Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-31
SUIT FOR ALLEGED SANDER.
Miss Gibson brings Action NSh'">'
ur yoJd and wife for SiO,oOo.

Miss Gibson brings Nc'ioh N~
Mr.. Todd ana wife for 10000.
Afessrs. r. l.. Montague and c. V. Mere
dith. as counsel for Miss Louisa n
Gibson. brought suit in the Law anu
Equity Court yesterday against Mr..
Thomas J. Todd and Mrs. Matte w.
Todd. his wife. for $1,000 damages Tor
alleged SANDER. only the memorandum
/ Of suit Was filed by Mr.. Montague anu
the declaration will have to be handed In
by the eth Of August. 1t IS understood
that this paper is now being prepared
by Alr. Meredith. who Is ut Mountain
Top.
Miss Gibson was. mp to few months
| ago. a salesady i'm the store Of Messrs.
Miller & Rhoads. and the suit grows out
! Of the circumstances that lei 10 the
severance of her connection with thit
| establishment Her claim for damages
/ Will be- based on the allegation That Mf5.
Todd was instrumental in causing the
| firm to ask for her resignation. 1t Is
understood that the declaration VIII set
forth that back about March or April
Mrs. Todd and three other ladies visited
the store Of Miller & RhOads AMI com
plained that Miss Gibson had given cir
ciilation To- a rumor that reflected upon
Mrs William T.. Hatcher; and that IN
fuence was brought 10 bear on the con-
Germ % Undue. them 10 ask for the sales
lqdy's resignation. Miss Gibson hai
formerly held positions with the Cohen
Company ana Woodward q Iothrop. ana.
when the latter firm discontinued bust
ness here she waa given a letter Of re-
commentator. and soon obtained en-
ployment AT Miller q Rhoads's
THE LETTER or DISMISSAL.
II is said that the plaintiff claims 20
have letter from Messrs Miller
Rhoads. which iufim1tes, If II does not
say 50 IN plain terms. that her services
were. TO Doe dispensed with because or the
interview had with the delegation of Ia
dies referred to. who belong 10 q larS'
and influential organization. IN which the
business of the house might
suffer IL sLo was longer retained.
The plaintiff denies that she ever made a
statement or gave circulation % rumor
that reflected ia any manner upon Mrs.
Hatchor's character or method ot doing
business Counsel decline to discuss 10
/ detail what their declaration will contain.
/ but it is pretty well known that the above
IS the eist ~ #.
DENIAL OF MR.. TODD.
/ Mr.. Todd was seen by n Dispatch 70
porter last evening soon after b. learned
/ that the suit against him and his wife
/ had been brought. lie said be- had reason
/ 10 believe some time ago that there would
| be such proceedings. hut that he had
/ honed the matter would be dropped. lie
says that his wife. I'm company with
! Mrs. Hatcher and TWO other lady MEM
hers Of GraCe-Strert church. visited the
/ store Of Miller 81 Bhoads 10 look into the
matter Of a statement that Miss Gibson
was said 10 have made rejecting on Mrs
Hatcher They saw the young lady IN the
presence Of "A member Of the firm, and she
denied having used the language at
trihutel 20 her. one of the ladies IN the
/ party insisted that Miss Gibson had used
/ the language in her presence. The inter
view lasted for som" time. but Mr.. Todd
SAYS his wife did not either demand on
ask that the young lady be DISCHARGED.
/ on the other hand Mrs. Hatcher twice
. asked Mr.. Miller not TO dispense with
/ Miss GbsOns services and the other
/ ladies' shared in the desire that she should
not suffer. The sole object Of their Visit
was 10 insist that there should be- no
further gossip such as Miss Gibson wa
believed 10 have been connected with.
Continuing Mr.. Todd said after the young
lady had left the service Of Miller
/ Rh0ads two dcac0ns Of Grace-Strect
church went 10 a member Of the firm.
AMI, stating that II was not the wish Of
/ the congregation that Miss Gibson
/ should lose her place. asked that
/ she be taken back. Mr.. Todd empha-
/ sized his declaration that neither his wife
nor tho ladies who accompanied her %
/ Miller * Rhoads desired the dismissal Of
/ the young lady from the service Of the
/ firm.
MRS. HATCHER INDICATED
When the knowledge Of what was being
/ said about this matter reached Dr.
/ Hatcher some three months ago. he asked
several gentlemen % make a thorough
/ investigation Of the Who'll, matter and
/ 90 conceal nothing that affected him or
/ his. This was Zone. rad the result
IS shown I'm the letters printed below
which, though circulated privately would
never have been published. had not the
suit been brought. Or. AMI Mrs Hatcher
are in Essex. and. therefore could not
bp seen last night. The letters Were OBJ
tanned from an officer Of the church, AMI
are as follows:
RICHMOND, VA May T. 1876.
/ Rev W T. Hatcher. u. d.:
Dear Sir and Brothcr.-At your request
/ ~ have undertaken the investigation OF
/ IN" Widespread rumOrs which affect the
/ integrity 81 your wife. and which were
7 traced 90 the dry goods store of Messrs
I M4itf O. kINt4.. anu WHICH fulltfNt''l
/ themselves also with the store Of Messrs
/ Cohen Brothers.
This Investigation We have conducted
In person. having had interviews with thr
| pTOprietors Of both OF thesa establish
/ mauts. without hesitation. and with the
J utmost heartiness AMI thorouEnncss. thes,
/ gentlemen utterly deny any kn0wlcdg-
/ or suspicion OF any unworthy conduct on
J the part Of Mrs Hatcher They made
/ this denial just as fun and complete as
4 possible. and AR. Miller added the state
/ III M that the young lady IN their store
/ who was alleged to have circulated the
/ rumor. IA his presence expressly denied
/ the charge. and disav0Wed any response
I bility for the rumOr
II gives us great pleasure 10 make this
] communication T. you, and 10 submit
! herewith the written statements very
cheerfully siven by the two firms above
/ mentioned.
We beg leave further 10 say that this
letter is put ut your disposal but We
/ feeling that no necessity exists Tor any
] publication, strongly advise asainS IT.
Yours fraternally
(SigneD &. H. RYLAND,
X. IT, PITT
). TAYLOR ELLYSoN.
WILLIAM w. LANDRUM.
l. r. THORNHlLL.
II II POLLARD.