Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-09-17
STRAINE'S BIG SUITS
Growing out of the Promoting
of the Ely Copper Mine.
Islander Damages OF 100000 Claimed
and Real Estate Of the Bradford Bank
Attached in the sum OF 100000.


Attached in the sum of 100000.
The fight over the control Of the United Tee.
gram company o. Boston, resulted recently 10 the
arrest Of the president. Robert + stra.ue. VINO
was released Oh $1,000 bail Judge Colt render
ed a decision ia the United states circuit court az
Boston. Nouuay. favorabIy confirming a. p.
Browne as master and the Lamson-straiu fac
tiou a. the legal officers Of tue concern. In the
meantime there were developments % great in-
terest 10 SIR Straine 10 Bradford, this state.
where. at his instigatiou President Leonard OF the
Bradford bank was arrested. and soon released
[ on $4,000 bail
The real estate Of the Bradford bank ha~ been
attached in the sum OF c5oUhon d writ Of s-que--
tration granted by Judge heel-r ~ the United
States circuit court. Ia addition 20 THIS Judge
Wheeler granted an Injunction last week Thurs
day restraining the Bradford Oauk from selling
some bonds Ahd stock 90 the United Telegram
company hicn the bank held ID, collateral IN
ertaIu Transactions with JD-rt :. Straue
The statement tf events at Bradford dis
closes the story OF a copper mine ia when tie
Bradford bauk. President Chandler 81 tie Postal
Telegraph company. eN Gov. Farnham Of Brad.
ford. Robert F. Straine ana others VI Boston are
Interested
The lily copper mines are situated in Ely. near
Bradford. Hud formerly paid good dividends. but
"A hen the superior and Anaconda and other nIgu
grace copper mines we're opened the by slipped
into STATE Of ''lunocuou> desuetudr '-worE "a
the mine being stopped some tve years ag1.
The BradfUrI bank held mUrtga Oh the prop
ertA. ana more than "a Year agO Mr. Leonard
called on MI. Stralue, who has long been known
as a promoter and proposed a scheme 10 form
a company AMI exploit the Ely mines once more.
80 the Ely copper Mining company was formed
with a capltal STOCK OF 81 .uuUuuJ aud s2UU OJO
worth OF bonds The bank conveyed ITS Interest
IN the mines free and clear u this company. by
dlscharglug the mortgages, and the company
gave the bank u months note for .UUU.
which was backed by a deposit OF $4,000 OF the
bonds The note was made July .. ls9o, and eX-
pred TINS present year, and suit Is pending on
this note
President Leonard Of the bank it appears en-
tered into agreement at the time win the min
ing company, through Straine, 10 Use his lUtI
ence m every way 70 push the sale OF the bonds
on the market. 50 as 10 get capital 10 10 begin
work On the mine and 70 pay current expense,
All went merry a a marriage bell up TO this
pOluL-everyDO happy. and -traiue en-
gagged an expert mining engineer and some WORK
men 10 ueRlu Work On the inlne-prlnclpally eN
permeutai work. After short time Stralue
took about 30 capitalists from New England and
New YORK including Chauncey VI. Depew Dr.
". Seward Nebo and other wealthy men. IN Il
party up to see the mine All returned highly
pleased with the visit. Tor tie mining engineer
mad discovered that the Ely copper mine
much more valuable property than any body had
Dreamed % was. ana with the urW machinery
which had been invented since the mine had been
previously worked. and 80 Llcn u was proposed 10
pot In, u would undoubtedly prove q great prop
erty. From this discovery Mr. Straine and those
who were Immediately interested with hun date
trouble. for they Claim that the Bradford bank
began Go realize that 10 haG made bad bargain
kary last February Leonard got StraIne % put
Z d
/ OF tie bones Z" mold. and $4,000 worth 10 sell
and four-tenths OF the capital stock. This board
/ OF trustees consisted Of Stralne himself - GOV
tarnhaW OF Vermont. and Col. a 3 Chandler Of
! New ! ork. president of the Postal Telegraph
/ company. The latter also director IN the
| Ely copper mining company and dir ctor 10 tine
! United Telegraph company.
This boaru Of trustees was formed for the pur-
/ pose. It said. Of giving the mining company
| better standing with investors. who would want
70 kno" what they were Uuying and who held
! the stock.
About this time the suit was brought against
! Strane by v. II. Baker Of thu Postal Telegraph
! Of the United Telegram company, which terui-
/ mated il the decision Of Judge Colt already men
! toned.
! In the meantime operations in the Ely copper
| mine had ceased and the mine was shut down tor
| time, owing in the matter Of labor some $500.
| Stralne : counsel claim That he had expended
some $4,000 IN the mine and 10 forming the com
| pany and 10 other ways in work connected with
! the company up TO that time
! The next thing Of interest connected with the
! Ely mine occurred last March. when Leonard
| bought uD the claim Of 500 of an engineer named
| Bbikov, who had worked for the company Bi-
oikoV soon after brought suit against the com
| pany and service made on Mr. Watson, the
| clerk Of the Ely Mining company and attorney
| for the Bradford bank.
1t is claimed by the counsel for straine that
| Watson gave no notice Of this suit 10 the Boston
officers OF the company. There was no defe nee
| to the suit, and Bibikoy got judgment and at
tached the property Of the company
he next petitOned the company into insnlven-
cy, on April Is, and no notice Of this petition was
| sent 10 Boston by either the president, eX-Goy.
| Farnham or Clerk Watson. Farnham appeared
before the Vermont insolvency court and said the
| company might be discharged a. lnsolvent.
ON the 4th Of last May representatives OF Rob
| ert +. Stralne went TO Vermont to attend the an
nual meeting OF the mining company. ExGov.
| Farnham refused 70 preside at the meeting, say
| ing that stock holders had no right to elect Off.
| GERS when the company was insolvent. But Off
| GERS were elected IN spite OF the protest Messrs
| DAVIS and Hutchinson, VINO went up from Boston
at the time, took with them the stock ledger book
| and copy of the record book, both Of which
were forciDly seized by sheriff, under warrant
| from the court OF insolvency
| Then werestarted other suits against Straine.
tying up all OF his property in the Bradford bank
and the effect Of all these suits was II is claimed
| by counsel for Straine, 10 destroy the market
! value Of the Ely mining company bonds, and
! they further claim that Leonard violated his
| agreement to do everything in his power 10 help
| the sale Of the bonds
| Straine TOOK steps 10 have the insolvency pro-
| ceedings vacated on the ground Of conspiracy
and TINS matter comes up for trial Sept 81
As soon as the note for S5l.01J which the bank
! held against the company fell due last July, the
bank brought suit against the company for the
! recovery Of the amount. That suit is still pend
| ing, In August the bank notified Mr. straine
/ that his private colahrai-which he had put uu
! TO obtain the money, he CLAIMS 10 begin work on
the mine-would be torrcosed. Th- collateral
/ consisted largely of Unitel Telegram compapy
bonds and stocks,
! To make a long story short. Robert F. Straine
/ got sick Of the manner IN which ne was being
/ used, his counsel claims and they brought a bill
! IN equity last Thursday, through the United
! States circuit court and Judge Wheeler r.
strained the sale of the collateral, which was to
| have taken place last saturday At the same
taching the real estate Of the bank for s5i. 900
which was served Monday afternoon.
Strnine's Counter Suit.
Bradford despatch Of the 18th inst says
In the United States district court Of the district
OF Vermont, suit has been brought by Robert T