Waseca County, Minnesota - Chapter 57, 1905

Monroe, A. J. And Mrs. Woodbury, Jackson Turnacliff

COUNTY PRINTING - CROOKED WORK - WINTER STORM - STORII REMINISCENCES BY FRANK A. NEWELL AND MIKE RYANFIRST FARMERS' INSTITUTE - TORNADO IN VIVIAN - ROAD AND BRIDGE FUNDS - DIED, S. FARRINGTON, MIKE ANDERSON, ALEX. JOHNSTON, MRS. WM. BRISBANE, J. S. G. HONNER, A. D. MONROE, A. J. AND MRS. WOODBURY, JACKSON TURNACLIFF, DENNIS SHEEHAN (KILLED) - POLITICS, DEFALCATION OF MCKENNA IN THE SUM OF $6,694.64 - RESULT OF THE ELECTION.

The board of county commissioners met in annual session, Jan. 3, 1888. Philip Purcell was again chosen chairman - the members present being Jonas 0. Sunde, James Conway, Philip Purcell, Charles Deyling, and Oliver Peterson. The matter of county printing;' was again a sub.iect of contention. The following history of the affair is from the Waseca County Herald:

"January 13, 1888. - On Tuesday evening of last week we were informed tliat a portion of the county printing would be let on Thursday afternoon and that sealed bids for the same would be received by the board. There was no written or printed notice - simply an oral one. Neither does it appear on record that the board would receive bids - it was only a slip-shod, informal invitation for bids, the board in no way agreeing to let the county printing at all - either to the highest or lowest bidder.

"In response to the invitation, however, the Herald offered to do the publishing and advertising for the year as follows: Proceedings of the county board, 5 cents per folio; financial statement (three weeks) 20 cents per folio; proceedings of the board of equalization 5 cents per folio. All miscellaneous notices of the county board and of all the officers of the county to be paid for by the county, at 10 cents per folio, first publication, and 5 cents per folio each subsequent publication.

"C. E. Graham, the only other bidder, offered to do the work for the following: Publish all the proceedings of the county board during the year for 1 cent; financial statement (three weeks) 45 cents per folio; proceedings of board of equalization 5 cents per folio. He did not bid on any other county work - evidently having an understanding in some way that the treasurer's notice and all other notices would be given out, from time to time, at full legal rates, 75 cents a folio for one insertion and 35 cents for each subsequent publication. ,

"Upon the opening and reading of the bids, silence reigned for a moment, and then the chairman brought out some bids for forfeited lands and nervously asked what should be done with them. After some talk, the land bids were finally laid over to the March meeting, and then Mr. Sunde suggested that the printing bids ought to be considered. The chairman thought they would have to estimate as to which would be the lower bid, and, in reply to a question, said the estimate could be made from the last year's work. The other members seemed to agree to that, and then took an adjournment to 7 o'clock in the evening.

"At the evening session a representative of the Herald went before the board and stated that he had measured all the work of the last year and found that all the published proceedings of the county board, for the year, measured forty-eight thousand ems (192 folios) which at 5 cents a folio, (Herald bid) would be $9.60. The financial statement of last year measured twenty-one thousand five hundred ems (86 folios) which, at 25 cents a folio - Graham's bid being that much higher than ours - would amount to $21.50. That would be $21.50 minus $9.60, leaving the Herald bid $11.90 less than Mr. Graham's bid for the same work.

"The Herald man also asked the board, if any member of it had any doubts as to the measurement given, to employ an expert to measure the type.

"And yet the majority of the board, without measuring the type or giving the matter the least investigation, as we are credibly informed, awarded the printing to the ring organ of the county. * * *"

"In our last issue, we gave the substance of the proceedings of the board of county commissioners during their session last week, from Tuesday to Thursday afternoon, our time of closing the forms. Saturday afternoon, a representative of the Herald called at the auditor's office for the purpose of obtaining from the public records the further proceedings of the board. Our readers may judge of his surprise and ours when informed that Mr. Purcell, chairman of the board, had taken possession of the records, and forbidden access to them, or their publication, until after the adjourned meeting, which is to be held, as the auditor says, on Wednesday, the 25th inst.

"When asked the reason of such a strange proceeding, the auditor said he could not give any. It seemed to be as much of a surprise to the auditor as to others, and when asked if he did not consider himself

"As a matter of law, Mr. Purcell, as chairman of the board, or in any other capacity, has no more right or authority to talte possession of the county auditor's records and secrete them from the public than the editors of the Herald have.

