The Portland daily press., 1885-12-24
CREDIT MoBlLlER LITIGATION.
a Suit Which Promises to be Cele'
brated One.

NEWPORT, r. L,..Dec. GA suit has just
been entered in the Circuit Court of the
United States, the title of which is "John N.
A. Griswold VS.. Rowland G. Hazard ct ais. I"
This case is a part of the Credit Mobilier
litigation and promises to become one Of the
most celebrated in the history of the Rhode
Island jurisdiction. The bill which gives
the particulars of the complainaht's suit
was prepared by the late Secretary of State
Frelinghuysen, who was near relative OF
Griswold. The case is to be called on Mon
day, january 4th, and the particulars are
briefly as follows:
On August %, 1868, Isaac p. Hazard and
others, on behalf of himself and other stock
holders of the corporation known as the
Credit Mobilier of America, filed bill OF
complaint in the Supreme Court of Rhode
Island againt Thomas G. Durant and others
claiming that Durant was indebted to them
in the amount of $53,735. Durant was a
native of New York but was in the habit Of
visiting here. The Hazards sought to have
issued TO them writ of ne e1eat against
Durant and alleged that he was ''of the
State of Rhode Island" and INTENDED soon
to depart out of the State"
The reason given for suing Durant in
Rhode Island is found in the statement of
Rowland G. Hazard, the Rhode Island mill
lionaire, and made April 81, 1875, which was
that Durant was not sued in New York, as
was originally designed, because of the no
tOriouS corruption OF the courts OF New
York and the reported connection or rela-
ton of Durant with some of the judges then
presiding In the same.
On August %, 1868, Durant arrived here
from New York on his yacht and was ar
rested upon writ of ne eTedt, which had
been issued under Hazards complaint Du-
mt woo
with his friends, one of whom was Henry
Winthrop Gray, prominent and wealthy
stock broker and a nephew OF Mr.. GrlSW0ld,
and Gray asked the latter to become surety
for Durant 1t had become Sunday morn
ing, when bail cannot be given, and Girls
void gave his word that if Durant was re-
leased he would go his bail the next day.
This was done, and on Monday Grlswold
and Dexter Bradford, now deceased, Jointly
became bail, as GriSWold declares, for the
ing $53, 735. The conditions, however, Of
the bonds were in these words That said
Thomas G. Durant, on his part, shall abide
and perform the orders and DEGREES OF the
Supreme Court of Rhode Island, which OF
course Involved judgment of the limit itself.
The bill of the present complainant, and
which is now filed in the Circuit Court, in
7sists that this bond should be reformed be-
cause it was obtained from him in its pres
ent form by fraud
rant, died few weeks ago and this fact has
somewhat precepitated Griswold's action in
appealing to the United States Courts
which he asks to restrain the Hazards from
proceeding to sue him for the amount
The fellow defendants with Durant in the
original suit were Oliver Ames, Benjamin Z.
Bates, John Duff. Cornelius S. Bushnell,
Sidney Dillon, Henry S. McComb, of the
Credit Mobilier of America and the Union
Pacific Railroad Company. These briefly
are the facts and it is stated it is not impos-
sible that the entire Credit Mobilier
case may be reopened as the suit proceeds
Griswold's S suit now is to be relieved of the
alleged to be due the Hazards by Durant.>