Telegram-herald., 1891-07-18
VERY SERIOUS CHARGES
nsde Against Two OF the Kent
County Fair Directors.
CHARGES OF BOODllxc PREFERRED
sstts Commenced Axsiass oir~ssso
h.s.a and withsy 10 Recover Msssy
AiIsgss Ia Have hssa Paid
Ihsm as Sess - tssisa-

1 <<<ts >S'ss |t">"s> -
sf u sast in trespass on the case by
Mrs.. Bertha I.araway Walker against
Asa W. Mech aud John n. Whitney.
directors OF the Kent county fair so
c,ety. The suit grows out of the pur-
chase Of the far ground site by the fair
directors about year ago, from the
heirs Of the ALVIN Laraway estate. and
10 brought TO collect 1900 from de-
| PENDANTS, claimed To have been retained
from the purchase price ss commission.
The declaration has not yet been drawn
up hut 1t 10 said il will be based on the
following
Statements of Mrs walker,
| who is a daughter OF the late Alvin
Laraway: .Alvin Lsraway bought
tins farm in 1887 tthe present fair
ground site) aud paid $500. Alvin
died April 26. 1890. Barney Laraway
told me (Bertbs), and my sister Jessie
Harrison, that IL was fathers intention
| TO sell 80 acres, and was To give Mech
and Wlthey $40 an acre TO locate the
far grounds. This conversation took
place the first time At our house soon
after fathers death. Barney advised
| us To get an administrator appointed as
soon as we could To enable us TO sell
the ground. lie said he told Mech he
would carry out fathers plans. l lived
IN Barney's family about two weeks,
and was taken sick with typhoid fever
the first week in June, and then went
to the house Of Cleveland Cook and
| remained there until October.
The subject Broached.
About the last of July or the first of
August he called upon me at Mr..
Cooks. He said that they said We
| would have to have our land to make
| the sale, and thought We ought each To
give 81 $50 so as TO make the sale sure.
| Said he would withdraw his otter of the
place if we did not give the 81, 100.
Said he would resign his administrator
| ship and would leave us without any
one to act. He said tins several times.
l refused to consent. Mr.. Walker took
me to Mr.. Meech's house. Barney had
| told me If | did not do il Meech would
think he was the one to blame. So
made up my mind To 60 to Mech and
| tell him. ] told Meech what my busi-
ness was, and told him l was informed
l was expected to pay him for locating
the far grounds upon our land and
that mad concluded not TO do SO. He
| said lac did not consider II as a gilt, but
pay for his work. told him did not
| want to sell any more than the eighty
acres. / told hiin the administrator
| wanted Us to pay 81, $50 each. He SAID
he had not heard any thing of the
81 $50. l said that if he had not heard
anything about the 81 ,050 probably the
administrator expected to get part
of it.
An Even Divy.
"He said that he and Mr.. Withey were
| to get the $1,000 and the adm illustrator
was not to get any of 1t. He said dur
/ ing the conversation that 1t was agreed
with father that he and Withey were
10 get $1,000. He urged that We sell the
: whole 10 acres. He said he had no
intention OF beating the heirs, but
thought ought to carry out fathers
plans. He called the next Saturday
and was not at home; left word that
he would call next day and be came
Sunday. On Saturday, my uncle, Mr..
Cook, took me to the administrator S
place and Barney urged me to pay the
| Sl050. At the time Meech came there
buggy. During the ride he repeated
that il was fathers intention that they
should have the $1,000 and said II the
fair grounds could not he located there
| he would vote for the Royce farm. 1
did not then consent to give the money.
That same afternoon Barney came TO
Mr.. Cooks and talked again with me
| for two hours or more, and urged me
| ~. u.il u,xl II
! low them $50 per acre or 5000.
urged that such an arrangement would
make my sister and myself bear the
whole sum and my brother Roy. who
| was minor would bear none of It,
Wanted IT Kept shady.
Gle said they could not take any of
| IT out of Roy's share because they
would have To show what they had
done with 1t; would have To show for
all OF his money. | finally told hm
would stand my share of the $40 an
acre on the eighty acres, but would
stand no part of my brothers share
and agreed on 1897. | and my sister
each, gave Barney q power of attorney
TO convey tine land. A few daye before
the place was sold Judge Hoyt came
with some papers which | signed.
| After tins ! was taken sick again aud
| Barney brought me a contract to sign,
saying that he would 90 no farther
until ii WAS signed. On the Sunday
that Mech took me out To ride and
talk about the sale, he said 10 me dur
| ing the conversation that he would not
have II known that they toak the
money for five times the amount. On
| the making of the deed Judge Hoyt
wrote the receipt for $1,000 ard Barney
gave me s467 and kept the balance"
The farm of Alvin Israway had long
| been IN the market as fslr ground
site aud Mrs Waikcr claims that her
father had agreed to paw Mr.. Mech
and Mr.. Whitney COMMISSION of $40
AN acre n this farm should lie selected
| Mr.. Iarsway died before the safe had
teen consnrnsted and tho directors at
tempted To renew the bargain with the
heirs. Hsrney lsarswsy wss given a
power of attorney to tfsRsfsr the title
of the property aud ths was done while
| Mrs. Walker VAS sgk 10 tsed. The sum
of $1,000 helng deemed too large haul
from her inheritance AN attempt Is now
made to recover It.
~. useeh, story
Mr.. Mech vas seen yesterday con
eefnlng the matter aud sd that NO
/ pfoeess haf YET been served on hitn.
tn. that be had heard ramefs for the
lsst fev DAYS that SUIT was sbsHit 81 he
| commenced against hln. When sn-
| formed OF the charges made by Mrs
| Walker. Mr.. Meeoh said tAsl there wss
20 truth n them that Sc vas ia 30 say
influenced IN be sst4oa "a sesecung the
L-fsNsy ste ether thaa he deemed "a
the beet on TIE market aud the most
available al hasd Ihfee~Ioaftsss et