"The statute says: 'The county auditor shall, by virtue of his office, be clerk of the board of county commissioners of his county, and keep an accurate record of their official proceedings, and carefully preserve all the documents, books, records, maps and other papers required to be deposited or kept in his office.' Nowhere in the statute can be found any authority for the county board, as a body, or for any member of the board, even the chairman, to take possession of the county auditor's records, or any portion of them, and secrete them, or deprive the public of the right of access to them.

"The proceedings of the county commissioners, as recorded by the auditor, constitute a portion of the public records, from day to day, and every citizen has the right - the legal right - of access to them in accordance with the statutes.

"We think the auditor erred in allowing Mr. Purcell to illegally take from his possession these records of the county and secrete them, although under the circumstances he may have a reasonable excuse. He says he was not certain that he had a right to refuse the chairman of the board.

"Of course, being a county commissioner, and especially chairman, in the eyes of some people, make a 'mighty mucky-muck' of very poor timber sometimes. But suppose that the chairman of any county board in the state should become suddenly insane, or drunk, and in such condition should come into the auditor's office to carry off the county commissioners' record book? Would the auditor be justified in allowing him to do so?

"Can the people of Waseca county imagine what has caused the chairman of the board to resort to this unlawful and, heretofore, unheard of act?"

A Winter Storm

The terrible wind and snow storm which, on Jan. 12, ISSS, swept the country from Manitoba to Te.xas seems to have been more destructive of life than any other in the history of the rountry. Nearly two hundred persons were reported frozen to deatli in Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Te.xas. Two deaths from freezing were reported in ^linnesota. The storm seems to have been much worse west of Minnesota than within her borders. In this locality it was not neai-ly so bad as the s'l'^'it storut of thoufjh it was bad enonsh. The harrowina; details of suf- fering and death would fill a whole paper. The thermometer in many places north and west of us registered sixty degrees below, while the government record in Minnesota says it was fortyseven degrees below. This storm set the old settlers to talking of old times. Asa Mosher, Frank A. Newell, Geo. Watkins, and others had gathered around "Bill" Johnson's comfortable grocery-store stove, and, among others, Mike Ryan, of Byron, one of the old settlers, dropped in. Said Newell :

"This reminds me of the great storm of '73, Jan. 7. Egad! I shall never forget It. I was over at Morristown that morning. The forenoon was mild. As the day wore on, the increasing moisture made us think that the back bone of winter was broken. About 3 o'clock p. m., Sam Stevenson and I started for Waseca. Dark clouds began to gather in the west, and about the time we reached Blooming Grove, the wind was blowing a gale, producing a change in the atmosphere that chilled the marrow in one's bones. The air was filled with blinding snow, so dense that you couldn't see the horse-whip in your hand. The sun seemed to withdraw its light, and the earth seemed to tremble beneath the terrific fury of the continuous, howling blast. An impenetrable darkness soon settled upon the earth like a funeral pall, bringing with it intense cold, made doubly so by the driving, penetrating, piercing force of the wind. I felt as though I were tied down and a thousand imps were shoveling snow into my ears and mouth. Sam drove for all that was out, but when I got home I was nearer dead than alive. Egad! I wouldn't take another such chance as that of a winter funeral for all the wealth of a Vanderbilt."

