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6LOOMKSTGTON WEEKLY LEADER: THURSDAY, N(fi1eietIi1titri-aeeyeoeei-ee.a»t-y%FINE AND PRISONnsa* } *tsedrr.:r(1awaeryeiS*e;r)fenisISnr.ddi.•ei:W- H. SCHUREMAN SENTENCED TOJOLIET PENITENTIARY.The Normal Banker Pleads Guilty and Is Sent to Prison for One Year and Fined»18,000—What He Has to Scene in the Court Koom.Say-TheFrom Monday's Daily.When William H. Schureman this morning pleaded guilty on twenty-nine indictments for embezzlement and forgery there was a ripple of excitement among the spectators. Judge Tipton was surprised. The news on reaching the street and spreading into Normal created a sensation. Everyone expected the case would be stubbornly fought. Judge Tipton immediately took the matter of sentencing him under advisement, promising to render a decision at 1:30 this afternoon. When court reassembled the room filled rapidly.Mr. Schureman was surrounded by his family, including three bright children, who seemed not to realize what it all meant. Judge Tipton spoke at length, saying that the task before him was very difficult. He had expected that an in -partial jury would hear the case and decide it. After reviewing the law and stating what he could do if he so wished, the judge rendered the decision that tin defendant serve one year in the penitentiary and pay the fine imposed by the law, viz: double the amount of the deposits.In this instance Mr. Schureman’s penalty is the payment of £48,000.The scene when the decision was given was not affecting. Mr. Schureman and his wife were composed and stood the test well.Judge Tipton could have let him off with the fine but he thought that justice would not be pacified unless lie sentenced th» defendant to the additional punishment ol imprisonment.Schureman Talks.A reporter for The Leader talked with Mr. Schureman this afternoon previous to the time s et for Judge Tipton to render his decision in the case. He said:“My wife and I talked the matter over together and decided that the only thing for me to do was to plead guilty to the twenty-nine indictments standing against me, and that is what I did this morning when the case was called up. According to the law I was guilty of the charge against me, which wafc receiving mone.N thirty days before the bank closrc when I knew that I was insolvent. Then was no charge of fraud or crime in the indictments and so there was nothing olse for me to do unless I wished to be dishonest and lie, and that J did not care to do.I fully understand tho law in this matter, which is that I shall be fined double the amount I received, which would be a fint of over #40,001, and that it further provides that the court may sentence me to imprisonment in the penitentiary for not less than one year and not more than three. What tho court will do in this matter I do not know If 1 fought the cases it would leave the matter hanging over my head for year? and my wife and myself decided that this would be the shortest way to settle the matter. My connection with the nursery was the beginning of my downfall. I in vested #8,500 in the business aud a short time after I discovered that it was not profitable but I could not get out. The shrinkage in my assets since the bank closed accounts in a large part for my inability to settio with my depositors.UI haven’t got a thing m the world that the law does not allow me. 1 turned over my watch with other things when the crash came, and the young ladies of my Sunday school class took up a subscription and bought it back for ine and here it is.The great reason that Mr. Schureman isin his present predicament is simply be cause he could not say k no.”The case of the people against Mr. J. A. Farrell who is charged with assaulting with intent to kill, Mr. J. B. Callen, came up in the circuit court today. A motion was made by the defendant's attorneys to continue the case. The motion was granted. The case is still remembered, Callen was accused of beating his wife when Farrell rushed in to defend the woman, shooting several times at Callen. The latter is well and the trial of his assailant will occur at the next term of court.When Mr. Bartlett of Quincy was secretary of the state fish commission he established the headquarters of the commission at that place. But it certainly is most inconvenient from the geographical location of the Adams county capital. Secretary Langford lives at Havana and he sees the necessity of moving more nearly to the centre of the state. So he has asked the Spring Lake Hunting and Fishing club for ground for headquarters and the club has given him choice of any portion of its properties at the lake. As soon as the ice gees out in the spring he will remove all the paraphanalia of the commission to Spring Lake, including the hatcheries, the boat, etc. This will be a good thing for club, many of whose members are Bloomington men who will improve the opportunity of frequent visits to the lake to see how things are (lone.A CONFIDENCE CAME ATTEMPTEDRev. J. B. Henderson, a prominent minister and an old settler, was thrown from his wagon this week and sustained a fracture of the left femur. He was in a spring seat on top of a double bed of an empty wagon. The horses becoming scared ran away, throwing him to the ground. He is resting easy at this writing and his physician says that he will pull through all right. He is 70 years old and well known in eastern McLean county.An Alleged Sop of Jacob Funk Appearsat a Farmer's House.The “Funks’ son” game was attempted this week at Atlanta.Mr. H. Hieronymus was herding sheep in a pasture when a young man approached and introduced himself as a son of Mr. Jacob Funk of this city. He gave reasons for his being in those parts, stating that he wished to purchase a farm, mentioning a fine one near by as having especially attracted his eye. While the two were talking an eccentric looking individual put in an appearance. Apparently he was deranged, for he exhibited a satchel full of greenbacks and his pockets filled with gold. He said he was hunting a young lady of curious name name who was an heiress. Three card monte, he claimed, had lost #1,000 for him and he produced