Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-09-04
THE BOOKS ARE LOST
Search Being Made For Books of
Long Distance Telephone Co.
MORAYIA MAN IS SAID TO KNOW
c. J. McFatridge Has Been Cited to
Appear and Tell What He Knows
of the Missing Property Next Tues
day, in ottumwa.
IFrom Fridays Daily.l

[From Fridays Daily.l
c. ]. McFatridge, of Moravia, has
been cited to appear before Judge
Sloan next Tuesday, and tell where
the books and papers of the Ottumwa
Long Distance telephone company
are. This is the elimination of a
search instituted by Attorney w. M.
Walker, counsel for the stockholders
who are of the opinion that they have
been buncoed by j. Goddard, presi-
dent, and R. l.. Hardin, secretary of
the company during its existence
prior to it's being absorbed by the
Bell company, thru, it is claimed, the
without the knowledge and consent
of the men who put their money into
it.
A meeting of the stockholders, a
majority of whom were represented,
was recently held at the office of At
torneys Mitchell & Hunter. 1t was
given out at that time that it was
for the purpose of electing officers,
and making arrangements to get pos
session of the property. Nothing
was said as to what means would be
used, but yesterday evening it was
learned that the first step of what
appears to be a determined fight,
had been taken to get possession of
the books and papers of the corpor-
alton. 1t was stated that Attorney
w. M. Walker, of Keosauqua, attor-
ney for the stockholders, was making
a still hunt for them but failed to
find a clue, until one day last week
when an Abba attorney called him
up by telephone at his home, and
stated that he knew where the de-
sired books and papers were. Upon
being questioned, the Abba attorney
said they were in the hands of eli
ent of his, and that he was author
lied to turn them over provided the
stockholders would agree to give his
client half the stock. 1t is said that
Mr.. Walker refused the offer and stig-
matized it as blackmail with the AL
bia attorney as a party to the trans
action. Mr.. Walker had several cards
in his hand he had not played. and
shortly after played one of his trumps.
He filed a petition in the district
court of Monroe county asking for
a writ of replevin. The writ was
placed in the hands of the sheriff
and returned with the endorsement
that the property could not be found
Then Mr.. Walker played card of a
little higher denomination. He made
affidavit that the Abba attorney
knew where the books were and
asked Judge Fee to require the attor-
Nney to appear and divulge his secret.
The court made the order as asked
and brought the Abba lawyer into
court. He refused to tell who had
the books, claiming that it was a
privileged communication under the
statute. Judge Fee said it was not,
and required him to tell or be placed
in Jail for contempt of court. The
Abba attorney was in quandry.
The court could keep him in Jail I'M
til he did tell, and the attorney knew
it. Finally he said G. j. McFatridge,
of Moravia, was the man, and was
released.
Mr.. Walker at once went to Cen
terville and filed a petition, asking
for another writ of replevin. The
writ was given to the sheriff, and he
and Mr.. Walker went to Moravia for
the purpose of serving it. By some
chance Mr. McFatridge had been in
Centerville that day on business, but
neither the sheriff nor Mr.. Walker
were aware of it. AS the latter gen
tlemen came into town from one di-
rection, Mr.. McFatridge approached
from another. The writ was served
by the sheriff, but Mr.. McFatridge
said he did not then have them in
his possession. Further he would not
say, except that he was not on the
witness stand and would not answer
questions. Mr.. Walker had one
trump left with several deals com
ing, and he played the remaining card
which he thinks will ultimately take
the trick, with the leave of Judge
Sloan, who at present is holding
court in this city.
Mr.. Walker made another affidavit
that he felt reasonably sure MIR. Nc.
Partridge knows where the books and
papers of the company are, and asked
for an order citing Mr.. McFatridge
to appear and tell what he knows
about it. The request was complied
with, and Wednesday Deputy Sheriff
Slavens served the citation requiring
him to appear next Tuesday.
If Mr.. McFatridge knows the where
abouts of the property, he will either
have to tell or go to jail for contempt
with the chances largely in favor Of
his telling. If somebody else has them
and they passed into that persons
hands from Mr.. McFatridge, he viii
be compelled to divulge that persons
name, and the same process will again
be gone thru with.
1t is said the stockholders are now
beginning an active. concerted cam
paign to recover their property which
they claim was lost to them thru
fraud, and will make the present
residence of certain persons unbear
ably warm.
Meanwhile outsiders are wondering
what the Bell people, the presen
operators of the line, are doing.
+