"Well," said Mike Ryan, standing with his overcoat on and his whip in hand, "I mind that storm, meself. I was in Waseca that day; and three others as was with me, and one o' them was 'Black Tom,' as we call 'im; an' we started nigh on to 3 o'clock, maybe, to git home. About the time we got to the LeSueur, the wind was a howlin' worse nor the prairie wolves, an' it wasn't long afore it was as black as a stack o' black cats. I drove a pretty good team o' them days, an' so I went ahead, but we hadn't got far on the prairie afore we was afther losin' the road. And, says I, one of us must be afther goin' ahead, so as not to lose the track. So one was afther goin' ahead, but divil the bit could we see of him, and so we told him to holler once in a while, which he did. Finally, when we came to a turn in the road, near a bridge over a slough, the man went straight on and we lost the track. Hole' on, says I, we're off the road. So we stopped, an' two staid with the horses, an' two of us looked for the road. I soon found the bridge an' shouted the others to come on. I got me horses over the bridge all right, but I soon got them down in a drift as high as their heads an' then I took them from the sleigh and said I would lead 'em. One of the men didn't come up, so we hollered and hollered, but we couldn't hear nothin'. He could hear us, but the wind howled so we couldn't hear him. So I went back to the bridge an' found him. His team had got off the bridge an' couldn't get up, an' he couldn't get the tugs loose. So I let loose the hames, an' we got the horses out, leavin' the sleigh. Then we went on afut, leadin' the horses. Once in a while it would lighten', an' once when it lightened, I seed tnat we were off the road. Then we stopped an' consulted what we would do. So two staid by the horses, and the other two of us went lookin' for the track; an' we were to holler once in a while so as not to lose each other; an' afther a time we found the road, an' then we knew we had got on to a cross road that led to Murphy's place. So then we went on again, an' afore long we were off the road again. We could hardly see at all - the snow an' ice covered our eyes two inches, more or less. But as I was afther sayin,' we had to hunt the road again; an' so we did as before, two spread out an' was to holler when they shud find the track. An' sure enough, the two fellers as found the track shouted an' we shouted, but divil the bit could they hear us. So we went toward them, and after a time we couldn't hear them again. Howsumever we struck the track, an' then we hollered, but divil the word could we hear, an' after listenin' awhile we thought to go on - so we went - an' would ye belave it now? afther goin' a mile or so we found we were going the wrong way, d'ye see? an' we had to get back over the same road again. Well, as I was afther sayin', we finally got to my house just as the wife and children were cryin' their eyes out; for them other two fellers had got in ahead of us. Faith, it was a terrible storum, sir. One of the men, the feller that got his team off the bridge, was nearly dead - in fact I think he never was as good a man again.

"The stable door was all drifted over and we had to shovel a hole through the drift to get the horses in. I've been more nor thirty years in Minnesota, an' never seed such anither storum as that, an' God grant I niver may."

First Farmers' Institute

The first state farmers' institute ever held in the county was opened on Jlonday, ]\Iarch 12, 1888, at ^Yard's Opera House in AVaseca. It was largely attended and highly satisfactory to all concerned. It was conducted by Superintendent Gregg and six or seven assistants.

A Small Tornado In Vivian

A whirlwind visited the northern portion of the town of Vivian on May 4, 1888, destroying a school house, a dwelling house, and a barn. ]Mr. Abraham Abrahamson, living in the track of the storm, started out to save his hay which was biMug blown away. He had gone but a few steps when the storm struck him, carried him some rods and then placed him very gently on the ground. He was picked up later for dead, but in a few hours he recovered consciousness. It was found that his hip and shoulder were dislocated, together with other injuries. His friends tried to get a physician but the high water had swept away the bridges and they could not obtain medical aid till Friday night. The tornado gathered immediately after a shower of rain and seemed to come from all directions. It went sweeping across the prairie at a fearful rate. The machine house of Mr. "Wm. Born was carried some rods away, and his machinery, plows, and wagon were badly in.jured. About the same time the newly built horse-barn of ]\Ir. H. Long, 28x16 feet, was blown away, some parts of it being carried a mile distant. The lucky part of it all was that his horses got loose at the the same time and went out unin.jured. Smaller damages were done to much other property. A door came flying through the air from the northwest, high up in the air, and landed in Mr. Ryan's field. People were alarmed and took refuge in cellars and groves, Avatehing the flying timbers until the storm passed over.

Road And Bridge Funds For The Year

The following road and bridge appropriations were made by the county commissioners within the year. At the ilay meetingtwo hundred and fifty dollars was appropriated to each commissioner district, to be expended under the personal supervision of the commissioner of each district, on roads and bridges. At the same meeting it was ordered that $120 be appropriated for bridges in the town of Vivian to be expended under the supervision of ]Mr. Deyling. Also, that $100 be appropriated for bridges in the town of Janesville, to be expended under supervision of j\Ir. Conway. Seventy-five dollars was appropriated to repair Boot creek bridge tetween sections 13 and 14, town of Byron, to be expended under the supervision of Mr. Sunde." Messrs. Purcell and Conway were appointed a committee to build a bridge and grade across the outlet of Lake Elysian, between section 4, in Alton, and section 33, in Janesville, and $400 was appropriated therefor to be expended under their supervision.

