St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-27
POTTER IS EXPLICIT.
The Chicago Millionaire Sends
a Long Letter to the
Newspapers.
Flat Denial Of All the Charges
Made by Dunnivant, the
ex-Newsboy.
He Had No Connection With
His Arrest, Prosecution
or Conviction.
Explanation Of Potter'S Con-
nectiOn With the Estate
Of Capt. Ward.

CHICAGO, March $50. W. Potter,
the millionaire iron manufacturer who
was sued by Ernest w. Dunnivant, an
eX-newsbOy. who claimed 100000 be-
cause, as he alleges, Potter had him
railroaded to the penitentary to keep
him away from Gertrude w. Potter, the
daughter of the millionaire, has broken
his silence on the case, and addressed
letter to the press of Chicago upon the
subject. He also alludes to the settle
I ment of the Ward estate at Detroit.
which he is alleged to have misman-
aged. The letter is as follows:
81 am fully aware that the constant
dropping Of water will wear away
stone, and. with this in mind, in view
of the constant publication in the news
papers Of articles intended to damage
my reputation, write this letter and
ask for its publication, that l may not
seem Indifferent to my reputation or to
the good opinion Of my friends, who are
very dear to me.
Fhe sDunniVant' Suit.
which would have been tried before
this but for the absence of the judge be-
fore whomit was set, is based upon the
charge that l was guilty of causing an in
nocent boy to be sent to the penitentiary
for four years. To this charge give an
unqualified denial. l had no connec-
ton, directly or indirectly, with his ar
rest, prosecution or conviction, and am
absolutely and entirely innocent of the
charge made against ME. The insinua-
tions and statements, so freely made,
that [ caused Dunnivant's arrest in the
case now pending before the police
magistrate, seem too absurd to call for
denial, but their continued repetition
induces me to say that did not cause
his arrest, and had no connection, di-
rectly or Indirectly. with his arrest or
confinement. and did not know that he
was in the city until was charged with
having spirited him away.
The Ward Will.
On the first pages of this mornings
papers is printed full synopsis of bill
filed against me nearly year ago in
Detroit by certain of the legatees under
Capt. Wards will. The charges made
in this bill are not only maliciously
false, but my answer in detail to all OF
the charges is on file with the bill, yet
not one word of the answer to the
charges was printed in the papers. AT
the time of Capt. Wards death in 1875,
practically all of his estate, except that
devised to his widow, was mOrtgaged or
out of his possession as collateral
to his notes. Nearly million dollars of
de BITS was proved against her estate to
pay, for which only about one Thousand
dollars was turned over to me in cash.
His property had to be sold 10 pay his
debts. The property was nearly all sold
at public auction, and, owing to the
financial condition of the country and the
character of the estate, the property
brought much less than it was nominally
worth. | made reports of all my acts as
executor to the probate court every
three months, and the disposition of the
estate by me was known at the time to
the court, to the public and, the parties
interested.
The Estate Was Settled,
and l was discharged as executor nearly
nine years ago, and yet no complaint
was ever made against me until the fl
ing of this bill. Ashley Pond, of De-
troit, was my attorney as executor, and
advice and under the direction of the
probate court at, Detroit. | have all of
my books and vouchers still in my pos
session, and there is not single charge
in the bill that | have not the data to
disprove and to conclusively prove that
the charges are made either through ig-
norance or malice. Capt. Ward was
the dearest friend l had in the
world, and it was this fact
and the urgent solicitations of
his sister that induced me against
my wishes to become sole executor or
administrator of his estate, which was
practically insoivent at the date OF his
death. The details to the answer to the
charges made are too voluminous to
state in this letter. but l will have a
synopsis Of the same prepared and fur
nished to you, and hope it may be as
fully published by you as the charges
have been today. 1t was my desire and
intention to meet the charges against
me in the courts, rather than to discuss
them III the newspapers, but feel that
denial of the charges is due to my
friends and the public. All that de-
sire is an opportunity to present my
proofs i'll open court, and that in the
meanwhile l may have fair treatment
at the hands of the press.