The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-09
5000 DEFENDANTS.
Anere Thet, Are John sherr,sr, Charley
Foster, and the Pennsylvania Railroad

Il
Foster, and the Pennsylvania Railroad.
CoLuMBus. o., Aug. ga lawsuit in which
there were originally 100 plaintiffs and over
| 5000 defendants. was begun about twenty
| years ago in the Common Pleas Court OF Rich
land county. this State. and has been in litiga-
| ton ever since. each step In the proceedings
having been decided In favor OF the plalntifTs.
until ithas now reached the Supreme Court OF
| the State on writ OF error from the Circuit
Court OF Richland county. and the 5000 de-
| PENDANTS become the plaintiffs and the 100
plaintiffs tho defendants. The litigation In
wolves the liability OF the plaintiffs In error for
the payment Of moro than 100000 and tho
costs. which UP to date amount to one-i fifth OF
that sum. The original claim In the suit
footed up moro than $1.00O.O00. but early
In the proceedings half Of that sum was thrown
out OF the case. The parties to this litigation
having tho greatest financial interest in II nre
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. which.
as the case stands now. 10 under judgment to
pay $4,000 OF the entire amount In dispute.
and Stephen b. SturRea whose share III the
claim 10 $357,100. for which be has obtained
judgment In all the previous proceedings
0thor plaintiffs In error in the suit are United
States Senator John Sherman. eN-Secretary Of
the Treasury Charles Foster. and Congress-
m man n, M .: Harter Senator sgA E shermans share
ters H Is sp.ss5. 50 - '''o''' '''fs'af' rus
These disting uished men and the 8. 900 con-
holders in the Mansiie ld, Coldwater. and Lake
ment with the Pennsylvania Company. they
Mansfield TO It's terminus in Michigan. the
tho rolling stock. and operate the ' road. and
to receive therefor first mortgage bonds
stock. In carrying out It's part Of the agree.
ment the local company got In debt to almost
sna to D s ei
Dor Of Senator sherman in Mansfield. The
roadbed was completed only In part The
Mansfield and Toledo. ironed and equipped it,
and Is operating it yet as part of its system.
due and the copns e deiauIted I ID its r ie
ment Thorep1pon tho Pennsylvania Company
stS ard He G OF hs
Codwater and Lake Michigan EairoaI Com.
pany being lett out in the cold. brought suit
almost any other State in. the Union these
judgments would have been hardly worth re-
Sopslessy "H nsoivsnt but In Ohio there Is ape.
law. which makes the stockholders Of a cor
pressed as against tn stock hoiders under thas
lawyer. was appointed Master Commisslonsr
by the court to examine into the merits OF the
lie tide si
In 1t helped to drive him crazy. and he Is now
in an asylum. Then s. l. Owen. another emf:
nsnt Ohio lawyer. took the case rs Master. and
after struggling with 1t for years handed It
over to William r. Day OF Dayton. and orcu-
pied seat on the Supreme Bench. Lawyer
Day got through with the case last February
and reported in favor Of the judgment credit.
ors. which report was confirmed by the Circuit
ment and on Aug. l. the last day on which a
petition in error could be fled the counsel of
the Pennsylvana Railroad Company filed such
knotty case ia expected by those concerned.
The papers IN the case thus far weigh two
TONS and the documents when printed will
make twenty-five large legal volumes. Many
eminent lawyers have been engaged in the
case during its progress. among them United
Judge Dckey OF Cleveland. Judge Shipnan OF
Michigan. and Judge Dirlan OF Mansfield. The
Pennsylvania Company il represented in the
present proceeding by Rush Taggart Of New
York and Harrison. Olds d Henderson.