The following appropriations were made by the board July 23 : For Markham bridge, $434.00; for new bridge and repairing old, on section 24, New Richland, $220.00; repairing and grading St. Mary bridge, $94.00; rebuilding bridge on sections 16 and 21, St. Mary, $70.00; repairing bridge on Little Cobb, Freedom, $101.00; repairing Lamb bridge, $19.00; building Iver's bridge, Boot creek, $185.00; building B. Weed bridge, Otisco and Wilton, $251.00; building McDougall bridge, $207.00; repairing Wilton bridge, $62.75; repairing Krassin bridge, $32.25; building bridge on Cobbee, Freedom, $75.00; repairing Carmody bridge, Wilton, $76.72.

Noted Deaths Of The Year

The first this year to cross the river Styx was ]Mr. Serenus Parrington, one of the early settlers of Otisco. He was born in !Maine, September 30, 1799, and died at jMinneapolis, January 31, 1888. He settled in Otisco in 1857, where he lived thirteen years. He then moved with his wife to Owatonna, where they lived till December, when they went to ^Minneapolis to live with his son Frank. Mr. Parrington was in comparatively good health, and said grace at the supper table the night of his death, which occurred at 1 o'clock a. m. He left a widow, eightyeight years of age, six children, sixty grandchildren and greatgiandchildren. He had been married about sixty-five years, and had been a member of the Baptist church for a much longer period.

Wednesday evening, March 14, at 10:05 o'clock, ]\Iichael Anderson, an old pioneer of Waseca county, died at his home in Norman county, Minn. He had been sick about two years prior to his death, of progressive muscular atrophy. For a year and a half he had been obliged to stay in bed and most of that time he suffered terribly. He was born November 29, 1828, in Norway, whence he emigrated in April, 1845, to Rock River, Dodge county, Wis. Within a year after arrival here, his father and grandfather both died, and the struggle with penury was a severe forming of the young boy's character. At the age of twenty-one years he was married to Elizabeth A. Stromme, who survives him. They had nine children, all boys, four of whom are living. In 1856 i\Ir. Anderson left Wisconsin with his wife, two sons, and his aged mother to seek a home farther west. He settled in Otisco early in the summer. It was two year.s liefore he raised a wheat crop of any account. His earlv thresh-

Alexander Johnston, who died at St. Paul, May 9, was one of the very early settlers of the ancient village of Okaman, now extinct. He came as a young lawyer and opened an office in that "\illage in 1856. He was bom in the year 1833, in Orange county, N. Y., and came to Minnesota with his father-in-law, jMr. John X. Buckhout, who built the Okaman flouring mills. Later, about 1859, j\Ir. Johnston took up his residence in "Wilton, and, in 1861, drifted into the newspaper business. March 1, 1S61, he and Mr. S. J. Willis issued the first copy of the Home Views, printed and published at Wilton. In less than a year after buying Mr. Willis' interest he removed the plant to Faribault and continued publishing the Home Views and the Northern Statesman until about October 1863, when he disposed of the plant. From Faribault he removed to St. Paul and went to work in the office of the old Pioneer. In 1866 he started a Democratic paper at Hastings, calling it the Union. In 1868 he went to St. Paul again and worked as a reporter on the Pioneer. He was also at divers times connected with the Press, the Pioneer Press, the Dispatch, and the Globe. He was a man of much ability, and had it not been for the demon of intemperance, would have been useful to society. He was by nature generous and honorable, and many of the old settlers felt a pang of sorrow when they heard of his premature death at the age of fifty-five.

The sudden death of Mrs. Janet Scott Brisbane, the estimable wife of Hon. Wm. Brisbane, of Wilton, startled the whole community. She expired, almost without a struggle, June 14, 1888. Mrs. Brisbane was born in the parish .of Minto, Scotland, September 10, 1810, being in her seventy-eighth year at the time of her death. She married Mr. Brisbane January 2, 1832, and in 1839 came with him and their children to America, and settled in the state of New York. Ten years later they removed to Fond du Lac county, near Waupun, Wis., where they resided ten years. In 1859 they again moved, this time to Wilton, their home at the time of her death. She was the mother of twelve children, eleven of whom survived her. She was truly a helpmeet.

Much of the success of her husband and family, financially and otherwise, was due to her unselfish devotion and untiring industry. She was unusually well informed for a person so burdened with care, and her business shrewdness was of a high order. She was kind, gentle, and affectionate, a good neighbor and a staunch defender of what she believed to be right. Few persons were ever held in higher esteem than was she by all her neighbors.

