The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-24
Bankruptcy Petition Filed Against
Mining Man.
CHARGE HIM WITH FRAUD
PROCEEDINGS DENoUNCED BY
MR.. CONRAD.
Brought By Parties. He Says, Who
Obtained An Unjust Judgment
Against Him-Willing to Pay All
He Owes, But Nothing More
VIII Fight Proceedings.

A petition asking that John II. Con-
rad, the well known mining man, be
adjudged an involuntary bankrupt was
filed in the federal circuit court yeater-
day. The petitioners are Thomas Hun
ter, of Oswego, N. Y. Matteo Tomasso,
Joseph Boilick. Mineot Felicia, and
Malthio Ton1asso, all of HOrr, Mont.
The amount of his indebtedness is
claimed to be sl2 $3.50, all of which is
unsecured. Thomas Hunters claim is
for S11, $780, which, it is alleged, was
the Judgment rendered against Conrad
by tine sixth district court of Montana,
April IT, 1894. The other claims, all of
, which are on certificates of deposit, are
as follows:
Matteo Tomasso. S162; Joseph Bo1lick,
$40; Mineot Felicia, $125; Minegot Fe-
licia, $50; Mathio TomasSo, S125.
It is alleged that Conrad has tried
in many ways to evade the payment of
these debts The specific acts claimed
are that he. removed from Mccormick s
bank $4,000 to evade a writ of attach
nleIEt which Hunter was going TO serve
upon him. Also that he had conveyed
to the Silver King Mining company the
property known as the Massachusetts
group, and that he removed large sums
of money from the Conrad National
DdIlh VI Nall Dtt, AtOiIt., anu CltG L al II
National bank of New York.
Denounced By Conrad.
Mr.. Conrad was seen at his apart
ments last evening and characterized
the proceedings as a matchmaking
scheme, and said he proposed to fight
it to a finish. His answer will be filed
just as soon as his attorneys. Zane &,
Rogers can prepare the papers, and
n no h
ing equivocal about it, either.
This proceeding, the gentleman said,
was the outgrowth of an unjust juds-
ment obtained by Thomas Hunter dur
ing the panic of 1898. Prior to that
time J. H Conrad and S. G.. Hunter
were running eight stores in Montana
and Wyoming, as we'll as a bank at
Red Lodge, in the former state, Thomas
Hunters son being in the employ of the
firm at the bank. Prior to 1893 Thomas
Hunter had deposited with the firm
$4,000
In July, 1893, the firm was overtaken
by the panic which swept the country.
Then Thomas Hunter went into court,
and, Mr. Conrad says, obtained judg-
ment for $11 ,000 instead of $4,000, and
by his actions threw the assignment,
which S. C. Hunter and j. H. Conrad
had previously made, into the hands
Oh a receiver, Thereby destroying pNSI
half of the value of the property.
Paid Off Debts.
Mr. Conrad went to work, and from
his efforts and individual resources paid
off $4,000 of the firms Indebtedness,
aside from what was realized from the
company's assets, and that amount, Mr..
Conrad declares, discharged every hon
est debt he owed. with the exception Of
the amount claimed by these 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 this 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 a few
weeks ago, and which was thrown out
of court by Judge Cherry, 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.