The San Francisco call., 1897-06-02

to antagonize, and it has been strengthened
bv the acce, sion OF Mr.. Spreckels, VINO can
look after affairs here and make things un-
pleasant for those who do not take the right.
that is to say the trust view OF affairs.
| (Meaning, charging and intending to charge
thereby that some one of the said owners OF
the said stock of the said Wajsonyllle Beet
Sugar Company afraid to have his name
mentioned IN connection with said transaction
and said article, through fear of p'aintlh, ana
that said person did not wish TO sell his said
stock, but that he was afraid to refuse TO sell
the same when he was ordered so to do by
plaintiff and that the action OF plalntln IN re-
questing him to sell his said stock was
in the nature OF threat and CO.
ercion upon him, which put him In
fear OF loss TO his property and business, and
that the sugar trust and plaintiff would lnJure
those persons who differed from them in busi-
ness matters concerning the SAID stock ana
trust and that plaintiff would endeaYor 70
ruin the business and destroy the credit ana
influence of any person in California or else
where who opposed the wishes of the trust or
Of plaintiff, and that plaintiff had agreed 10
anu with the sugar trust that he would look
after It's interests in the State of California
ana would seek to des troy, ruin and make
things unpleasant for those persons who did
not sell their stock in said company to said
trust or 10 plaintiff, or who would not agree
with the said trust and plainsf in their view
of affairs concerning said stock and said
trusO, and the same was so understood by
the subscri bers TO and readers of the said
newspaper and said article.
d" The object OF the transfer is evident; the
trust does not wlsh any one outside its ranks
TO know too much about its affairs. So long
as l held single share OF stock had the
right to look over the company's books. Sup
pose, for instance, that the WatsOnville and
Chino factories agree upon the price that they
VIII pay the farmers Tor their beets, and the
price viii not err upon the side OF liberalitv.
VINO, then, is to ask TO see this agreement?
No one but an outside stocknolder. The in
sIder does not care. This handsome price-for
1t is handsome-was the price of secrecy.
know one gentleman who demuTred TO SELL
ing, just as l did, but he changed his mind
Nal Wnen ne received hiAt that II he dld not
comply his trade might be affected
by the refusal (Meaning charging and
intending to charge thereby that the
trust and plaintiff carried on an i'm
proper and illegal business and did
not want or wish any one to become ac-
quainted herewith, or TO examine its or his
pooks or ahalrs, ana that the purchase OF said
stock by the trust and plaintiff was for a cor
rupt, illegal and improper purpose, and was
IN the nature OF money paid to the owners OF
said stock 20 compel them to keep secret the
transactions of said trust, and of plaintiff,
and to enable the said trust, and plaintiff, to
Keep secret its SAID improper, illegal and cor
ruPt practices, and that there was one stock
holder OF said company who had been threat
ened by plaintiff and had been told by plant
III that unless ne sold his stock in said com
pany to said trust or 10 plaintiff the plaintiff
would inIure and ruin his trade and business
and that but ttorsuch threat. so made by pl amt
/ If, and the fear it caused upon the mind OF the
said stock to plaintiff), and the same was so
/ understood by the subscribers to and readers
OF said newspaper and said article.
''The rumOrs of the compulsory sale of the
stock have been whispered on the streets for
days" (meaning, charging and intending to
charge thereby that the said sale of the said
stock OF the said company 10 said trust and
Plaintiff had been brought about by the I'M
proper and illegal conduct OF the plaintiff,
and that the owners of the said stock had been
compelled ana coerced against their wish
interest and desire to sell the sald stock to
the plaintiff. or said trust, by the threats of
The plalnun, and would not have sold the
same but Tor the coerc.o on and influence
brought TO bear upon them by the plaintiff
and the fear in which they stood of him) and
the same was so understood by the subscriber
to and readers of said newspaper and said
article.
"The representatives of the trust have met
defeat both in Seattle and Tacoma In the
former city everything looked favorable for
an Endorsement, as Mr.. Webb, the represent ta-
tive of Claus SpreckelS. presented a long ar
gument to the Board of Trade and the Cham
Der of Commerce. A dispatch of over 900
words was than read by friend of Lopis Sa-
roni of this City. This changed sentiment
entirely, and the Seattle merchants voted
unanimously against abrogation. They in
structed the special committee on the Ha-
waiien treaty TO send memorial to Congress
and to telegraph Immediately to the United
States Senators and Congressman from Wash
| lngton to oppose vigorously all attempts TO
abrogate the treaty.
Ten days later, that is to say, last week. the
Tacoma Board OF Trade took action on similar
lines with equal unanimity."
".
That the said article so published as afore-
said was and is false, malicious, defamatory
and unprivileged.
That in the said article, so published as
aforesaid, were the words: ''Were held up by
| the trust" "OutSide stockholders in the Wat
sOnvile plant forced to sell, "Claus Spreck-
els paid handsomely. bu; gave the holders no
! option" Several merchants were informe,i j
! politely that their stock wanted, ;" Grin
! OF The beet sugar plants" Seattle and Ia
l and bo
procity treaty maintained" were printed in
/ headlines at the head or beginning OF said
! article, and at the top OF the page of said
| newspaper upon whicn the article aforesaid
! was printed, and in large type, and promi-
nently displayed, for the purpose OF attracting
! the attention of the subscribers to and read
ers of the said newspaper to the said libel Gus
/ article.
That, by reason of the premises, the plaintiff
/ has been damaged in the sum of one million
! ($1,O00OOO dollars.
Wherefore, plaintiff demands Judgment
against the defendant for the sum OF one
million (SlO00 0O0) dollars and mis- costs OF
suit. JOHNSON, LINFoRTH & WHITAKER,
Attorneys for Plaintiff.
STATE OF CALIFoRNIA,
/ CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO es'
Claus SpreckrIs, having been duly sworn,
says; am the plaintiff in the above titled
action. have read the foregoing complaint
and know the contents thereof; that the same
| is true oil my own knowledge, except as to the
/ matters ana tnlnSS therein stated upon in for
nation and belief, and, as TO those matters |
| verify believe II to be true.
CLAUS SPREcKELs
! Subscribed and sworn to before me thus LIST
day of June, A. d. 1897.
! loEALl LEE d. CRAIG.
| Notary Public in and for the City and County
OF San Francisco, State of California.
! The plaintiff in the suit, Claus Spreck-
| els has done more than any other citizen
| 10 develop the material resources of the
/ State. He mas given freely of his vast
wealth to promote public enterprise and
| 10 open avenues of employment for the
workingmen of the commonwealth.
| Shortly after the statements concerning
the Watsonville shareholders were pub
| lished in the Examiner he solicited the
management of that journal to publish an
article setting forth Ihe facts in the case.
This article The Examiner declined to
! publish.
"PUGS" HAVE SOME USE.
Five Per Cent OF the Proceeds Given to
tho Balboa Boulevard Fund.
! Balboa boulevard fund has been en-
riched SLY so bv the pug xh!bition
given at Woodward's S Pavilion on Monday
night, in which Paddy Frank SIavin
zInWv- y