The record-union., 1894-09-21

cuiS periect title and In doing so should
get ner title. year following was given
ior thls TO be secured, but Montgomery,
IL now appears. did not wait, as he got in
ahead OF his former friends and bought
the woman's interest for 81 900, placing it
IN the name of John w. Martin, q Saliva
ton soldier
AS to that" replied Montgomery, ST
pought her interest for 1000. Now, she
had a fifth interest in the mine. but she
sold out for 81 900 and thought she was
wen PAID. Figure that out-Sl, 600 for
hlth lnterest-and you have the actual
Value OF the mine. If there was any
sWlndllng done it was they who swindled
me. That's plain enough"
AT the United States mining records in
sacramento have it, Mrs. Mary A. Hob
son owned fifth interest in one of seven
Claims included in the ''Sterrett mine.n
This would make her share only one
thIrty-fifth of the whole, and not one
fifth.
Rev. Samuel T. Sterrett adheres to the
story as told in the complaint on which
he appears as a plaintiff. Every word
OF 1t is true" said he, land will be
proved when the time comes" The COM
plant was sworn to by Thomas C. Ster-
rett Tor himself and his brothers.
Il have labored from beginning to
end" he continued, frequently repeating
his words as if to insure their import be-
iHS cOTI6cLly received. L nave laDOreQ
from beginning TO end to bring about a
compromise, as the law of the Methodist
Episcopal Church specifically requires,
and have done everything | could, and
such is my attitude to-day. I'm still la
boring for settlement OF the difficulty
without an appeal TO the courts. If it
finally goes into the courts it will be in
direct opposition to my feelings. Another
thlng-Pve We written, pleaded, importuned,
sought in every way TO effect a compro-
mise, and desire that my friends may
know that. The overtureS made have
been SO far unavailing, but l am still
hoping for satisfactory settlement |
am associated with my brothers as par
tlcipant in the proceeds, which they gave
me equally with themselves
Mr.. Montgomery has stated that the
5tllt was Intended as an instrument of
black mail, and declares he Will not COM
promise. What is your opinion of it?''
was asked.
'.Blackmail! Did he say that?" ex-
claimed the quiet old minister. What
answer can give to a man like that? Is
that poSsible?"
de ceased speaking for awhile and be-
came absorbed in deep thought.
Ihat is prepoSterous. Every word in
the complaint [ believe to be true, and it
can be so proven, Why the agreement
accepted by US was letting the mine go as
possible were conditions different at the
time. My brothers were old and infirm,
one with broken hip and the other deli
cate. Neither of them could earn liv-
Ing. ndsthen winter was coming on. |
could not help them, as my health was
very poor, SO that L could not perform
active duty as minister of the gospel,
and instead of salary my income was
only stipend from the conference. The
only thing to be done under these cir
cunstances was to sell the mine But
I'm sorry for this whole business and
Tor Mr.. Montgomery, who l believed was
Christian gentleman"
be declined to GO into details because
he believed his calling prohibited him
from SO DONG, and beside, the old gentle
man felt dellcacy in discussing affairs
involving such men as Montgomery and
those associated with him.
Mr.. Crittenton l believe TO be an up
right Christian gentleman. He told me
out OF his own lips that he paid S}3. 900 TO
Mr.. Montgomery for an interest IN the
mine. He does not wish to be mixed up
IN this difficulty, and will take no action
one way or another.
My brother, who is we'll known as an
expert miner, visited the Montezuma
mine, and came back with the story that
1t was not worth two bits. Another ex-
pert made the expression that it was not
worth bull pup"
This is the mine which Montgomery
represented as wonderfully rich in pros
pect The Sterretts accepted his word
and took 10000 shares in tunnel COM
pany connected with the Montezuma,
which they now say is not worth the
paper they are written upon.
Ihonas I. Sterrett, who swears to the
charges against George Montgomery. sat
with his older brother, John, in their
room at Sixteenth and Shotwell streets
last evening and talked about the lost
mine.
MIR. Montgomery saws he qaveus moro
money than the contract called for. He
gave us nothing" said he. 'In the con-
tract 1t was agreed by him to give us S25
each month as gift until the mine
would begin to pay, but that was stopped
long ago. True he has our note for 5000.
Dut That money was borrowed by us after
the contract was signed and we put $500
into the assessment improvements which
the law demands every year to hold the
mine. L said then it was a strange idea
tnaI we should borrow money from a
man to invest in his property. If the
mine is his now it was quite as much his
own tnen, and why should he not pay Tor
these improvements? We had to do il.
suppose, as Mrs. Hobson's Interest was
not then secured, and we might be done
out on technicality
lie has not expended much over
sl,oOO on the mine, not to speak of $4,000.
was up there and saw it, and have since
oeeh RELIABLY informed by man who
was there later that the only work done
was mere bluff to hold the contract.
Ihe foundation for mill is laid, and a
shanty built, but so far as actual work of
development goes it does not amount to
anything. We had tunnels into the
ledge, and we went through the ledge
ana r ran a DRIFT about 100 feet alongside of
it. The best mining men are positive
the ore Is wonderfully rich and valuable.
and If the right thing was done it would
be paying us handsome income now,
1T was through my brother, the minis
ter, that | went into this thing. He knew
Mr.. Montgomery intimately, and we all
placed implicit utter confidence in that
mans integrity. Mr.. Montgomery was
religious man, and 1 blame myself for
being caught on that account. | am not
surprised now that he talks of black mail.
we have got nothing and eur mine is
gone."