Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-03-24
CARD FROM w. J. COLTS.
.litor Of thn Re Oi st or


space in your paper, l would like to
reply to several rather sensational and
garbled reports that have appeared in
all the city papers within the last two
weeks, and in which my name has been
conspicuously used by certain pettifog-
ging attorneys who have to call to their
aid all the newspapers to assist in their
slanderous and unwarranted attacks on
ones character for the sole purpose Of
creating in the community a prejudice
against one for the purpose of trying to
beat them or to have a jury prejudiced
against certain. parties before their
cases are heard. Such practices should
be stopped. By referring to the papers,
all readers can draw their own con-
illusions.
What is SANDER? 1t is to defame, to
injure by maliciously uttering false
report respecting one, to tarnish or
impair the reputation of one by false
tales maliciously told or prOpagated.
A slanderer is one that does not pos
sess the moral courage or honor to face
the one s1andered, but does like all
towards do, resorts to law to shield
himself. Such miserable frauds and
fakirs should be exposed and not al
lowed to be going about slandering and
maligning the character of others.
What is barrator? One who fire.
quently incites suits at law, common
mover and maintainer OF suits and con-
troversieS, an encourager Of litigation
in which he has no interest. A party
who holds claims that are legal and
just, for which to collect it would be
necessary to bring one or one thousand
suits, he is not and cannot be called
barrator simply because he is doing
what the law allows him to do for the
purpose of collecting the debts due him.
Any person has a right to buy book
accounts, notes or commercial paper,
and collect the same by legal process
OF law. Were that not fact the whole
business of this or any other country
would be dead in a very short time. 1t
is a hardship when a person holds
claims of that kind and are prevented
from collecting them by some lawyer
crying out 'barratOr.
know Of certain lawyers who make
1t their business to so about hunting
up claims against citizens Of this city
or Ohio, and threatening them with all
kinds of proceedings if they do not
pay, even going so far as to threaten to
inform their employer, asking to have
them discharged if the bills are not
paid. | think one of that kind should
be called a barrator. 1t has been pub
lished in all the papers in this city that
| am litigant, always seeking law
suits. To that charge l wish to say
that 1 am only a litigant, when
have interests to protect, then | protect
them to the best of my ability. For
instance, when the city of Wheeling at
tempted to take from me by force my
property on the corner of McCulloch
and Baker streets | defended it and beat
them, and the record Of the court will
show that the city paid all costs. Also
in the case of the Wheeling and Elm
Grove Motor Company. l certainly
beat that company and put them into
several hundred dollars OF costs, and
then sold them a very small piece Of
the corner of the lot at the corner of
McCulloch and Baker streets at a very
high price, and | am still the owner Of
almost all that famous corner lot
This litigation need not have been
if the city or the Wheeling and Elm
Grove Motor Company had bought the
property at the very low price l Of
fered it-one thousand dollars. Some
of our very wise city officials thought
they could take it by force. Since then
they have changed their minds, and
the taxpayers of the city know the re-
suit of this litigation. l now have sew
eral suits pending against those who
had me arrested for defending my prop
erty. and 1 will certainly prosecute
them until they are disposed Of by law.
| know certain justice of the peace
in this city and broker who are and
have been for years buying claims
against parties who work in Ohio, and
attach their wages, the attachments
costing often more than double the
debt. Why are they not prevented
from doing that kind Of business? Is
it because they belong to combine or
trust? You know we must treat all
alike. to be just. In conclusion, l will
say that all l ask is that in the future
the papers will refrain from publishing
such unfounded, garbled reports, gotten
up by unprincipled parties for the sole
purpose Of prejudicing the community
against me. / am willing to submit all
legal matters in which I have interest
70 Judge or jury to dispose Of. Trust