The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-06-02
THE WATTS-MAHONE suit,
WATTS CLAIMS $4,000 MORE.
The Litigation Grow Out Of Their Joint
Purchases Of West Virginia Mineral
Lands-The Attempt OF Young
yerser 20 XII Himself.

PETERSBURG. VA. June Especial
In the Hastings Court to-day. in the case
OF John G.. Watts w. General William
Malone. involving the liability OF General
Malone to Mr.. Watts. growing out OF
purchases OF coal and other mineral lands
in Virginia and West Virginia, under an
agreement between them In 1890. the
court. on motion OF Mr. Watts. through
his counsel Mr.. Richard Il. Davis, en-
tered a decree asked for by Mr.. Watts.
referring 4 10 a commissioner. 10 take
the proper accounts. showing the quanii-
T. Of lands purchased by MIR. Watts for
himself. and General Malone. under the
agreement. and the amount Of money
now due by Malone 10 Watts on account
Of the joint purchases.
Watts claims that Malone Is now in
debied 10 him in the amount OF $4,000 or
more. and insists upon a settlement OF
The account and payment by Malone IN
order 10 satisfy a judgment for about
s2o.eo. which was confessed by both Ma
hone and Watts in favor Of a bank In
West Virginia. from whom they had bOr-
rowcl the amount upon a note executed
BY Watts ard endorsed by Malone. In
order 70 raise money for the purchase OF
these lands.
HISTORY OF r3T CkSE.
II seems. from what can be gathered
from the papers filed in the cause. that
in 1890. during the boom times. Malone
and Watts entered into an agreement 10
buy lands. which were supposed 10 be val
liable for their mineral deposits. with the
ultimate purpose Of conveying the SAID
lands. along with other lands purchased
by other parties 10 a Joint stock compa-
ny. which it was proposed 10 form for
the purpose Of consolidating large num-
Der Of separate tracts into one compact
and extensive body Of land. the title TO
which would be vested In the proposed
company. and thereby enhance, as II was
thought the value OF the lands. which
would be paid for by the company in its
stock
In furtherance Of this idea Joint stock
company was actually formed and
charter obtained. In which Watts, Ma
hone and other persons we're named as
incorporators and officers II the COM
pany, but the striDgency OF the money
market. and the consequent lapse OF the
booms In 1912 prevented The consum-
nation of the plan by conveying the
lands TO the company, and they stu re-
melned IN the ownership Of the purchas-
ers. who were unable IL seems. TO perfect
their purchase by paying the whole of the
purchase money. and secure the transfer
as was contemplated.
WATTS WANTS A srTTLFNENT.
In this state OF affairs watts. who had
advanced large sums of money in the pur-
chase Of the lands on the joint account OF
Malone and himself. called upon Malone
to advance his portion OF the purchase
price OF the lands bought, and urged that
the holders Of the $4,000 Judgment above
referred 10 were now insisting upon the
money due, and that he desired a settle
ment with Malone. so as TO enable him
20 make arrangements for the settle
meut OF the judgment without the I'M
necessary sacrifice of his property. Ma
hone refusing 10 make any settlement
OF TO pay any money on account of the
large sums advanced for him. Watts in
s'ituted this suit for the purpose Of COM
polling a settlemet OF the transaction and
the ascertainment of the balance due 10
him by Malone or account of the Joint
purchases: and the payment Of the
amount asceriained 10 be- due, and the de-
cree above referred 10 was entered, direct
ing the commissioner to take an account
showing the balance due by Malone.
preparatory TO decree against him for
such amount as shall be shown by such
account TO be due.
WISER ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.
DR. James ". Claiborne. the physician
10 the jail. says that II will be three
weeks or a month before Thaddeus Yer
ser. who attempted 10 commit suicide in
the jail two or three nights ago, men
lion of which was made at the time I'm
this correspondence. will be entirely we'll
Nerser tried TO XIII himself by cutting
sashes on each side of his throat with
a pocket-knife.
oSE HuNDgrD N THE SHADE
AZ o'clock this afternoon the Their
momcter at the Index-Appcal office regis
tered 100 degrees I'm the shade
Rev. 4. j. FristOe will preach his
third anniversary sermon. as pastor Of
the Second Baptist chuch tomorrow
morning.
DANGEROUS STAND.
James Boatman. a one-armed colored
man. who has a grand-stand on his prem
ises near the baseball park. was noti-
fled to-day by Mayor Collier to take the
same down by next Thursday. the said
stand having been examined by experts
and declared dangerous. For the past
four baseball seasons. Boatman has made
N,jS2h off Of this grand-stand
Mr.. w. u. Marks instituted suit in the
Hastings Court to-day against the city
OF Petersburg for 1900 damages. The
suit is brought 10 recover damages 10
plaintiffs property resulting from an
H. 10. -.