The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-12-01
A CELEBRATED CASE.
Chester Snow of HarwIch VS.. John
q. Alley of Lynn.

BARNsTABLE, Mass, Nov. 3O.-The cele-
brated case Of Chester Snow Of Harwich,
against ex-C0ngressman John b. Alley of
Lynn, lcame up for the third trial in the
superior court to-day. Chief Justice Brig
ham on the bench. The plaintiff is repre-
sented by John M. Morton of Fall River, and
Judge Hiram p. Hartman, while the coun-
sci for Alley are Hon. Hosea NJ. Knowlton
and George o. Shattuck of Boston. The
case Is an action OF tort brought to recover
$4,000 for 150postal telegraph bonds. which
were claimed to have been obtained from the
plaintiff by promises Of the defendant
which were never fulfilled to which defen-
dant denies each and'eyery allegation therein
contained. After the jury had been empan-
nelled Judge Hartman reviewed the case
for the plaintiff. Snow began the manufac-
ture Of wire patented by Moses G. Palmer,
composed OF steel core covered with copper
which Snow perfected. In June 1881 the
Postal Telegraph Company was formed and
the Electraphic Manufacturing Company
which was formed in 1871, based on the
legg automatic system of telegraphy by which
800 or 1900 words minute could be sent over
one wire, was merged into postal company
Parties interested in this company formed
syndicate and advanced the plaintiff $4,000
and subsequently $4,000 on his factory at
Ansonia, which Snow obtained from Wal
lace q Son. The Postal Telegraph Company
was formed with S10,000,0O0 in bonds, and
$21, 100000 in stock. with which company
Snow entered into contract January 18th and
conveyed his factory and machinery, but not
his wire. Alley controlled multiple sys-
TEN by which one wire would do the work of
several under the old system and was called
the Gray Harmonic. March s, 1882, when
the Postal Company was organized, Snow
was director, but subsequently resigned and
was not a member at the time of the pur-
chase of the Gray Harmonic and objected to
the transaction. Some time in April Alley
went TO Geo. ID. Roberts of New York and
said:
II think we ought to get some bonds from
Snow and l think IL yon can get Cummins
to assist you we can get them"
Snow met them at Alleys rooms in New
York when Alley informed Snow that Ii was
a grand scheme Alley said he must have
S150,000 bonds for his influence. Snow de-
clined to advance $4,000, an equal sum with
Cummins. Snow, wanting money, offered
Alley $780, 900 in bonds if he would advance
him $4,000 on the bonds under lien in the
Farmers Loan and Trust Company, and
$4,000 for personal use. Snow signed pa
pei. which he supposed contained the verbal
agreement made a few days previous, but
did not receive either bonds or money from
Alley. Alley denied that he ever made such
an agreement and kept putting Snow off,
and the l8tter was forced to sell fifty Of the
bonds to raise money, for 25 cents on the dol
lar.
Chester Snow, the plaintiff, was the first
related by the counsel in his opening. This
witness said that the Postal Telegraph Co.,
never had any cash capital. When the in
c0rporated stock was valued at $350,000 and
was soon after increased to S2l, ,0OO,0 ,0OO
Adjourned until tomorrow.