Hon. J. S. G. Honner, county treasurer of Redwood coiuity, died at his home in North Redwood, after an illness of two weeks, June 21, 1888. Mr. Ilonner was born in the state of New York in 1831. His parents removed to Canada where he lived until fifteen years of age and then went to ^Michigan. In 1856 he came to Minnesota, and settled in Iosco, this county. He was elected county commissioner in this county in lSti2 and served two years. He removed to Redwood county in 1864, and was one of the first settlers there. He was one of the first commissioners of that county, was the first register of deeds and for a niimber of years was assessor of the town of Honner which was named ill his honor. He was elected to the legislature in 1866, again in 1870 and in 1872 was a member of the state senate. He held the office of county treasurer at the time of his death. lie was married in AVaseca county in ISfiS, to Antoinette (ireen, who survives him. They had six children, thi'ee of whom survived him.

Arden D. IMonroe, son of H. C. Monroe, of AYaseca, aged twenty-four years, seven months and ten days, was killed by a runaway team, near Elmore, Alinn., Tliiirsday evening, the 19th of July, 1888. The deceased, wlio was married to Aliss Alix, of Waseca, December 1, 1887, and lived near Algona, Iowa, had been in the county with his wife visiting fen- a few days. He had also purchased some cattle to lake back with him. They stopped with his brother in A^ivian a day or two and then continued their .-journey, he driving the cattle, and his wife the team. The horses were young, and as they were di'ivini>- along near the railroad track, about two and a half miles from Elmore, in the evening, a train came along. A'oung Alonroe ludd the horses, by the head until the train ' passed, and then went ahead to look after the cattle, telling his wif(> to follow with the team at her leisure. He had gone ahead some dislance wlien she started the team. One of them commenced to kick and plunge, and got one leg over the tongue, when both commenced to run. Mr. ^Monroe came back to stop them and was instantly run over. The horses ran but a short distance when the tongue fell down and ran into the ground, throwing Mrs. Monroe out of the wagon. She went back to her husband and found him senseless. Some hay-makers near by came to her assistance and Mr. Monroe was taken to Elmore, where he died the next day. There was a depression of the skull, near the temple, as though a horse had stepped on his head, and his jaw bone was broken. His father was notified by telegram and went immediately to Elmore, returning with the body to Janesville on Saturday. The remains were buried in the Alma City cemetery.

]\Ir. and Mrs. A. J. Woodbury, among the very early settlers at "Wilton, died at Jamestown, N. D., Sept. 3 and 4, 1888, of typhoid pneumonia. Mrs. Woodbury died on ]\Ionday, at 1:30 p. m., and i\rr. Woodbury at G :30 Tuesday morning. According to the best information of the writer Mr. Woodbury was born in 1808, in l\[assachusetts, and was therefore about eighty years of age. The telegram announced that Mrs. Woodbury was about ninety. They settled in Wilton in 1856, and built and kept what was known as the Washington House, where they continued to reside until 1882, when they went to Dakota.

"Ever and anon, as the years glide along, the hurrying throng of life's duties comes to a sudden halt, and we stand beside the yawning grave, that great leveler of mankind, where the proudest and strongest are but dust, where the weakest and poorest enjoy equal privileges in God's great laboratory of nature. This week we are called upon to record the death of Mr. Jackson Turnacliff, of Wilton, who died Tuesday night or Wednesday morning of cancer of the bowels. Mr. Turnacliff had long been a sufferer from some internal disease which had baffled the skill of our best physicians. In order to determine the disease, Drs. Young and Cummings made a post mortem examination on Wednesday which clearly demonstrated that he died of cancer of the bowels. Jackson Turnacliff was the son of Mr. Ferdinand Turnacliff, residing in Wilton. He was born in the state of New York, May 6, 1835, and while a child was taken by his parents to Ohio, where he remained until twenty years of age, when he went to Iowa, where he sojourned only a short time. In December, 1855, in company with a Scotchman, by the name of Wm. Young, and Dr. Ambrose Kellogg, he came from Jackson county, Iowa, on snowshoes to Minnesota, arriving at Sutlief's place about New Year's. He made a claim on section seven, town of Otisco, which he pre-empted. He afterwards bought land in section twelve, Wilton, adjoining it, where he has ever since resided. He married Miss Lucia B. Barber, of Ohio, in 1858. His wife and a family of eight children, several of whom are married, survive. him. He lived here through all the hard times of the early settlement of the country, but was in such circumstances financially that he was not only able to live comfortably himself, but to lend a helping hand to some less fortunate. He was a good citizen and neighbor, an industrious and frugal man, and a kind and indulgent parent. The date of his death was Nov. 27, 1888.

