The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1885-01-28
4 FORCED FAILURE.
ROB'T MCKEE or TIMBERLINE SERE-
I'D WITH ATTACHMENTS.
Liabilities Sr4,ooo.- Different Sides Of The
Transactions.--Parties Interested.-His
Assets Reported at $4,000.

/ Before going TO press last week til
/ CnEoNIcIE was put in possession Of til
facts relating to an attachment bein
placed on the effects Of Robert Mckee {
Timberline, by Cans 4 Howe, whoIesal
grocers of st. Paul This firm, through
ST. Paul parties, were informed Of MI
Mckee's financial standing and by tele
! graphing to their travelling agent at Gal
latin, had him return to Bozeman an,
have attachments tor 81 $50 placed on
band Of sheep and either property he
longing to Mr.. Mckee. This, theiragen
informs us, was dome early in the morn
| ing by the sheriff, about fifteen minutes
before notice was received stating tina
the sheep had been transferred to thu
herders possession.
In the meanwhile, Sebree, Ferris
White & Co., had sent man to Timber
line in the night and taken n hasty in
rentory Of the stock in the store Of Mr.
Mckee. A. Iamme K Co. ollowed with
an attachment for $500 ON the goods
Among the creditors in Bozeman are
Sebree, Ferris, White K Go. fer 81, 100
7. j. LYnde, 900; Walter Cooper. $500
W. H. Tracy, $500 making altogether
abont $4,000.
The friends of Mr.. Mckee claim that
the stock in his store, the building, etc.
which have lately been turned oyer to
the Northern Pacific coal company will
inventory Sl7 900, leaving 81 900 margin
They also claim that the failure Is the re-
suit of a preconcerted arrangement OF
men who expected TO frighten Mr. Me-
Kee into turning over his ranches, sheep
and other valuable outside property to
his creditors and bya series ofprolonged
litigation gradually secure the store and
its effects. They also claim that if Mr..
Mckee had been dishonest he could have
withheld payments lately made to his
creditors and failed with plenty of ready
money.
On The ether hand it is claimed that
finding an attachment inevitable he en-
deavored to secure what money he had
in the bank and to transfer his property
to other hands
The Bozeman Pioneer Press reporter
who is commercially energetic in news
gathering but quite often too hasty in his
deductions, has the following to say re-
garding the matter:
Attachments have been made ON the
stock farms and buildings of Robert Me-
Kee, merchant at Underline The
attaching parties are Vanz & Howe, st.
Paul for 81 800, and A Lanme & Co.,
Bozeman, 81 ,200. Mr. Mckee has held
the position of manager Of the Northern
Pacific coal mine for over year, and
but lately resigned that position on
account of some trouble with the COM
pany. He owned large store at the
mines, and carried stock worth from
$4,000 to S20,000. On resigning his
position he sold this property to the
coal company, but as he got no pay for
il, his creditors becoming uneasy, have
to secure themselves as mar
rated Mr. Mckee is Il thoroughly
honest and reliable man, is worth froin
ten t. twenty thousand dollars over his
aud wlIl pay every cent that
he owes Creditors who are pressing
their claims are doing him great in
Justice, for he cannot pay them until the
cal company pays him. Besides his
store property he owns a large flock Of
sheep and stock ranch The firm of
Sebree, Ferris & White, Bozeman
bankers, are unsecured creditors for
$4,000. The total liabilities do not exceed
$4,000"
Mr.. Mckee is clear-headed scotch
man and has worked in coal mines from
boyhood. He was for a long tune en-
ployed at Sims, Dakota, and by careful
economy has gathered together consider
sble Of worldly goods, sheep herd,
,oal mine. ranches and other valuable
property
Under Charles Thompson, superinten-
lent of the y. p coal company h. was
'nre Of position as manager at Timber
inc and with the appreciation and pro-
Fable aid of Mr. Thompson, he started
he Timberline store having monopoly
# that business and doing q business of
rom four to eight thousand dollars I,er
month"; The miners were paid in cheeks,
he amount Of their store indebtedness
icing deducted, and for assessor this firm
.njoyed a prosperous monopoly. Under
he new regime, which relieved MIR.
Thompson, Mr.. Mckee was also dis
harged, end his goods purchased by the
oal company VINO have taken the store
nd it, contents and will hereafter opef-
tie it,
From an extended acquaintance with
Ir Mckee we believe him to be IN
Ionest man who viii pay up every cent