The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1894-11-23
SHELTON. MASON COUNTY, WASHINGTON FRIDAY
The Press Claims Company.

olilce OF the company at Alexandria,
Va. The following resolution were
adopted:
Whereas William r. Hearst, the
proprietor and publisher of the San
Fraacisco Examiner, in the latter part
of the month of April, 1894, brought
a suit in equity in the Supreme Court
OF the District of Columbia against
John Wedderburn, general manager of
the Examiner Bureau of Claims and
also managing attorney of the Press
Claims Company, and made charges
in the bill filed in said suit againts
the integrity, honesty, and business
qualifications of the said Wedderburn.
which wore proved to be wholly un-
true and false to the satisfaction of
the Equity Court and decree to this
effect having been rendered on the
18th day of May, 1894, and supple
mental decree conforming the same
on the Sd day of July, 1894; and
Whereas. tho said bill contained un-
true and misleading statements con-
corning the Press Claims Company
made by the said Hearst to injure the
said Wedderburn and to escape liabili-
ty under a contract then existing
between the Examiner Bureau of
Claims and the Press Claims Company,
entered into with the full appreciation
and approval of the said Hearst, his
attorney at law and attorney in fact,
which statements were proved to be
false and foundatienless, and which
have greatly injured and damaged the
business of the said company; and
Whereas, the said William R. Hearst
did cause to be prominently published
in the San Francisco Examiner, on
the first page of said paper, the said
damaging charges contained in the
said bill, the issue of the SAID news
paper being widely disseminated in
this country to the great injury of the
Press Claims Company; and
Whereas the said William R. Hearst
has further published or caused to be
published in his said newspaper, and
has widely circulated the damaging
statement that one Frank L. Browne,
of the city of Washington, Il person
wholly unconnected with the Press
Claims Company, is in charge of the
business of the said company, which
statement is untrue and harmful and
injurious to the company's interests
and calculated to shake the deserved
confidence of the public in the said
company; therefore,
1t is resolved, That the president of
the Press Claims Company be and
hereby is directed to forthwith insti-
tute the proper proceedings in the
courts against the said William r.
Hearst to recover damages for his un-
true, misleading, and libelOus publ
cations concerning the Press Claims
Company; and further, that we, the
stockholders of the said company,
indorse the action of the court and
the truth of its decree in finding John
Wedderbuln managing attorney of
said company, free from the charges
maliciouslv preferred against him.
Other business transacted was
the adoption of resolution increasing
the board of directors from seven to
nine. The newly elected directors
were Philip w. Averitt, proprietor Of
the Cumberland Times and Hagers-
town News; Edward M. Hooper, Will
mington News: and Francis E. Leupp,
publisher of Good Government.
Owing to the resignation of Robert E.
Davis, of the Philadelphia Gail, on
account of i'll health, Mr.. r. E. Free
man, of the Danville Register, was
elected president.
A contract was entered into between
the company and Mr.. John Wedder-
burn wherein he was retained as the
general man ager of the company for
a period of five years, thus showing
the confidence of the company in the
integrity and ability of Mr.. Wedder-
burn. The Press Claims Company is
a combination of 1,743 of the promi
nent newspapers OF the United States.
The object of the company is to prose-
cute claims against the United States
Government, including patent cases.
A large and lucrative business has
already been built up, although the
company bas been in active operation
but two years. It's officers are as fol-
lows: R. Freeman. Danyille (Va.)
Register, president; Harrington Fitz-
gerald, Philadelphia Item, secretary;
A. L. Hughes, treasurer; John We'd
derburn, general manager; Carter
Harrison, jr, Chicago Times, Edgar
M. Hopes, Wilmington News, Philip
w. Averitt, Cumberland Times, and
Francis E. Leupp. Good Government,
directors Post, Sept 21, 1894.
Some men 90 a-hunting, some a-fish-