Last Saturday evening, as Sheriff Krassin, Mr. John Madden, assistant road master, and Mr. D. Connell were going to supper, about six o'clock, at the crossing of the M. & St. L. road, on Elm street, they discovered a broken oil-can, a lap robe and other indications of an upset. Upon looking around they found the body of Mr. Dennis Sheahan, about two rods east of the railroad track, beside the street. He was stretched at full length on his back, in an unconscious condition. They carried him to the city engine house and summoned Drs. Cummings and Christie. After an examination, Mr. Sheahan was carried to the livery stable office of Sheahan & Baldwin, where he remained until he ceased to breathe, about 5 o'clock Sunday morning. He remained unconscious up to the time of his death. As he was alone at the time of the accident, it is not known just how it happened. His horses and buggy were found in the west part of the city not seriously injured. It is not known that any bones were broken, and only a. slight bruise was found on one elbow. It is supposed that death resulted from concussion of the brain. Mr. Sheahan was among the early settlers of St. Mary, having taken up his residence there in 1856. By his own industry and that of his family, he had accumulated a large property as a farmer. He was about sixty-two years of age, and left surviving him a worthy wife and ten children.

Politics

Politically speaking, 1888 was an exciting year. For some time corruption had run wild in the county, and even the corrttptionists themselves fell out with one another. The head boodler was Charles McKenna who "could smile and smile and be a villain." Matters came to a head, Sept. 22, 1888, and the following record of events is taken from one of the local papers published at the time :

August C. Krassin

"The democratic convention was called to order by Hon. R. O. Craig, chairman of the committee, who read the call. On the instant of the closing word in the call John Moonan nominated Thos. Bohen for chairman. Some one moved to amend by substituting the name of Martin Laudert, of New Richland. On a vote the amendment was declared lost; then Bohen was elected. He thanked the convention, and announced the election of a secretary in order.

"A committee on credentials was appointed and as soon as its report was received and adopted, Mike Murphy moved to proceed to nominate by ballot a candidate for sheriff. As a result of the balloting, Krassin received 48 votes, Maloney 20, and Keeley 2. The chair declared Krassin nominated. The convention then proceeded to the nomination of representative which resulted in the choice of J. L. Hanson, of Otisco. Matters were getting warm, when Pat. Splllane moved to nominate county treasurer next. John Moonan moved to amend by substituting auditor for treasurer. The amendment was declared carried. The first ballot gave J. B. Madden 46 votes, and Daniel Murray, Jr., 21. The former was declared the nominee.

"McKenna's friends began to get excited and several of them moved to nominate treasurer next; but McKenna's Nemesis, John Moonan, moved to amend by substituting superintendent for treasurer and the chair, amid much confusion, noise, and tobacco smoke, declared the amendment carried. Dr. Christie was nominated by acclamation, loud and long, for county superintendent.

"Hon. Wm. Brisbane nominated McKenna, and Darling Welch nominated Henry Chase. The ballot was taken, and the whole convention crowded around the tellers' table to watch the result. Pretty soon John Moonan gave a whoop, and declared there was a fraudulent vote cast by McDowell, who was not a delegate. The tellers announced the vote as follows: McKenna 37 - Chase 37.

"Quick as a flash some one moved that 'Henry Chase be declared the nominee of this convention.' The chair put the motion amidst the wildest confusion and declared it carried, while at least one-half of the delegates and many others were yelling in a way that would have excited the jealousy of a Modoc band of braves on a scalping expedition.

"The sheriff finally mounted the table, armed with a cane, commanded the peace, and ordered every man outside the railing except the officers of the convention. He pleaded and commanded by turns until partial order was again restored.

"Some one then mov'ed to take another ballot for treasurer. The chair decided the motion out of order. John Moonan moved the nomination of C. Deyling for register of deeds. Then the floodgates of Babel were again opened, and, amid the wildest yelling and hooting, the chair put the motion and declared it carried.

"By this time it began to look as though there might be something more serious than chin music, and Hon. Wm. Brisbane, declaring that he never before saw in all his life such a disorderly crowd, moved to adjourn. Thos. Bohen, the chairman still 'full of sand,' put the motion for adjournment and declared it carried, while the McKenna men were still shouting 'ballot!' 'ballot!' 'We'll have a fair ballot or bolt' 'Give us a ballot,' etc., etc.

