some were unlicensed. None showed signs of rabies. "So far as I have observed," said Poundmaster Welch, "none of the dogs coming to the pound have been infected with rabies. In fact, not to my knowl edge has there been any such disease among the dogs of the cityv Certainly, none have appeared in our department. Furthermore, I consider the ordinance under which we are now acting a very poor one. Under its provisions we are not authorized to kill any licensed dog, even though it did have rabies. The measure stops too short to do much good, but we will enforce it to the best of our ability. We will have to hold the dogs indefinitely, should any have rabies." Cats are under the same ban as dogs, but thus far none have been picked up. The ordinance applies equally to them and owners must either muzzle or leash them if they are allowed to roam at large. There has been a heavy demand for muzzles at the local stores handling these articles. TRUTH WINS FOR "BRICK" Stakeholder in Racing Bet Draws .Suspended Sentence in Court. Nine dollars, deposited by John Pen der, T. O. Towner and J. I. Wilson, in the hands of Brick Fortune, behind a stable at tlje Country Club, was not a pool on the races, all the defendants said, in Municipal Court yesterday, but a charitable contribution for an injured horseman. The beneficiary was to be Sid Lindsay, a driver who had Just sus tained a broken ankle while driving in a race. Patrolmen Young and Anundson. who happened to be near at the time, said that the contribution had been preceded by a discussion of the chances of cer tain horses to win the heat Just com mencing and that the injured driver had not been mentioned. The tremolo stop was out to the full and a vivid picture had been painted of the necessities of Lindsay, when Brick Fortune, an elderly character well- known on the circuit, took the stand. Yes sir, he said, this money was for Lindsay. We all agreed that who ever won the pot should turn it over to him." A shade of chagrin passed over the face of the defendants attorney. "This man has had a few drinks this morning, I think, your Honor." Tes, I believe so, commented the Judge; "Just enough to make him tell the truth." The three bettors were found guilty and fined $10. Fortune, for his frank ness, was given a suspended sentence. RAILWAY MAGNATES MEET Heads of Several Great Lines Arrive in Seattle Same Day. SEATTLE. Wash.. Aug. 38. With the arrival of a party of Harriman railroad officials, headed by Judge R. S. Lov- ett, chairman of the Harriman lines, there were in this city the heads of several of the most prominent transportation lines in the United States. Other railroad men here were: Oscar Murray, chairman of the board of directors of the Baltimore & Ohio; Louis W. Hill, chairman of the board of directors of the Great North ern, and Howard Elliott, president of the Northern Pacific With Judge Lovett were William Sproule, president of the Southern Pa cific, a Harriman road, and J. D. Far- rell, president of the Oregon-Washington Railroad & Navigation Company, also Included in the Harriman system. Averlll Harriman, son of the late E. H. Harriman, is a member of the party, which Is making an Inspection of all the lines of the system. With the ex ception of Mr. Murray, who left for Portland, all the railroad men men tioned remained over today. Business 'Men to Attend. C. C. Chapman, publicity manager of the Portland Commercial Club; W. P. Jones, vice-president of the Merchants' National Bank, and C. L. Smith and Colonel A. A. Morse, of the O.-W. R. &. N- are among Portland business men who will attend the immigration con gress which will open today at Sooth Bend under the auspices of the South west Washington Development Asso ciation. Joyrider Walker Still Missing. As yet the police officers have not apprehended Darrow W. Walker, want ed as one of the quartet who was in the Lewis automobile when the smash- up came near Gresham last Sunday morning. His companions on that ride, Thomas King, Mark King and Ed ward McGinty, who are believed to have been Implicated in other joy rides, are now confined In the county jaiL Welsh Americans Ask LIoyd'-George. FISHGUARD, Wales, Aug. 28. David Lloyd-George. British Chancellor of the Exchequer, is to be invited to open the Welsh festival at Pittsburg next Summer by a Welsh-American delega tion which arrived here today. In the delegation was ex-Governor Thomas of Utah. Have Edlefsen book vour coal or wood order now. E. 303, C. 230S. ? December 16, 1773 A little affair occurred in New England that went down in history as The Boston Tea Party "There's a Reason" An English King had told his subject colonists that if they drank tea they must pay a tax on it an unjust tax that made revenue, not for Americans but for Englishmen. It was a tax that increased the high cost of living of those days and our forefathers went to the wharf where the tea ships were moored, split open the tea chests and spilled their contents into Boston Harbor, thus producing- the largest and most expensive bowl of tea the world has ever seen. Today Is repeated practically the same thing. , The Brazilian Coffee Trust, operated by foreign money kings, working outside the control of our National Anti-trust laws, have imposed a tax upon American Citizens which has raised the price of even the cheapest grades of coffee from 15c to 25c per lb. . During three past years this trust has taken Hundreds or Millions of Dol lars from the pockets of American Citizens. It has given Brazil 85 Millions of Dollars with which t retire her Na tional Bonds. It has given Brazil 10 Millions of Dollars to pay interest on her bonds. It has given Brazil a "bought and paid for" supply of coffe on hand worth 90 Millions of Dollars and It has paid millions upon millions of profit into the coffers of theForeign - Money Kings, and yet the coffee people report a falling off in sales cf about 200 million pounds in the past two years. Why this Heavy Reduction? Until recently the ever increasing army of Postum users, thought onl; 0f health as a "reason" for quitting coffee. Now Economy is another "reaso A third "reason," Improved Flavor, has come in with T7 - mi si Post prepared instantly by placing a spoonful in a cup and pouring hot water over it. This presents a delicious beverage much resembling high grade Java in color and taste, but absolutely pure and free from the coffee drug "caffeine" or any other harmtul ingredient. Health, convenience, flavor and economy have induced people to change from coffee to Postum, then follows better health, freedom from headache, indigestion, nervousness and othei coffee ills. - The Result in hundreds of thousands of American homes today, coffee is forgotten and Postum has be come the regular table beverage. It is an American drink made by Americans from American products. . A 100-cup tin Instant Postum, 50c, (equals l-2c per cup), at Grocers. (Smaller tins at 30c.) Regular Postum, large package, (must be boiled 15 minute3),25c. "There's a Reason" Coffee averages about double that cost." 5-cup free sample of Instant Postum sent for 2'cent stamp for postage. POSTUM CEREAL COMPANY, LTD., BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN. A