The San Francisco call., 1897-06-02
A MILLION
DOLLARS
FOR LIBEL
Claus Spreckels Brings Suit
for Damages Against
w. R. Hearst.
WATSONVILLE HOLD
UP" ARTICLE.
Examiner" Staten nts Said t.
-. Be False and Defam-
atory.
PAPERS FILED IN THE SUPERIOR
COURT.
Grove L. J hnson Retained as Leading
Counsel for Plant # in the
Action for Damages.
PAPERS FILED IN THE SUPERIOR
COURT.
Grove L. ] hnson Retained as Leading
Counsel for Plant IF in the
Action for Dam ages.

Yesterday Claus Spreckels. through his
attorneys, Johnson, Lenforth & Whita-
ker, filed in the Superior Court of this
State an action to recover 81. 600, 600 from
w. R. Hearst for libel.
The complainant alleges that the Ex-
aminer on May % published false and
defamatory article asserting that the
plaintiff "held up the shareholders of
I Watsonville Beet-sugar Company and
compelled them to sell their stock
The suit is brought in the Superior
Court of California and if the defendant
W. R. Hearst, does not respond service on
him will be sought by publication of
summons. Should the defendant petition
10 have the case transferred to the Fed
eral court the plaintiff will proceed in
that direction. The assertion was made
yesterday by counsel for the plaintiff that
the case would be conducted with yigor-
Gus determine ion.
After reciting I he allegation OF the plain
tiff regarding the harm poSsi Bile TO be done
by the misdIrection of a newspaper such
as the Examiner, the com plant con tinues:
That, at all the times hereinafter mentioned
the plaintiff was, and he now is engaged i'm
the occup Stion of the manufacture of beet and
other kinds o. sugar, the building and manage
ment OF railroads and the building and man
agement OF ships and steamers for travel and
uhmc, the purchase and farming OF lands, the
purchase, erection and renting OF buildings,
the loaniug OF money, and other various and
extensive businesses and enterprises in the
said City and County of San Francisco and
throughout the State of California in many
States and Territories of the United States in
the Sandwich or Hawaiian Islands, and in
other countries, and at all of the times here
matter mentioned the plaintiff was exten-
slvely, well and fsvorably known throughout
the said City and County of San Francisco the
States OF California, Oregon, Was hington and
Nevada, and throughout all the States and
Territories of the United States the Sandwich
or Hawaiian Islands, the Dominion of Canada
ana also throughout other states and coun-
tries OF North and South America, Europe
Asia, Africa, Australia and Polynesia.
III.
That, on the Odd day of Nay, 1897. at the
City and County Of San Francisco State of Cal
. iioFnia. the defendant, designing, contrlving
and intending TO expose the plainIiffto hatred
contempt, ridlcule and obloquy, and wit the
intention to injure him in mis- said occupa-
ton, businesses ana enterprises, did publish
OF and concerning the plaintiff in the sa id
newspaper, the Examiner. 8 certain article
in the words and figures following to wit;
Were held up by the trust (meAning
charging and intending to charge thereby
that certain persons the ereinafter me n toned in
the said article, had been robbed in the man
ner OF hlghwaymen by plaintiff herein and a
certain trust, with which the plsintif herein
was connected), and the same was so under
stood by the subscribers to and readers of the
SAID newspaper and said articles.
Outside stock olders in the Watsonyille
plant forced to sell" (meahing, charging and
intending to charge thereby that certain
stockholders in the Watsonviile plant had
been, against their will and interest, and to
their disadvantage and loss, compelled TO sell
their stock IN said Walsonville pi anti and the
same was SO understood by the subscribers to
and readers OF said newspaper and said ar
tlcle.
"Claus Spreckels paid handsomely but gave
the holders no option" lmeauing, charging
and intending 10 charge thereby that plaintiff
herein had paid certain persons, stockholders
IN the NatsonvlIie plant, therein after named
IN said article. an improper and exhor bitant
price Tor their stock therein, and had coerced
the said persons into selling the same to him.
con trary 10 then wish and desire, and against
their interests), and the same was so under
stood by the subscribers to and readers of said
newspaper and said article
several merchants were informed politely
that their stock was wanted" (meaning. charg-
ing and intending to charge thereby that GER
tam persons, merchants interested in said
MatsonYllle plant Gs stock holders, mad been
informed ana notified by the plaintiff that
their stock in said Watsonvile plant was
wanted by him and that they must sell or sur
render the same TO him Irrespective of their
wishes In the premises), and the same was so
understood by the subscribers to and readers
OF SAID newspaper and said article
"Trip o1 the beet-sugar plants" (meaning
charging ana intending to charge thereby
plaintiff was allied had obtained possession
improperly and through coercion exercised
upon aud over the owners and persons inter
ested in said beet plants of the plants organ
lied and constructed in California for the
manufacture OF beet sugar so as to controI
the same against the interests of tho owners
C1 SAID beet-sugar plants and the people AZ
lsrge), and the same was so understood by the
su 6scribers TO and readers of said newspaper
and said article.
IS atIle and Tacoma oppose the trust and
want the reciprocity treaty mai tanned
''The sugar trust, through its most powerful
ally on this coast, Claus Spreckels has oh
tanned all the outstanding stock OF the Wat.
sonville Beet Sugar Company. This has been
accomplished by processes well known to the
trust (Meanlng, charging and intending To
charge thereby that said plaintiff, acting for
said trust, had obtained the said stock in an
improper and unfair manner, and that said
p ain IN and the said trus were in the habit
Of obtaining stock and property in an i'm
proper manner), and the same WAS SO under
stood by the subscribers to and readers OF
said newspaper and said article.
"The price paid by the trust was handsome
one, but the desires OF the stockholders were
not consulted. The sale was compulsory in
every case" CMeaning, charging and intend
ing to charge that the wishes and desires o.
the owners OF SAID stock were not consulted
and that said owners were, against theil
wishes, desires and interest, compelled and
coerced into making the said sale, and thai
said sale was against the interest and desires
OF said stockholders, and that they were sc
compelled and coeTced into making the same
was so understood by the subscribers to and
readers OF said newspaper and said article.
"About six weeks ago the Examiner stat ted
that the OBJECT of the visit TO this coast oi
John Z. Searles, the Sphinx OF the sugar
trust, was TO secure control in the interests oi
that combination of the beel-sugar plants al
Salinas and Watsonville, or to enter into q
compact with Claus Spreckels. The story was
not denied except to a limited degree, involv
ing the admission that Claus Spreckels had
joined hands with the trust" (Meanine
charging and intending to charge there bv
that plaintiff had made some improper and
unlawful arrang ngement with a certain trust to
control the said beet sugar plant TO the in jury
of the owners and stockholders thereof and
the people at large) and the same was un
derstood by the su bscribers to and the readers
OF said newspaper and said article.
"In an interview published in his own paper