"By this time the platform inside the railing was crowded with excited and angry men, and the sheriff had to call in the whole police force of the city to get the surging crowd back outside the railing. At last partial order was restored, and Mike Murphy mounted the table, stating that the president of the convention had abandoned his position, and advising that the delegates present choose another chairman and proceed to fill out the ticket. That seemed to please those remaining (many having left the hall) and Hon. Wm. Brisbane was elected president. He accepted the election, remarking that although the convention had adjourned on his motion, he hoped that there might be a fair ballot at last.

"Mike Sheeran moved that they proceed to ballot for treasurer, that the name of each delegate be called, and that each vote in response to his name. This motion seemed to prevail. Then there was a hunt for a list of names, the secretary having left the hall. The list was finally secured. As a result of this ballot, McKenna received 39 votes and Chase 12.

Without seeming to comprehend the ridiculousness of the proposition, Pat. Spillane moved to make McKenna's nomination unanimous, and the motion prevailed. Without acting upon the nomination of court commissioner, county surveyor, or coroner, the convention came to a close by common consent." ,

After the convention there was much excitement on the streets and it was evident that the "war" would continue. The following appeared in the Herald of Oct. 5, 1889 :

"Before the last Herald was published there were rumors upon the street that Mr. McKenna, county treasurer, had left the country and was a de- faulter in thousands of dollars. These rumors were stoutly denied by his friends, who claimed that he and his wife had gone to Faribault on a visit, and would return in a few days. The Herald, ever careful of publishing damaging statements about anyone without proof of facts, refrained from making public the rumors.

"It has since come to light that, on Saturday evening, after the Democratic convention, McKenna at once commenced arrangements to leave. He sold his interest in the store to his partner, Mr. Bell, arranged some other matters very privately, and, on Tuesday morning, engaged a livery rig and took his wife with him to Faribault, giving out that they would visit friends there a few days. That allayed suspicion, and if any were in the secret they kept it. Mrs. McKenna did not return until Friday evening, which gave the treasurer plenty of time to join the boodlers in Canada before anyone here was aware of the facts.

"On Friday, the board of audit met to examine the accounts and funds of the treasurer. They found a defalcation, and a special meeting of the county board was called. The state examiner was notified, and came down on Monday. He made examinations, results of which appear of record as follows:

"Board of county commissioners met in special session, October 1, 1888, at 2 o'clock p. m., for the purpose of examining into the condition of the county treasury - members were all present.

"The board of audit, consisting of Philip Purcell, chairman of the county board, S. Swenson, county auditor, and M. B. Keeley, clerk of district court, reported that on the 28th day of September, 1888, they met for the purpose of examining the books and vouchers of said office. Their examination resulted as follows: July 14th, 1888, county funds on deposit in Bank of Waseca, as

$6,686 62 Add together the sum unaccounted for, $3,727.04, the amount drawn on private checks, $1,863.39, and the amount credited to his private accounts, $1,096.62, and the total is $6,686.62, which is only $11.98 less than the defalcation which is reported to be $6,694.64. We are informed that the Bank of Waseca explains that matter by saying that the bank officer July 14, made a mistake in giving the amount of the county money deposited - the mistake being the amount of $3,727.40.

"The board approved of the report. The public examiner being present, stated that he had sent a dispatch to Governor McGill, and the board adjourned until 1.30 p. m.

"Upon the reassembling of the board, a dispatch was received from Governor McGill to the effect that Chas. McKenna had been removed from office. Thereupon the county commissioners proceeded to the election of a treasurer to fill the vacancy.

"The bond of Mr. Chase was fixed at $30,000. Mr. Chase appeared and filed his bond with R. O. Craig, J. O. Chandler, John Pinley, and W. W. Day as sureties.

"In the -evening the board of commissioners met and instructed the county auditor to cause an action to be commenced against Chas. Mc- Kenna and his sureties, in district court, for the recovery of moneys belonging to said county."

Mr. McKenna never returned or made good the defalcation, and his bondsmen had to make good the loss to the county. There was universal sympathy for his bondsmen, all of whom were farmers and hard working men that had made their property by hard work and close economy. The brutality of thus betraying the confidence of friends is worse ten times over than ordinary stealing'.