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dence of crookedness had been found
back of 1890, but it is said today that it
goes back to 1877. Not much progress
has been made in getting at the assets
and it will be a long time before they
are known. It is believed they will not
exceed $25,000 in actual value. No new
attachments have been filed today. In
all four have been filed, aggregating $42,066;
two in favor of Mrs. Spence for $20,500;
one for the Nelson estate for $21,066, and
one for the Watertown bank for $500.
Banker Abert of Fond du Lac arrived this
afternoon with a large batch of securities
and is now making an investigation to see
whether or not they are all right.
# Burning of the Courthouse.
A startling fact of local history has
leaked out in connection with one of the
many theories as to the cause of Mr.
Rambusch's defalcations. It is the
statement made by those who know
whereof they speak, that in certain quar-
ters Mr. Rambusch was suspected on
pretty good grounds of having started
the fire that destroyed the courthouse
and the county records many years ago.
The fire was laid at the door of a de-
faulting county treasurer, but the then
district attorney had reason to believe
that Mr. Rambusch had set fire to the
building, and he had such good grounds
that he employed Pinkerton detectives to
work up the case. They found evidence
tending to prove that Rambusch was the
guilty man, but it was not sufficient to
make a case and the matter was dropped.
Nobody ever knew anything about it ex-
cept the district attorney and one or two
friends, but the fact now comes out.
It was that fire that put Mr. Ram-
busch upon his feet. Up to that time
he had been poor and heavily in debt.
He had just bought an abstract business
upon credit for $3500, and the moment
the county records were destroyed the
abstracts in his possession became worth
$25,000. That was in 1877, and from
that day to this they have been the rec-
ords for the county and have been a
source of great revenue to Mr. Ram-
busch. The theory of those who know
this fact is that Mr. Rambusch has been
heavily in debt ever since and has been
covering one crooked deal with another,
all the time living up to or beyond his
income. Whether or not they are right
will perhaps never be settled, but when
it is known just how far back the crook-
edness dates, there will be some evidence
tending to either prove or disprove the
theory.
# The Bank is All Right.
The last two days have been anxious
ones for the officers of the Citizens'
bank, of which Mr. Rambusch was
president, but the danger of a run is
now over. It was fully expected that
there would be a run yesterday, but only
a single certificate was withdrawn. Yes-
terday provision was made for a run,
but it did not materialize. Everything
proved that the bank was not hurt and
the people did not lose confidence in it.
Mr Rambusch had little to do with the
management of the bank and his crook-
edness did not affect it in the least.
Bank Examiner Kidd of Prairie du
Chien and Cashier Kasten of the Wis-
consin National bank, the Milwaukee
correspondent of the Citizens', were here
yesterday and both found the bank to be
solid. Both left last night. Mr. Kidd
spent the day in the bank, and before he
left last night he stated that everything
about the concern was all right. Cashier
Hemmy's course in calling in a commit-
tee of citizens to examine the books of
the bank proved to be wise and the re-
port of the committee did a great deal to
allays the fears of the people.
On Tuesday a warrant was issued for
Mr. Rambusch's arrest by the district at-
torney on information signed by John
Leslie, one of his sureties on the Nelson
estate bond. The charge is embezzle-
ment. Sheriff Binte immediately tele-
graphed to various parts of the country,
asking the authorities to be on the look-
out for Rambusch. Sheriff Binte thinks
a mistake was made in not issuing the
warrant earlier. The sheriff and his
deputies and the appraisers remained in
Rambusch's office until about 11:30 p.
m., continuing the search through his ef-
fects, but nothing of much account was
found.
Mr. Rambusch was born in Denmark
and emigrated to the land of the free
when a young man. He was residing in
New York when the war broke out and
promptly enlisted as a member of the
Fifth New York Volunteer infantry and
was honorably discharged from the serv-
ice in January, 1862. In the same year
he came West, locating in Watertown,
this state, where he remained until 1867,
when he went to Minneapolis, remaining
there for four years, and in 1871 he re-
ceived an appointment in the foreign de-
partment of the postoffice department.
Later he was appointed one of the com-
missioners to Berlin in the interests of
the United States postoffice department.
In 1874 he located at Juneau, engag-
ing in the insurance and real estate
business there and afterwards going in-
to partnership in that business with Mr.
Mertz, in which he was engaged when
he disappeared. In 1868 Rambusch was
united in marriage to Miss Emily Cur-
tiss of Minneapolis. He was always sup-
posed to be successful in business and
above reproach.
# Maj. Rockwood Saw Rambusch.
It is learned that Maj. H. S. Rock-
wood of Portage, who started for the
East last Saturday, traveled in company
with Rambusch over the Pennsylvania
railroad on Sunday. There was nothing
in the behavior of Rambusch to arouse
the suspicions of Maj. Rockwood, who
has known the Juneau man for a long
time. Rambusch told the major that he
was going to Philadelphia to visit
friends.
