The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-31


before Judge Dibell. am ready and am fur
Their willing TO do this: have been ready 70
submit Mr.. RaymOnd's matter, aud bis short
age matters, 10 any amicable compromise that
might possibly be effected. A large number
OF honest, upright, prominent, ana undouot-
eddy wealthy men Of thls county have been
on Mr.. Raymoud's bonds from time to time
thought 1t only right ana proper tnat they
should have an offer TO compromise those
cases on fair, legitimate and proper basis.
What did dor l did not know where many
of them lived. Now, In order 70 bring the
matter TO q head, however, and as WAS sug-
gested to me during thi. meeting by Mr..
Lewis, that he had heard that some OF these
sureties had complained TO the effect that
ought to have written to them calling them 10
the office, aud suggest 10 them the amount OF
the deficiencies aud have an anicable settle
ment II possible, told them, as tell you
now, that did not know where those people
lived: that SO far as the sureties were con-
cerned that lived here In Ottawa, that each
and every one of those gentlemen surely
knew where lived. They could come to me
right here In the court house at any time and
at any moment, ana ] WAS ready to make
proposition to them; ana further than that,
gentlemen, they were Lot mistaken as to my
motives, they were not mistaken as to what
proposed TO do 1t is well known TO each and
every one of you that Mr.. Nash, Mr.. Hamil-
ton and Mr.. Lyman belong to the First Ma
tional Bank; that they are officers and direc-
tors in the First National Bank. MIR. Griggs
represents, at least, part OF those as their
attorney. He is the son-in.law OF Mr.. Nash.
When those cases were commenced at the last
term the January term of court-Mr. Griggs
suggested to me that the misunderstanding OF
the Bushnell estate nor the administrator OF
Mr.. Swift's estate were not made parties de-
PENDANT. | said, that Is true, they are not.
We can sue any one of the sureties, or We
can sue all of the sureiies under the law, rs
we saw tit. He SAYS, l know 1t. Now, he
says, l wish, in order that we might have an
words TO that effect, that you would make
those parties parties defendant, 30 that all
could come in, and that he would send word
around and have a meeting and see If he
could not try and adjust this matter In this
way. said certainly. He says, you will con-
fer favor on the bondsmen IL you will do so,
and we shall consider 1t a favor If you do not
take any default during the January term of
cOurt against those sureties that have been
served. | said certainly will not do so, be-
cause the people of this county have no other
desire than to come TO as cheap and as honest
and as fair AL adjustment of this case as pos
sible, and the sooner we get rid OF them, so
much the better for all parties. incidentally
remarked that this thing had been weighing
upon me. A year ago hadn't a gray hair In
my head, aud that my head was turning gray
from trouble and annoyance which had been
heaped upon me, and the matter was passed IN
that way AT his request made those par
ties parties defendant. ! drew up an amend
menl to the first declaration, there were
some seventeen Of them according to my
COUNT am telling you the truth-and made
each one of the balance of them parties de-
iendant Now, remember, he was represent
ing on the other side at least these sureties
that were here in Ottawa. Very well. On
last Saturday Mr.. Griggs, not finding me in
my office dropped me u line, which received
on Monday about the time you assembled
here, asking me, as a favor, that would not
take any defaults against those bOndsmen at
present because on Tuesday last the bonds
men intended to have meeting at Mr..
Swift's Office, and he would then know
whether they would compromise or whether
they would not. Gentlemen, so far | have
not stated to you what the suggestions that
were made by me rs 10 II compromise were l
said to Mr.. Griggs | want 10 do this: The
books of Mr. Raymond show that from
moneys received from forfeitures, that Is,
where land had been forfeited for the non
payment of taxes, and redeHptions from such
forfeitures so much appears by his books that
he Is owing. There are moneys that have
come TO him for amounts Of taxes and penal
1881, 1883, 1884, there is so much, said TO
him, from the amount of money which Mr..
Raymond yearly paid out to the FREE TRADER,
which was the paper, gentlemen, In which he
had printed his list Of lands where taxes had
not been paid. Each year be- had received
back those costs. SO much Of them each year
for so many years When he first paid those
moneys out to the FREE TRADER he took it
out Of the county treasury and charged the
county with II. When II was returned In he
did not turn II into the county treasury but
he kept it In his pocket, and, We thought, It
was not unreasonable, as a matter of fact.
that he should turn over the prin er's fees that
belonged TO the county, nor is II. Now, then,
gentlemen, We further said, here, you have
received ten thousand dollars Of The county 5
money, or ratler, You paid out ten thousand
dollars OF the cOunty's money TO redeem N
note TO the frs, National Bank. That was
drawn on the 9Th of December, 1882, and we
want the Interest on that, amounting TO
some 900. We want, No the Supreme
Court has decided, aud as the law Is, We want
the money whic.! Mr.. Raymond mas received
because of revenue deposited with this bank
over here, that Interest, or commission or
bonus, or whatever you call it, has been so
much each year. We want that paid back
because he Ia. absolutely received it, and 1t is
the sw that he should pay il back.
IN other words, We y opus" 10 do this: We
propose 10 ask you simply 10 pay Us only
| what the books of Mr. Raymond show, and
what the books in the First National Bank
show Mr.. Raymond has received for the past
ten years. We only ask yon to pay interest
on the $40, 600 at six per cent, when you re
ceived moneys when this county during that
time was paying eight per cent interest in al
vance, and that, too, every quarter for $35,-
OOO or 600 Mr.. Griggs said that is right.
he said that is fair, that IS AL honest propo-
sition, square proposition. | said 10 add
ton o that, there is betw en- 5000 and &c.
0OO more of money that MIR. Raymond, we are
satisfied, never collected, and which be ought
TO have collected, that the bondsmen are re-
sponsible for, because they gave bonds for
the performance OF his duty and the dis
charge Of his duty honestly and fairy; but,
inasmuch as Mr., Raymond has not received
1t, am willing now, the matter being dele
gated to me, (of course shall submit 1t TO the
board, but am satisfied that the board will
approve OF my recommendations) and that Is
this: to throw off and not include any Of the
moneys that Mr.. Raymond did not receive,
but to charge the bondsmen with all that the
books actually show that he received. That
was fair proposition, Mr.. Griggs thought
On last Tuesday, gentlemen, went over to
where the suretics were assembled IN Mr..
Swifrs office. / answered their questions
freely and fairly. One of them suggested IL |
would not let this matter 90 over until the
next term of court, which Is the June term.
| a ,lN