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| New York Governor Benjamin B. Odell, Jr. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Tuesday, October 28, 1902.
MATTHEWS'AFFIDAVIT
Exonerates the Governor From Any Interest in the Firm.
STOCK WAS A PERSONAL LOAN.
Says Governor Odell Loaned $50,000 to Him and Not to the Firm—Says the Governor's Loan Was One of Friendship and Had No Connection With the Firm's Business.
Albany, Oct. 28.—J. W. Matthews of the now famous grocery firm of Matthews & Co. of Newburg, came to Albany last night and; swore out an affidavit exonerating Governor Odell from any financial profit or interest in their firm and alleging that the stock held in Governor Odell's name was a personal loan to him and that he is owner of the pledged stock simply subject to the loan.
Mr. Matthews says that before Governor Odell was nominated he discussed the matter of extension of their firm's business and that the governor promised to help them. The increase was not consummated until 1901, when Governor Odell loaned Mr. Matthews $50,000. The loan was made personally to Mr. Matthews and not to the firm.
In July of 1902 Governor Odell asked for a recall of the loan as he desired to invest in real estate. Subsequently he changed his mind and the money was not withdrawn.
Mr. Matthews continues:
''Governor Odell has never interested himself in the details of the business nor has ever been asked by me nor any one else, to exercise his influence in securing trade from individuals or from the state.
"The firm has been selling goods to Sing Sing for the past 18 years, to the Middletown asylum for at least 10 years and to the Poughkeepsie asylum for about the same period and to the Matteawan hospital ever since it was opened, but such sales have been the result of competitive bidding with other concerns.
"The tea contract to which reference has been made came as a result of our being the lowest bidders, and neither Governor Odell nor any one connected directly or indirectly with him knew of such contract, until a dispute arose and it was through his instruction that the lunacy commission was upheld and our claim was disallowed.
"No contracts between the firm of J. W. Matthews & Co. and the state have ever been sublet to any other concern, and no bid has ever been made for such contract in the name of any other firm.
"The common stock is $200,000. Mr. Matthews is absolute owner of $100,000. There are outstanding $81,000 additional, none of which Governor Odell or his family own or has pledged to them and $19,000 remains in the treasury of the company."
Deponent further says that the action of Governor Odell in this whole transaction has been one of friendship and not of profit, and that the details of the transaction are gone into at this length for the purpose of "refuting the malicious attacks upon the official probity and honesty of Governor Odell."
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| Theodore and Edith Roosevelt. |
RETURNING TO WHITE HOUSE.
Repairs Sufficiently Completed to Permit of the Use.
Washington, Oct. 28.—President and Mrs. Roosevelt will move back into the historic White House next week. Four or five of the remodeled living rooms in the second story of the mansion are now nearly ready for occupancy; the range is ready for the chef in the kitchen, and the family diningroom will be in condition for use by the end of the present week. Mrs. Roosevelt wished to move into the White House on the first of the present month, but though the workmen engaged in making the alterations labored night and day, they were not able to put the apartments into habitable shape. Mrs. Roosevelt will probably move into the White House before the president does.
President Roosevelt will leave for Oyster Bay next Monday. He will cast his vote in his home village on Tuesday, will receive the election returns at Sagamore Hill that night, and on Wednesday will attend a big Masonic celebration, the Sesqui-Centennial of George Washington's initiation into the order in Philadelphia, returning to the capital either late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. Mrs. Roosevelt will probably leave Oyster Bay at the same time as her husband and will come direct to Washington. When the president returns he will find his family established in the White House.
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.
Concerning the Treasurership.
The Cortland Democrat tries to make a point against the re-election of Mr. Foster as county treasurer on the ground that because he has held the office for nine years it would be well to have a change so that there may be a final accounting of his stewardship and his successor may find out if his records have been well kept and if his finances are all right. It sounds almost like the suggestion of a question as to Mr. Foster's honesty, but we will do the Democrat the justice to believe that it did not mean to insinuate that, for so far as we can learn no one of any political party has ever been found who would think a moment that there might be a doubt of any kind as to Mr. Foster's absolute integrity.
The Democrat wants absolute assurance that the treasurer's books, vouchers and bank account are all right. So does the Standard; so does every citizen and taxpayer of the county. But for eight years a committee of the board of supervisors has made a careful and accurate investigation into the condition of Treasurer Foster's books, and within a month a committee will make the ninth annual inspection and investigation. Is the inspection purely superficial and cursory? Decidedly not. It is searching and painstaking. Every account is scrutinized, every voucher examined, every footing verified. To all intents and purposes every annual inspection is final. Nothing is taken for granted, nothing is left over for the next board to pass upon. The Democrats suggestion is decidedly a reflection upon this committee to settle with the county treasurer on every board of supervisors during the last eight years.
