Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1888-11-17
RAYS LATEST.
MORE LIGHT ON THE CHARACTER
OF BLATHERsKITE RAY.
a Leading Helena Firm Charge Him
With Embezzlement-HisL Latest
Dodge to Raise the
Wind.

Inc TRIBUNE has just ordered big
turkey with tile requisite "lay-out' of
oysters, cranberries, etc, for Thanks
giving. 1t has just cause to rejoice and
offer up it's due share Of thanks, for
Blatherskite Ray has commenced libel
suit against this paper, the complaint
having been filed with the clerk of the
district court this morning. He claims
that his character (think of it, Rays
characterD, has been damaged to the
amount of $4,000 by the publication of
the Wegner letter, and as winter is com
ing on apace, it occurred to him that sum
would come in very handy, the republi-
can central committee having no further
use for him.
VI course this Is a big card for the
TRIBUNE. A libel suit is luxury and
at the same time an advertisement that
does not fall to the lot Of many news
papers; at this time we belieye not one
of our esteemed territorial contempor-
aries are SO favored, so the TRIBUNE has
a right. to be elated in the premises. 1t
is worth to us at least one-fourth of the
sum Blatherskite Ray sues for, and one
penny of which he will never get.
But now to give him show for another
libel suit tomorrow. with two chances for
winters grub stake, and at the same
time to indicate how delicate and tender
his outraged character is, we submit the
following copy Of letter now in our pos
session. Here is the groundwork for at
least $4,000 suit and there should be
no delay in bringing it, for the present one
will not hold water. The interesting
epistle runs as follows:
HELENA, Nov. 90, 1887.
Coz. @. 4. Broadaoater, st. Paul, Him.: =
DEAR SIR:-l regret to have to write to
you that our travelling salesman, G. G.
Ray, has been acting badly-in fact to be
plain and to the point, he is guilty Of en-
bezzlement On the 10Th of October last
he came in, made settlement and at the
time we went over all the notes and ac-
counts due us that he had contracted for
us, and the accounts of Mr.. Tom Lee of
Sand Coulee, amount $11O, also Mr.. j. D.
Askew of Gorham, amn't $110 were in
cluded. In both cases Ray denied that
these men had paid him. We then wrote
them and they both came back by letter
saying they were surprised at our sending
them bills and asking them again for
their money, stating they had paid our
agent, G. G. Ray, and held his receipt.
We have written Ray to come in and
make settlement, and to more fully pro-
tect ourself have sent the attached notice
by letter to all our customers in northern
and have had the same notice
inserted in the Independent, Husband
man, River Press and Great Falls TRI-
BUNE. Ray has been drinking and gamb-
ling this season, and is so unreliable and
has such a disregard for truth and veracity
that | am glad we have gotten clear Of
him. Yours truly,
In the light of this letter, is it not as
that the damage to Rays char
acter has not been put above the sum
named in the complaint.
THE COMPLAINT.
The complaint filed with the clerk of
the court through G. Il. Benton, plaintiffs
attorney, runs as follows. We omit the
alleged libelous article, as our readers
are perfectly familiar with it:
Territory of Montana, county of Cascade,
district court, Fourth judicial district.
G. G. Ray, plaintiff, VS.. The Tribune
Publishing company, defendants.
The plaintiff complains of the defend
ant and alleges
That at the time hereinafter stated the
defendant was and still is a corporation
duly organized and created under the
laws of Montana and at such time was
and still is engaged in printing and pub
fishing at Great Falls, in said county, a
called the Great Falls Trib-
une.
That on the Goth day of October, 1888,
the defendant mallciously published in
said newspaper the following words Of
and concerning the plaintiff, viz:
Here follows the Wegner letter and
the Tribune's comment, which is not
necessary to republish ED.
That said statement and publication so
published by defendant aforesaid was
wholly false and untrue, and that said
publication was willfully published by
defendant to cause it to be believed that
plaintiff has written an anonymous letter
to injure the character of reputable cit
izen and thereby expose the plaintiff to
public contempt, hatred and ridicule and
deprive the plaintiff Of the benefit of pub
lie confidence.
That by means of said false and de-
famatory publication, the plaintiff was in
jured in his reputation to his damage two
dollars.
Therefore, plaintiff demands judgment
against the defendant for two thousand
dollars, besides the costs and disburse-
ments Of this action.
G. H. BENTON
Plaintiffs Attorney.
West Virginia Still in Doubt.