The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-08-18
Is 1T A SUIT FOR LIBEL ?
LOUIS ID. MINNIGERODE vs.. CHAs.
POTTS, FOR $4,000.
A Suit Entered i'm the Circuit Court, which
Appears TO be for Libel--Counsel for Prose.
cution rs Mum as Oystsrs-what May
Have Led 10 the Suit.

Il suit has been entered in the Circuit
Court Of Richmond in which Louis ID.
Minniger0de sues Charles Il. Potts for
$4,000 damages through his counsel,
Judges W. W. Crump and L. c. Minor
The declaration in the case has not been
filed, though recent occurrences with
which the names OF the plaintiff and de-
fendant were associated leave little doubt
in the minds Of those acquainted with a
late trouble at the Richmond and Danville
railroad freight office as to the cause Of the
suit.
just before the first OF the present month
Captain Hiram james. OF the Richmond
and Danville railroad, deposited with Mr..
James A. Angel, freight agent Of that
road, S3,12s for safe-keeping. and the
money was placed by that gentleman in the
Office safe. About three days thereafter
Mr.. Angel, in looking through the safe
discovered that the money was gone. He
at once employed the services of Detective
John Wren and acquainted all the clerks
in the Office with the fact that the
money had been stolen. The gem
tlcmen connected with the office very
naturally felt great concern about the mat
ter. and especially did Mr.. Potts, who car
ing after the robbery. while Mr.. Angel was
in consultation with Detective Wren in the
lattcr'S Office. the plaintiff In the above suit
came in and handed over the missing
money. which he said he had found in a
lumber-room adjoining one Of the offices.
The money was counted, and found TO be
80, 3,100-iust S2S less than when deposited
in the safe.
The disappearance OF the money re-
maincd mystery, and it is said that Mr..
Minnigcrode felt himself aggriCvcd by re-
marks which he understood had been made
by defendant. Mr.. Potts, and which cast
imputaton upon his character.
Having a,ccrtaincd the above facts from
parties most likely 10 know. other than the
plaintiff and defendant in the aforemcn-
toned suit, Djepatch representative
visited Mr.. MinniecrOdc's counsel with
view OF presenting the ease briefly and im-
partially. The senior OF Mr.. Minnigc-
rodc's counsel received the Dispotch man
with a dicniGed and cercmoni0us polite
ness, which contained a. much information
for the scribe a. was elected during the
fifteen minutes interview which followed.
The Judge admitted that the memorandum
OF suit upon the cOUrt-books was correct,
but said than further than that he did
not care to talk with any one about
his clients affairs: when the case was tried
he thought il would he time enough for
publication. and mildly hinted that further
than that il was none Of the DiSpdtch'S or
the public'- business. The remark yen-
tuIcd was that il was somewhat in the line
Of our business to publish the events Of
the day. and especially court transactions,
present. past. and future. He replied that
ne might be considered an old iogy,
but That he never cOUrted newspaper noto-
rictv, and while positively declining tC
give any statement about any of his law
cases, he would he ready at any time t
discourse upon topics OF importance to Ou
community. and especially upon philan
thropic gas project for supplying the peo
pie with cl.cap luminary. In conclusion
he referred the Dispatch man 10 the junior
lawyer in the case, saying that if ne chose
to give any points or raise any objection,
to the matter for publication il was AL
right.
4 visit to the other Judge was attended
with results even more disastrous; ioI
after declining to have anything To say
about the cause for which the >uit wa, III
stituted, and almost arguing us into Tho
| belief that that we knew we ana no
know. and that the suit might be for Sian
der or something else, he threatened that j
we persisted publishing a statement baeeC
upon fact, we had gathered, eve may b'
c6mpclled TO bring suit against YOU We
let. overcome with the depth and circum'
,pection OF legal lore, yet not altogether
convinced that the suit Of Minnigerode as
Pott. for -, 0CO ba. no connection with The
recent trouble at the Richmond and Dan
willie railroad freight Office, above reported.