The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-20
VENDIG SUES STUART.
Wants an Accounting Because of a

Failure to Keep an Agreement.
New York, Feb. 19.-Howe & Hum
nell, attorneys for Joe Vendig, the
we'll known sporting man. were today
instructed TO commence legal proceed
ings against Dan Stuart. 1t is alleged
that Stuart failed to keep an agree
ment which was signed in June, 1895.
Stuart. Vendig claims, promised to
share expenses, profits and losses of
bringing Corbett and Fitzsimmons to-
gether. The counsel fees would be
$1,000 and the rent of the arena will
be $500. Vendig said that he told
Stuart to go ahead. but after the lat
ter reached Texas he wrote a letter
saying that the cost would be much
more. In reply to this letter Vendig
says that he wrote Stuart to go ahead
and draw on him whenever he needed
money. 1t is Low matter of history
that the bout was prohibited in Texas
owing to the action of the legislature,
and after a fruitless attempt TO bring
it off in Arkansas, Stuart presented an
itemized bill to Vendig for expenses,
amounting to $20,522, and an additional
bill of $1,000.
When stuart and Vendig parted at
Little Rock. Ark, in the autumn of
1880, v 6IlQlS says that oludIl
to follow Fitzsimmons to Australia,
and that he told Stuart to go ahead and
that he would be with him in anything
he should do A month later Vendig
received a message from Stuart, who
was then at Houston, Tex, saying that
he had offered $4,000 as a pure for
Corbett and Fitzsimmons to fight any
where. This proposition, Vendig says,
he notified Stuart that he was willing
10 abide by. Stuart came on to New
York
Stuart came on to. New York in De-
cember of that year with articles
signed by Fitzsimmons to fight Corr
bett, as we'll as verbal agreement to
fight Maher When the articles were
presented Corbett he refused to sign
them, but said in the presence of wit
nesses at the st. James hotel that he
would fight the winner of the Fitzsim-
mons -Maher battle.
Maher signed the articles for a S1O.-
coo purse. and Stuart left this city to
get F'itzsimmons' signature When
Fitzsimmons signed, Stuart wired
Vendig that he had to give Fitzsim-
mons $1,000 for doing so. The arrange .
ments were all perfected for the bout
at El Paso. but when it was found
impossible TO bring the fight off at
that place, Vendig says that Stuart
and he agreed to bring it off in Lang
try. Stuart said that they had a
goose egg before them but they both
agreed to bring off the fight, so as to
show the public that they meant busi-
ness and that they would easily recoup
their losses by bringing Oorbett and
FftZsimmons together later on. One /
hundred and ten people paid to see the |
fight at Langtry, and when Stuart !
and Vendig compared notes, they found |
that they had lost $4,000 on the specu-
1sat -I,.
the articles of agreement of nearly /
$35, 200. half of which Vendig paid. Fitz-
simmons made tour through England, |
and on his return he was met in this !
city by Stuart, and with Vendig's con-
sent, Stuart Travelled all over Mexico |
. secure battle-ground on which the |
Corbett and FltZSimmonS contest could |
be pulled off. F'itzsimmons and Cor
bett signed the articles for the coming /
fight and Stuart went ahead to make /
arrangements. Vendig claims that |
Stuart failed to correspond with him, !
and later on the vitascope company ,
was organized with Vendig holding Is /
per cent of its capital. w. H. Whee-
lCck, who was Stuart's secretary, called /
on Vendig for funds, and Vendig says /
he advanced him $1,S66 in accordance
with Stuart.
While the Dallas promoter was hunt
ing for a place where the fight could
be brought to a successful issue, Ven
dig claims that he received letters from
Stuart, informing him of his progress
and that later when they met, Stuart
produced papers which showed that it
would take $4,000 to insure the bring
ing off OF the contest. Vendig says
that he told Stuart when apprised of
this enormous expense that he could
not stand for more than 25 per cent of
it, and that Stuart said he could not
afford more than that himself. From
that time on Vendig asserts that Stu
art made several engagements to meet
him, but broke them ALL
few days ago Vendig received a
telegram from Stuart. dated Carson
City, which said that Stuart was will
ing TO give Vendig pooling interests on
the event. but nothing more. Vendig
then felt that he was being frozen out.
and Immediately Informed his lawyers.