The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-30
Station Agent Wants $4,000 for
Defamation OF Character.
HAS STIRRED UP FEELING
Action Has Brought About fractional
Sentiment Which Is Displayed Upon
All Occasions-Sensation Alle-
cations in the Complaint.


owing to the prominence Of the parties
and the points involved, will be an in
teresting battle at law, and its outcome
will be watched with interest.
j. A. Hatch, the complainant, is sta
ton agent for the Great Northern rail-
way at Chester, and the defendants are
well known throughout Northern Mon
tana both as the Chester Mercantile
company at Chester, Choteau county,
and in other business ventures which
they have organized.
Of the company sued. B. 3. Weldy is
president, Dora T. Weldy vice presi-
dent and George w. Taylor secretary;
B. B. Weldy Is also general manager
and treasurer.
For cause of action Hatch states that
he is now, and during all the times
mentioned, has been In the employ of
the Great Narthern railway in the
capacity of agent at Chester, and the
defendant corporation is engaged in
general mercantile business at the same
place; that on or about the 18th day of
June, 1899, the defendants, all well
knowing the premises, caused to be
written and carried by mail to F. E.
Ward, general superintendent of the
Great Northern Railway company, at
his office in st. Paul, Mimi, the follow
ing letter concerning the plaintiff. The
matter complained Of is on letter head
of the Chester Mercantile company and
is somewhat warm:
Chester June 13, 1857. r. Ward,
General Superintendent Great Northern
| Railroad Company, st. Paul, Mimi
Dear Sir: Some time ago we made COM
| plant as to the manner in which your
| agent treated us; Mr.. Davis sent our
letter to the agent and since then we
| have failed to hear q word and things
| have gotten worse.
| William Fitzgerald wrote to Superin-
tendent Shields regarding some beef
| that was killed last winter and dis
posed OF by your agent and M. Spang-
| Ter, your pumper. Mr. Shields sent a
special agent to investigate and his
| investigation consisted of interviewing
the accused only, and I am of the opin-
ion that he was literally bribed to keep
| quiet; since then your two employees
| has become very bold. To give brief
| summary of how we have been used by
your employees:
| Our business has been quite heavy
| and we have had q number of car
| loads of merchandise to unload; 1t has
| been almost impossible to get your
| agent to have cars spotted long enough
| to unload, the facilities being very
| limited at best, but I notice that all
! cars coming In for Bourne and Hamil-
ton are kept in position can prove
| that our local freight has been left out
side while later arrivals for Bourne
and Hamilton have been housed Your
agent bribed our driver to bring over
shipment Of frozen beef, left In ware
house over q severe March night, while
a shipment for Bourne and Hamilton
went into his office. He sells goods for
Bourne and Hamilton to our detriment,
receiving therefor a commission. He
has in various ways made himself Of
fensive and done all he could to hurt
our business. We ask you to fairly in
vestigate and if found as we say send
US a new agent.
"Mr. Spangler has thought he owned
the road; he has on several occasions
sold or given away company COAL is
now interested in a saloon, to which
place he carried company coal after
nightfall; he has an ice cellar on COM
| pany's right of way for the sole pur-
pose of supplying the saloon: he carries
| merchandise from Havre for this place,
charging for same.
Last spring B. II. Smith. mail car
rier, came to me and wished to sell a
half of beef at &c per pound and said
| Spangler had it for sale; Spangler, the
agent, and section foreman sold large
| quantity of beef and kept the pro-
ceeds
"Spangler has just filed on piece OF
! land that Mr.. Taylor secretary of our
| company, has lived on two years as
| homestead We demand his discharge
| if our charges prove true. l am willing
| to swear to my statement and believe
you will fully investigate and give us
| relief. Very truly.
CHESTER MERCANTILE CO. INC.
| 'B b. WELDY, President"
Plaintiff further states that the above
l H. o-tS ,tnp,I ny,
| Ward and read by numerous others and
that as a result one or more special
| agents of the Great Northern were sent
| to Chester to investigate the charges
made against him, thereby subjecting
him to mental suffering, ridicule, OBJ
loquy and great injury to his vocation.
| That the charges of defendant We're and
| are wholly false and untrue and We're
| by defendants circulated and pub
| lished without cause and out Of pure
malice and for the purpose of injurng
| the good name and reputation of plain
| tiff and causing him to be discharged
| as station agent and to prevent him
from securing legitimate employment
| at the hands of others and to have be-
| lieved and suspected that the plaintiff
had been guilty of bribery, larceny and
| the offenses and misconduct specified
| in said writing and publication, and by
reason of said false and defamatory
| writing and publication has sustained
damage in the sum OF $4,000 and prays
| for judgment for the same, together
with costs and disbursements in this
| action incurred.
| The Bourne and Hamilton referred TO
| in the letter are merchants who do
! business at Hill, about 20 miles from
Chester, at the foot of the Sweet Grass
| hills. Mr.. Bourne was member of the
legislature from Choteau county two
| years ago.
John Fl. Stanton Of this city is attor-
ney for plaintiff The whole matter Is
stirring up a great deal of feeling in
| Chester and surrounding country and
has brought about a deal of factional-
| ism, which is displayed on the most
trivial occasions The present suit will
be bitterly fought by both sides.
tn WnRk THE IMnEPFhOENT