The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1894-04-20
~. Bullock Reply 10 Mr- Hickson on
the Debtor Glass.
70 the Editor Of the Banne

80 fAAA6 aiA01 uCO t1tc lawyers fOf
"such rules and practices j, as a law
| yer for myself, and on behalf of the
other members Of the Ocala bar, and
on behalf of the Judge before whom
we practice, desire, now sir, to inter-
pose q plea of mot guilty. to the
charges Of the would-like- to-be- guar
dian of Florida's finances, and if, on
the other side, / had a lawyer, I would
demur his tale of woe, SO deep into
oblivion that no subsequent amend
ment could ever resurrectit. And my
grounds Of demurrer would be that his
charges are frivilous and non-sensical.
But waving formalities, will, by the
plea, deny his allegations and 90 to
trial. And in its progress I desire to
offer myself as q witness. BY my tes-
timony hope to disabuse the minds
Of those who may have read this arti-
Gle from Mr.. Hickson and become
impressed with the idea that it con-
tanned some truth. have some per-
sonal knowledge of the transaction
which Nr. Hickson calls .sswindle. y
And ! ask an impartial public, after
hearing both sides, to say who are on
the shady side of this transaction, and
who have, If any one, been guilty Of
gross fraud or an attempted fraud.
Mr.. Hickson has attempted to state to
the public that the condition of the
law is thus and so. / will show that
it is the reverse of what he claims.
And for the. correctness of my posi-
ton upon this latter subject in contro-
versy appeal to not only the law it,
self, our eminent LAWYERS and judges,
but also to the feeblest lawyer and the
dullest student of Blackstone as well,
for the latter class certainly know and
understand the law better than Mr..
Hickson appears TO know and compre-
bend it, though he was reared in the
courts of South Carolina, where law
policy, rules, ETC., carried conscience
and equity in them.n
As to the facts in the "sWindlen
mentioned by Mr.. Hickson:
In 1890, or thereabouts; Mr.. w. D..
Condor and B. Sutton commenced
the publication of newspaper known
as the "Ocala Demands in the inter-
est of the peoples or third party. Mr..
f. III. Lyle was then the alliance edi-
tor of the Ocala Banner. And in his
department. there was frequently, if
not weekly articles from the pen of
Mr.. Hickson upon the National cur
rency of the country
Messrs. Hickson and Lytle were
then upon the brink of third party
politics. They had not yet announced
themselves, but were waiting for the
people to become ''educatedn in the
science of political economy which
education was considered complete
when they were thorough believers in
the idea that the third party was the
only one which offered and could give
relief to the many burdens of the peo-
pie
Hence it will be seen that these gem
tlemen were in an embarrassed sltua-
tion-connected with newspaper.
the policy of which was opposed to
the third party movement. Conse-
quently, in order to relieve themselves
of this situation, it was natural for
them to seek connection with sheet
/ =
which could swallow, however choked
in the effort, their political chunks.
Or in language reputed to Mr.. Lyle,
II do not wish to be Handicapped
when shall announce myself, square
out and out for the third party"
When they considered the education
of the masses complete upon the line
above indicated, the then publishers
of the "Ocala Demand were sought.
A trade was effected. Mr.. Hickson
and Mr.. Lyle becoming owners each
of a one-fourth interest in this paper.
/ Sutton and Condor put a valuation of
81 200 on the paper and its business.
Hickson and Lyle thereupon agreed
10 pay each $500 for their interest,
each giving his note for $500 in part
payment. Mr.. Hickson's note was
made payable to w. w. Condor.
Lytle's to B. Sutton. Then Messrs.
Condor, Lyle, Sutton and Hickson
ran this paper for a short time, when
Condor and Sutton withdrew, leaving
Messrs. Lyle and Hickson in full con-
troll of this political ship, the "Ocala
i Demands" Lyle at the editorial helm
and Hickson at the mast head shout
ing back to Lyle that the winds were
favorable aud that through Hickson's
"money system they would together
safely make the voyage to office, Hick-
sons destination being the comptroll-
er's Office at Tallahassee and Lytle's
the clerks office at Ocala. In their
"blind and Desperate effort for office
they could not foresee the peoples
party convention which ignored Mr..
Lyle, nor did they realize that great
storm of democratic victory was
brewing to drown Mr.. Hickson and
his fellow state Office seekers in its
fathomless depths. The ship was
wrecked. Its remains are now in the
hands of Mr.. Lytle's minor son( p,
Captain Lyle having bid it in at d
sheriff's sale upon claim by one OF
the compositors, whom Mr.. Lyle
owed small sum for his work upon
the paper after the withdrawal of SUIT
ton and Condor. And am informed
that Mr.. u. bought the claim at forty
cents on the dollar. Mr.. Hickson's
note fell into the hands of Mr.. McIn-
tyre and Mr.. Lytle's into those Of S.
Fl. Perry. Suits were Instituted upon
each. It is here unnecessary to speak
in detail of the facts that Mr.. Lyle
set up in order to defeat the payment