The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-26
]. 4. CONRAD A BANKRUPT
Utah Mining Man Forced to Show
Down by Montana Creditors.
SAYS 1T is BLACKMAIL
Proposes to Fight the Case to Finish
Outgrowth OF an Unjust Judg-
ment-Converted His Means
Into Drafts.

John HI. Conrad, the mining man,
we'll known in Butte and other cities
of Montana, has been forced into the
bankruptcy court at Salt Lake by cred
itors who have petitioned the court to
have him adjudged an involuntary
bankrupt. The petitioners are Thomas
Hunter, of Oswego, N. Y, Matteo To-
masso, Joseph Bollick, Mineot Felicia,
and Mathio Tomasso, all of Horn, Mont.
The amount of his Indebtedness is
claimed to be 12,665.3o, all of which is
unsecured. Thomas Hunters claim is
for 11,993.S0. which, it is alleged, was
the Judgment rendered against Conrad
by the Sixth district court of Montana,
April l., 1894. The other claims, all of
which are on certificates of deposit, are
as follows: Matteo Tomasso, $162; Jo-
seph Boalick, $210; Mineot Felicia SIPS;
Mineot Felicia, $50; Mathio Tomasso,
sips.
1t is alleged that Conrad has tried
in many ways to evade the payment
of these debts. The specific acts claim
ed are that he removed from McCor-
hicks bank $4,000 to evade writ Of
attachment which Hunter was going to
serve upon him. Also that he had con-
veyed to the Silver King Mining COM
pany the property known as the Mas
sachusetts group, and that he removed
large sums of money from the Conrad
National bank of Kalispell, Mont, and
the Park National bank of New York.
In an interview at Salt Lake Mr..
Conrad characterized the proceedings
against him as Matchmaking scheme
and said he proposed to fight 1t to
Hsoi SI l,p} Il rs 11n
filed just as soon as his attorneys
could prepare the papers. The pro-
ceeding against him, he said, was the
outgrowth of an unjust Judgment OBJ
tanned by Thomas Hunter during the
panic of 1898 Prior to that time ]. II.
Conrad and S. G. Hunter We're run
ming eight stores in Montana and Wy
oming, as well as a bank at Red
Lodge. Thomas Hunters SC being in
the employ of the firm at he bank.
Prior to 1898 Thomas Hunter had de-
posted with the firm $4,000.
In July, 1898. the firm was overtaken
by the panic which swept the country.
Then Thomas Hunter went into court,
and, Mr. Conrad says, obtained iudg
ment for $1,000, instead of $4,000, and
by his actions threw the assignment
which S. C. Hunter and ]. H. Conrad
had previously made, into the hands of
a receiver, thereby destroying over half
of the value of the property
Mr.. Conrad went to work and from
his efforts and individual resources paid
off 100000 of the firms Indebtedness,
aside from what was realized from the
company's assets, and that amount,
Mr.. Conrad declares, discharged every
honest debt he owed with the excep-
ton of the amount claimed by the
Hunters and during the past two years
he has repeatedly, rendered them every
dollar he owed them
Regarding the certificates of deposit
which have been brought into the case
Mr.. Conrad said he did not believe they
were genuine, as all the affairs of the
bank had long since been settled.
Mr.. Conrad said at the attachment
suit brought by the Hunters few
weeks ago, and which was thrown out
of court in Salt Lake, he had sworn
that he had over 100000 in bank, and
rather than allow the Hunters to tie
any of it up he had withdrawn his
Salt Lake and Montana deposits and
bought eastern drafts with the money.
Butte Optical company, eye special
lists and manufacturing opticians, rooms
Z and s, Owsley block, Butte.