St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-06-23
END OF A CELEBRATED CASE

There will be universal approval Of
the judgment given at Chicago against
John v. and Charles b. Farwelt and
Amer Taylor, in favor of w. N, Stur-
ges. for share in the profits derived
from the construction of the Texas
state capitol. The case has been pro-
tracted one, and has passed through all
the courts, reaching "A 81 termination
finally by mutual agreement, to submit
the issues to Judge Tuley for adiudl-
cation. u sie'9
There are many facts connected with
the case Of peculiar interest. The Far
wells and Taylor contracted to build
the Texas capitol in consideration of
receiving 5000, 900 acres Of land of their
own selection. In ordertto raise money
for the work they issued scrip or bonds,
aud in negotiating these the services of
MIR. Sturges were procured. The de-
PENDANTS claimed that these services
were offered gratuitousIy and from mo-
tives of friendliness. Sturges, however,
claimed that he was to receive per-
ceitage allowance. and that this. with
interest to date, amounted to some
thing over a million dollars. The
litigation that has ensued has i'm
poverlshed Sturges. and the strain
upon his mental faculties has been such
that he completely broke down during
his recent examination, and has since
been rayiDg maniac. His aged wife
has also been Frustrated, and at times
during the hearing of the case the. lives
Of both have been despaired Of The
court, In its decision, gives to the wife
Of Sturges, as her dover interest in the
work done by her husband for the syn
dictate, very substantial amount. but
much less than that claimed, and to the
plaintiff just recognition of The value
of his services. In giving his decision
Judge Tuiey showed exceeding care to
conserve the rights of all parties, to the
litigation, and. while disappearing of
some of the methods employed by Stur-
ges to promote the interests of the COM
pany, he condemned in unmeasured
terms the efforts of the syndicate to
profit by those labors without rendering
any equivalent. -, "a iar.,,'7.''.
The most remarkable feature of this
litigation has been the persons con-
cerned in it. The chief defendant has
for years been among the foremost men
in Chicago in Christian work. The
Young Mems Christian association was
for years maintained at his, Individual
expense, and owes all that it now pos
sesses to his generosity. His partners
his brother and Taylor = were long
prominent in national politics. Charles
b. Farwell having been both repre-
sentative and senator in congress. All
have been conspicuous am5iIE Chicago's
most enterprising business men. On
the stand the Christian. pili1anthropist
displayed an amazing degree of for
getfulness OF transactions involv-
ing hundreds of thousands of dol
lars, and when asked to reconcile
some rather shady proceedings with lis
godly pretenses, careIesslyi shifted re-
sponsib!lity upon his wicked brother and
partner. He took the bold stand that
Sturges had no right to collect pay for
services rendered in transaction of
questionable legality and morality, but
admitted that he himself had pockeled
and kept the profits accruing from the
same dickerS. o9J 2 4
1t will give the defendants in this
case no trouble to pay the. Judgment
rendered against them. They are i'm
mensely rich and would not miss a
million or two. But the money he has
recovered will not bring poor -Sturges
back to health and reason. and it will
do little towards adding to the comfort
of the declining years of his aged wife.
1t is however, triumph of justice for
which the general public has reason to
be thankful. 4.s..