the cards and went through the trick in a bungling manner. Mr. Hieronymus did not bite. Young Funk then remonstrated with the feeble minded youth for carrying so much money and suggested that he get a draft. But the f. m. was afraid of banks but finally a deal was arranged whereby the f. m. was to leave the money with Mr. Hieronymus if Funk and Hieronymus could show that they were worth it. The two drove to Atlanta but Hieronymus did not get the money because of some warning words dropped by the cashier. Funk asked nim to get security and insisted on staying in the background as it would not do for him to be seen.Finally they started back home and when about haif way they met f. m., toi/ i-whom Mr. Funk conveyed the intelligencein strong terms that Mr. Hieronymus could not raise the wind. The two “cons” then left their intended victim and tied.TEASaturday evening there occurred a cutting affray in Normal which narrowly escaped being a killing. Pete Wren, a well known character about that town, had gotten pretty well loaded with spirits, good and bad, and afterward got into a dispute with Henry Goff and Frank Evans, two respectable citizens. The difficulty occurred in the blacksmith shop of Mr. Goff, and when the wrath of Wren was aroused he seized a knife used for paring horses’ hoofs and went to slashing right and left. Both Evans and Goff got some cuts, the latter receiving a couple of slashes which were dangerously near his jugular vein. Evans was only slightly grazed. Wren was quieted after a time. No arrests have vet been made.Vice President Stevenson will pass the day of annual thanksgiving at his home in thi- city with his family, he having decided not to leave for Washington until Friday. It is the intention to spend the day in a quiet, homelike manner. So far as at present known, there will be no guests from abroad at the vice president’s home, the family being together for the last time before the departure for Washington. Mr. Stevenson will probably attend thanksgiving services at the Second Presbyterian church in the morning.Secretary of the Navy Herbert and Miss Herbert, who were here last week to attend the the Stevenson-Davis wedding, are now in Washington and will be safely esconced in their new home, corner of F. and Twentieth streets, by Thanksgivingday. Here they will have a regulation southern dinner of all manner of good things to tempt the appetite. Their dinner will be enjoyed with a select company of personal friends.There have been many sad things connected with the failure of the Schureman bank at Normal. There have been many remarkable things said and done both by the banker and the depositors who have suffered. But the most singular of all is now published for the first time. It arises and is recalled by Mr. Schureman’s confession and sentence to the penitentiary.One bright day last September a group of ministers occupied seats in a Big Four east bound train. They were from Bloomington and in the course of their conversation the subject of the Schureman failtre was referred to. Several of the clergymen knew the principal in the drama and they were discussing his motives, his character and works when one of the numberdold a little story.Said he: “I knew Mr. Schureman well. I was indeed an intimate friend. I loved and honored him and still believe him innocent of fraud and embezzlement. But he once made a remark to me that startled me. We were riding to Chicago one day on the Alton, when we passed the Joliet penitentiary. Schureman's face assumed a troubled, almost horrified expression and ho burst out: ‘Dr. 1 shudder everyWater haulers are doing a fine business. Rainwater is almost as precious as attertime I see those walls.’ Tt was some time before he spoke again or recovered his usual composure.”In the light of yesterday’s proceedings it seems natural that he should shudder at sight of the white walls at Joliet.LIT!NA Rede DriveiWhatation-Thisncommer Coal coi urbs of who ust failed t( the min has beeoperaticThe Utheir w;intende:ning wi#1.50 pe:a reduclteamsteand #l.idirectlyty, buttheir wlt; the enti men wh from tl mouthmen hai shaft a the siti a Leae been as) they hi work c mainly; have fai No. m drivers no unioi seem to and saySMana;Duhty*gardingnot regaexpect t soon, prlt; “The co pay of S' and the: is to it. tion are #1.50 eve regard times. employe clamoiTicourse v choice,compelhextreme ever si has bee not buy: a big fir found tl operatir so wher burdens now pa^almost i have tomine b^ any bui coal are Every no troulNotwof Presicerning Cnicagc that tin ed and propert of the Four o spectioi are act taking i equipmex am in arrive iMr. iare in kin's fiW. T. 1 known in the protect: this sul time's cHopkinThanksAt last, after months of preliminary planning, talk and work, Normal citizens this week saw the laying of the first actual pavement ever put down on the streets of the ciQ. The curbing on the block at the east end of North street having been set for some weeks, it began to look as if the storms of winter would -set in before the brick would be put down, after all. But Tuesday a big gangof men appeared on the scene under Contractor McGregor, wagons of sand and cinders were dumped upon the block as a foundation for the brick laying. Bright and early Wednesday morning the long expected roller, drawn by a double team, was driven along the south side of the car track and compacted the bed of the street. The laying of the brick quickly followed and the work has since been hustled through. It was expected to finish early next week, so that soon a full block of brick pavement will be one of Normal's permanent features of accomplishment for the year 1893. It may be just a starter for more in years to come.—Normal Advocate.At thquite n quality sale. Ipopulaito goodTrust 6 east masterclosure Thou court fifendanJohndecreeaside;Davfiet al; rA. Wbank; referre CarolanswerDurii fair wa from lo sengers of nea: liveredted avenueconsideoludfi t
Newspaper Details
Bloomington Weekly Leader
Bloomington, Illinois, US
Thu, Nov 30, 1893
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Patty M.
IL, USA 26 Jan 2020
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