It is intimation that either that committee has not known its duty or has not done it, or both. A glance over the names of the many different men who have constituted the membership of that committee will refute that charge in a moment. Mr. Foster is an expert accountant. His books and his papers have been complimented by successive boards of supervisors as models of accuracy and clearness. Supervisor N. F. Webb who nominated Mr. Foster this year said in his nominating speech that the supervisors always found it a pleasure to settle with Treasurer Foster because his books and papers were so explicit and minute in all particulars that every detail of the office business stood out with remarkable clearness, and in consequence all records could be gone over in a short time and verified. Thus every settlement every year is in essence a final settlement and there is no going back each year of the previous year's settlement.
The Democrat says the duties of the office of treasurer are increasing. It is true, and for that very reason an experienced treasurer can do better service than one lacking in experience. Mr. Foster is in this coming term prepared to give Cortland county better service than ever before.
The Democrat says that no incumbent of that office should be permitted to succeed himself. If the Democratic candidate should be elected this year would The Democrat three years from now be urging these same objections against him that it now urged against Mr. Foster? Would it say that Mr. Wood should not succeed himself so that the books could be examined by another? Would it ask for the election of another so that there might be a final accounting with Mr. Wood? To use a street phrase, "Not on your life." The Democrat would be loudest in urging re-election upon just the grounds that the Republicans now ask for the re-election of Mr. Foster. Mr. Foster is honest, efficient, careful, painstaking and accurate. There is no valid reason why he should not be re-elected and there is every reason why he should be.
MAUDE KIEHL DISCHARGED.
Testimony all in—Evidence Not Strong Enough to Hold Her.
The continuation of the examination as to the cause of the death of Adam Kiehl was again begun this morning at the courthouse at 10 o'clock. The room was crowded with anxious spectators and expert testimony was admitted that may mean much or little in the acquittal of Maude Kiehl.
Prof. E. M. Chamot of Cornell university, who has studied in Germany, France and Holland and who has taught chemistry for five years, gave evidence in part as follows: I made a chemical test of the lungs, liver, kidneys, stomach and contents. Found that in each case the remaining residue contained strychnine. The contents found in the stomach were potatoes, small lumps of pickle, meat, and the other substance could not be identified. The food found had been digested very little. I weighed several portions and found from stomach walls and organs 42-100 of a grain of strychnine; in the stomach contents 1/2 grain of strychnine. I made an examination of the embalming fluid for the purpose of finding strychnine, and found none. I examined the strychnine in the bottle brought to me by Coroner E. M. Santee and found it to be basic free strychnine.
My knowledge of the operation of strychnine in a general way upon the body is action upon the spine causing a stiffening and straightening of the limbs, and arching of the body. The tests used by me are recommended by standard authority.
Upon cross examination witness said he could not recall a case he had examined in which he had made a mistake. He was prepared to swear that the substance which he found upon examination was strychnine.
The examination was still continued when The Standard went to press.
At 4 o'clock this afternoon at the close of the testimony Maude Kiehl was discharged from custody, the evidence not being sufficiently strong to hold her upon any charge whatever.
A. O. U. W. BANQUET.
Commemorating the Thirty-Fourth Anniversary of its Founding.
Cortland lodge, No. 351, Ancient Order of United Workmen, along with others of the 440,000 members of the order in this country alone, last night commemorated the thirty-fourth anniversary of the natal day of the organization by giving a splendid banquet at the Kremlin hotel. The local lodge had as guests large delegations from the Homer, Truxton and Cincinnatus lodges. Covers were laid for 150. After the banquet a splendid toast list was carried through and at a late hour the workmen departed after singing "And the smoke went up the chimney just the same," with local adaptations by Dr. Paul T. Carpenter.
The evening was one of rare pleasure to every lodgeman and guest who was present. Landlord Rowe spared neither expense nor pains to make the occasion enjoyable. The rooms were handsomely decorated with American flags, stately palms, evergreens, ferns and smilax. The tables were spread in a most inviting manner and the service was excellent. Kane's orchestra of five pieces occupied an alcove between the reception rooms and the diningroom and furnished inspiring music during the reception hour from 8 until 9 and while the menu was being disposed of, which occupied two hours of time.
After the inner man had been completely satisfied the toast list, with Special Grand Deputy W. J. Donnell of Buffalo as toastmaster, was begun. The local workmen were especially fortunate in having this genial gentleman as their guest, as they were also in having with them another grand officer, Grand Master Workman C. A. Pulford of Elmira, who responded to the toast, "Our Order," giving a clear and comprehensive idea of the work of the order. He said that in thirty-four years $120,000,000 had been paid by the order in beneficiaries.
The whole list of toasts from top to bottom brought out frequent applause and much mirth. and an extract from each would be gladly given if space permitted. The toasts and those who responded to them were: "The Day We Celebrate," William Pearson; "Our City," Mayor Charles F. Brown; "Our Country," Henry C. Higgins of Cincinnatus; "The Prospective Member," Clayton R. Lusk; "Our Youngest," Dr. Paul T. Carpenter; "Our Oldest," Darwin M. Totman; "The Press," Ralph H. Davis; ''Our Guests,'' Fred M. Briggs of Homer and Ray Woodward of Truxton; "The Ladies," City Clerk Edmond C. Alger; "Our Order," Grand Master Workman C. A. Pulford of Elmira.
