The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1893-12-15
COWARDLY COMBINE.
A DAsTARDLY ATTEMPT TO DESTROY
THE GRAPHIC.

| VhE dhAfdlC.
Those Of our readers who had not
learned of the cowardly attempt that
was made last week to wreck this paper
by F. D. Smith, editor OF the Merc,ry,
and his mercenary tool, r. E. Ed
wards, we're no doubt surprised at the
limited amount OF local and editorial
matter that appeared III last weeks
GRAPHIC. A few words in explana-
ton thereof is not inappropriate.
Taking advantage of our absence
last week, which he supposed would
extend until Saturday night las it was
expected we would attend the Reform
Press Association at Topeka Oh Thurs
day and Friday, smith obtained au-
thority from r. Z. Edwards, as president
of the National bank, TO commence a
suit against us on note held by the
] bank, and on which the bank had
neither legal nor moral right to COM
mence suit at the time, Smith agreeing,
according to the statement of Edwards,
to give Edwards $500 if, thro' this pro-
ceeding he, Smith, should succeed in
obtaining the franchise of the
GRAPHIC. - 49, 3D. -
1 Waiting until Thursday afternoon,
I the day before our day of issue, by
making q false affidavit that we were
about to dispose of our property and
were concealing our property with in
tent to de:raud our creditors, Smith
procured the issuance of a writ of
attachment and had it levied upon the
presses, type, material, ETC., OF the
GRAPHIC.
Not being satisfied that the sheriff
would carry out his purpose to prevent
the issuance of the GRAPHIC of that
week, he made another affidavit for
the appointment of Il receiver and had
appointed as receiver a man who was
known to be bitter enemy of the
editor of this paper, with the expecta-
ton that he would be more subser-
Went tool than the sheriff, ana would
carry out his evident purpose
to close the paper up and not
allow it to be issued. The receiver
went into possession Thursday night,
and that night large number of the
friends of the paper gathered and dis
cussed the situation and sought to
obtain the consent of r. E. Edwards
that the paper might be run off and
issued under the supervision of the
receiver SO that the paper might not
lose al issue and thereby, rs they sup
posed, lose the right to publish legal
notices under the law. This consent
Edwards and Smith refused to Give
tho a good bond was offered Edwards
to secure him from any possible loss. :
Friday afternoon however, the re-
ceiver, not proving rs pliable tool as
Smith evidently exp seted. and haxiug
taken other legal advice, came to the
conclusion that it was his duty to allow
the paper to be published as usual 10y
the employees of the GRAPHIC, and
accordingly the paper was gotten out
and mailed under his direction, and
the work of the Office IS still going on
in the usual manner.
In order to show the despicable
meanness of the conduct of Edwards
in allowing the name of the bank to
be used for the purpose of perpetrating
such dastardly outrage, it is only
necessary to give brief history of the
claim upon which the cowardIy pro-
ceeding was based.
In November, 1890, e. F. Brown,
the brother of the wife of the editor of
the GRAPHIC was indebted to the First
National Bank of Kinsley in an amount
of something over $4,000, IA large part
of which was interest which had accu.
mulated at the rate of II and per cent
u month for number Of years. This
Indebtedness was secured by chattel
mortgage OIL horses and cattle. Owing
to the great depreciation in the value of
cattle from 'S6 to 80, and the almost
entire failure of the corn crop of the
latter year, Mr.. Brown found him self
without feed or means to carry the
mOrtgaged stock thro' the winter; he
therefore concluded and announced his
intention to turn the property over to-
the bank. =
Asals of the. property AZ that time :.
would: not have realized one-baif the /
amount Of the indebtedness and would.
have left large PM 81 the aota un-
paid for which Tie wife Af the editor
Of this paper was Liable as surety. TO
avoid. this loss, we proDosed to Edwards
that we would take possession of
the stock for the bank and take care
of it without expense to them until it
could he sold to advantage. In answer
to this proposition lie proposed that if
Ourself and wife would make note to
the bank for the sum of So, 900, inter-
est to be computed at the rate of IL
per cent per annum, secured by mort
gage OH the horses and cattle, he
would throw off the excess of the in
debtedness over 81, 600, give us all the
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