The Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1869-1872, 1870-07-13
A $4,000. 600 Lawsuit.
From the Placer Herald. July 81

We have received a copy, in pamphlet
form, OF the complaint in great suit in equi-
| ty, commenced by Samuel Brannan, ct al
against the Directors of the Central Pacific
Railroad Of California, ct al, in-olying prop
| erty, franchises and rights To a value exceed
ing 5000, ,0O0, 900. The allegations and sched-
| ules of the complaint make eighty pages OF
| printed matter in law form. There are fifty
/ five distinct and detailed allegations, covering
some sixty printed pages of the complaint,
exclusive of the schedules describing the
! property of the company and OF the Directors
and their confederates, which the Court (the
| Fifteenth District) is asked 10 restrain Leland
Stanford, Huntington, Hopkins, Charles and
! Z. B. Crocker and their confederates from
| controlling, disposing OF. concealing, or in any
manner interfering with during the tendency
! Of the suit. The complaint alleges in sub
| stance that the Stanfords, Crockers and Hunt
ington & Hopkins were conn aratively poor
men when the Central Pacific Railroad Com
pany was incorporated; that they never ex-
pended dollar of what little they had on the
road, or in payment for stock or assessments;
that with the money received from Placer
county, Sacramento county, San Francisco,
$3.50 900, the State of California, the United
States, and outside individual stockholders,
they built and stocked the road. aud pockctcd
individually vast millions besides in the most
rascnlly and fraudulent manner. 1t is alleged
that these Directors the Stamfords, CTockers
and Huntington X Hopkins, formed u contract
and finance company composed of themselves,
and rs directors of the railroad company voted
and paid over to themselves AZ the said con-
tract aud finance company, money auil means
which were the property of nll the stOckhold-
eIs uf the RAILROAD company pro rnta, TO the
valne of 1925, ,S55,GlS 17-S2OG 632, ,GGl 50tI
OF which sum was in excess of the actual cost
Of the construction and equipment Of the road I;
thus robbing deliberately, with wicked and
abandoned hearts, the people Of Placer and
sacramento counties, and tho other stockhold-
. ers, out of these vast millions of dollars; that
these vast millions were and are being used TO
, purchase and build the Western Pacific the
I, Oregon. the San Joaquin Valley, the Southern
Pacific and other roads; to purchase the San
Jose road, To corrupt CongressmCn, State leg
:, isIstors, the public press, and other base and
ilegitimate purposes; that all these roads,
lands, and other private and public property,
save and except what these Directors had when
the corporation was formed, is held by fraud,
n has been obtained in fraud and Is in fact and
:. equity tho property Of the original stockhold-
ors OF the Central Pacific Railroad Company
in pro rata proportion TO the amount paid in
a | on the stock, and should be so declared by the
:, Court. II is further alleged that these Direct
ors voted and paid TO themselves as the con
q tract company, in some instances, for the con
N e,r,.c.!,,, If the road at the ratio of 81 900
when the work was done by sub-contractor'
~ for one dollari 1t is charged that these men
= Stanford and confederates, took the mone,
= belonging to Sacramento and Placer and thu
- other stockholders, and through ID. .. Mill
:, & Go. purchased our stock with our owl
"a money in fraud. md that the sale Is void
~ This being the case, of which there il not
doubt, Placer still holds her original proper
tion Of all the rights, franchises and propert.
1t Of the Central Pacific Railroad, and all Othe
n roads and property claimed 10y tho Sanfords
. Crockers, Huntington a. Hopkins and ihei
- confederates, acquired since the incorporation
ST of the Central Pacific Railroad, even down Z
in the finest private mansion on the Pacific coast
~ which interest amounts TO 1.32 part OF tn
- whole, or ono dollar out OF every ihirty-twc
:. making sum exceeding $3.50 900. accord
- ing to the estimated value Of the whole proI
a erty in the complaint. We have known of tn
- actual commencement of the draft Of this con
:. plant since last November, and so has our g,
-, District Attorney, now the attorney OF the
u 7. IL. r., and the ex.County Recorder, for "
q, showed them both tho correspondence ha
= with the attorney for the plaintiff in this sui
., Tho complaint prays TINT a receiver bc al
ba pointed 10 take charge Of oil these railroad
IA and property, 10 run, manage and control u
-, same; that Leland Stanford, Hontingtoi
W Hopkins, Charles and l.. Is. Crockor and the
confederates. be enjoincd from acting ~ ID
rectors, and that they and ID. o. Mills and j
a. o. Mills x Co. DO restrained from voting
n any meeting OF stockholders, or roprcsontir
any shares of stock acquired since the 1O
'A' day Of April, 1870 (Placer and Sacramon
en- stock); that thoy be enjoincd from sellin
ed transferring, pledging or In any manner !
as cumboring any stock, lands, bonds or proper
on now claimed or controlled by them; that IA
i'm defendants bo restrained from ceiling or
cd cupiberinq any lands. and that all sales ma
nv 10 B. y. Redding be declared fraud and vol
nd that Redding bo enjoincd from meddling wi
,y or selling tho lands; that all contracts betwe