The visiting lodgemen present were: County Treasurer W. H. Foster, George Thompson, Fred B. Bennett, Frank Bliven, Charles Merrill, E. H. Hyatt, P. Keefe, Thomas Knoble, M. J. Coakley, C. H. Dewey, C. Keefe, John Stillman, W. F. Potter, C. D. Dillenbeck. W. H. Dennis, P. C. Keefe, C. V. Coon, Fred M. Briggs, Glenn W. Hicks and Timothy Keefe of the Homer lodge, County Clerk O. D. Patrick, H. S. Bliss, W. R. Woodward, J. H. Miller and E. A. Stafford of Truxton lodge, and H. C. Higgins, M. D. Wales, L. L. De Lamarter, Floyd Smith, W. S. Havens, S. Z. Bobier and Joseph Viflecco of Cincinnatus lodge.
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| The Messenger House hotel, lower image. Cortland House Hotel, upper image. |
THE YORK HOTEL
Is Now the Successor of the Long Time and Popular Messenger House.
The Messenger House was launched out this morning under the new name that it will from this time forward bear, the York hotel. A new register was placed upon the desk, new suits were placed upon the porters, the large block letters that had been seen for years along almost the entire Main-st. front, have been removed, and not a trace of the name is left to attract attention from the new cognomen.
The porters blossomed out in their new uniforms this morning. The neat and attractive garb is made of olive green with brass buttons, and is bound in handsome gold braid. Eddie Bennett, who is known for his diminutive body and largeness of heart, attracted the eye of the passing throng at the depots, clad as he was in his handsome new dress. The other uniform will be worn by James O'Brien.
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POLITICAL EOUALITY CLUB.
A Member Makes a Plea for Certain Privileges of the Ballot.
At the recent meeting of the Political Equality club held at the home of Dr. Strowbridge, election of officers resulted as follows:
President—Mrs. Annie E. Bentley.
First Vice-President—Dr. Lydia Strowbridge.
Second Vice-President—Mrs. Laura Parsons.
Recording Secretary—Mrs. John Ryan.
Treasurer—Mrs. Julia E. Hyatt.
Corresponding Secretary—Mrs. Lucy Linderman.
A rising vote of thanks was given Mrs. Linderman, our retiring president, who as our leader has been faithful, persevering, able and fearless and has won the love of her co-workers. She was elected delegate to state convention held at Buffalo Oct. 29-31 inclusive.
The aim and object of our club is to take a course of study that shall fit us, for an intelligent use of the ballot when it comes to us. The focus of our year's work will be efforts to amend the bill allowing tax-paying women the right to vote upon questions of schools and taxation. No one can deny that it is absurd that an educated American woman who holds property should have no voice as to how or by whom it shall be taxed, while an ignorant laborer who works for her, and perhaps cannot read or write, can have the privilege of saying what laws shall guard and protect her home. Mr. Maycumber, the city [of Cortland] Chamberlain, has stated that in his opinion "women are paying nearly, if not quite forty per cent of the taxes in our own city." Is it fair or right that women who pay taxes should have no voice as to the amount of the tax and the way it should be spent? One of the objections raised against equal suffrage is that woman are "too emotional." Josephine Henry said: "I don't deny that women are emotional. I judge other women by myself, I have had as many as 98 or 99 emotions a second when I have seen drunken, degraded men surging up to the polis to vote my property and my liberty away, while we have evidence all around us that women are emotional who have found out long ago that God made us so to match the men.
Notice will be given later of our next meeting which will be held at the home of Mrs. Julia E. Hyatt. Dear sisters interested, will you not join us and work with us until woman occupies the place that God designed from the beginning, a help not only in the home, the church, in the schools in society but in government. The glad day is coming. Will you help to bring it on? B.
BREVITIES.
—The Fortnightly club will meet this week on Friday evening at 8 o'clock with Mrs. F. L. MacDowell, 78 Tompkins-st., and not on Wednesday afternoon as is usual.
—Work of survey began Monday for the new trolley line from Ithaca to Auburn. The road starts from Ithaca as a spur from its present city road departing from that on Cornell Heights north of the big gorge above the campus. Contracts will be let as soon as this survey is completed.
—The new display advertisements today are—A. S. Burgess, Clothing, page 8: M. W. Giles, Special prices for this week, page 8; F. H. Maricle, Special sale of robes, etc., page 7; A. Mahan, Pianos, page 6; The New York Store, Dry goods, etc., page 7; Buck & Lane, Oil heaters, page 6; W. W. Bennett, Sterling stoves, and ranges, page 6.
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