The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1876-10-26

me 10 make one answer conclusive as
to all these wicked and malicious al
legations.
will now collate in their order the
charges, and reply to them in the
same order and connection, verifying
by oath the truth of every statement
herein made
First am charged with having
been member of the firm of Hill,
Anthony & Co.. doing business in the
city of New York, and as such CO.
partner obtaining and receiving the
consignment of goods to be sold on
commission by the use of misrep-
resentation and fraudulent pretense.
| am not only charged with these Of
fences, but of pleading guilty to them
under the solemn forms of law.
In support OF these allegations, and
as conclusive proof thereof, there has
been published what purports to be a
transcript from the records of the case
as they now appear on fik in the
books of said court, copy of which
said record is hereto attached as pub
lished.
| admit the business association of
Hill, Anthony & Co., and beg to
brief its history for your information.
The firm as organized in 1850 consist
ed of the following parties, Robert L.
Hill, l. w. Swan, Z. S. Whalen, A.
M. Ives and George T. Anthony
Each member of the firm was reputed
solvent, and esteemed by all as per
sons possessed of means adequate to
the undertaking.
The credit of the firm was ample
and its business large in handling con-
signments of goods upon which adj
vances were made, as is the custom
in that business. Parties, believed to
be responsible, were allowed to pur-
chase grain at Buffalo and other points,
paying for the same with drafts upon
us, which drafts were accompanied by
bills of lading and policies of insurance
sent to us for acceptance and payment
In the autumn of 1860 we had ar
ranged to put in store, and did put in
stores in New York, large amount
of grain SO purchased, having an ar
rangement with our banker to hold
the paper of the consignor, with our
endorsement, for a grain market after
the close of navigation, and before lis
opening in the following spring.
This business was the same in form
as that common 10 such transactions
then and now, and involved no un-
usual hazard TO the consignor, except
in an exceptional arrangement of val
ues against which human foresight is
incompetent to guard.
The election of Abraham Lincoln
in November of that year was sudden
| ly followed by symptoms of political
| uncertainty which soon ripened into
a public fear of rebellion on the part
of the South. So sudden was this re-
suit, and SO potent in the impairment
of confidence, that values were sub
stantiallyelost, and business ruin fol-
lowed'to nearly everyone engaged in
the business of handling produce.
The sale of the grain was mine, and
It's holding a doubtful experiment
wherethe means and credit of the hold
er were such as to make, holding a
thing possible.
A portion of our firm favored the
sale, and going into immediate liqui-
daticn-a course, as the sequel shows,
most wise. The balance of the.firm
were hopeful and determined, insist
ing upon holding for reaction and
advance which they felt would surely
come to their relief.
The result was that Whalen and
Ives retired from the firm, leaving
Hill, Swan and the writer. We car
ried through the winter, one of the
few in New York, closing out at Sc
we're loss, but holding reclamation
claims against the shippers fully JUS
tifying prudent men in continuing
There were no reasons for conceal
ing the true standing of the firm, nor
was such concealment possible, mas
much as all our transactions were
with banks and bankers jealous for
their own safety and conversant with
all the varying shades of individual
credit.
At this time, during the spring of
1861 MIR. Isaac n. Halliday, whose
deposition appears as part of said
court records, was employed on his
representation that he could com
mand a very large Western trade
His engagement was for one year.
His statements as 10 representations
made by me or made by Mr.. Hill as
to the responsibility and capital of the
firm are utterly false in every detail
The business standing of the firm was
not, SO far | know, questioned by him
or any one else. BY consent of the
parties We had single business refer
ence in New York, the President of
the Atlantic Bank, and | do not be-
lieve, Mr.. Halliday was ever referred
to him, bur was allowed to refer all
shippers from whom consignments
were solicited to this bank
This place of reference was solely
from the fact that our deposits were
there and all our acceptances made pay
able there. This bank had stood by us
through the trials of the prior year
and knew all about us. We were not
indebted to it in money or other man
ner to induce it to misrepresent our
solvency, nor do | believe President
Southworth, of that bank, could have
been induced to mislead any one in