Waterbury Democrat., 1901-08-22
BRIDGEPORT MEN SUED.
Papers Drawn By the Law Firm of O'Neill, O'Neill & O'Neill.

The Suit Is for $2O,00O and Is the
 Second One Instituted Against
 These Men By Charles F. Richards
 and His Wife, Emma S The First
 Suit Was for $1o,ooo.
 The O'Neills have commenced a suit in favor of Emma S. Richards, who carries on livery business in this city against George H. Peck and O. Lines, dealers in carriage supplies in Bridgeport, to recover $20,000 damages for malicious prosecution and false iln- prisonment. Suit was brought some time ago by Charles k. Richards, Mrs Richards's husband, against the same defendants upon the same charges to recover damages of $10,000.
 It seems that some time ago Mrs Richards was engaged in the livery business in Bridgeport and purchased various articles from Peck and Lines. The business did not pay there and she moved her goods to New Jersey and opened a livery there. They still owed defendants several hundred dol lars and with view to collecting the same they prayed out criminal pro- ceedings against Mrs Richards and her
 
 they had stolen the horses and car riages they had taken there from Con- necticut. On this charge both were arrested and confined in Hackensack jail. After spending five days behind the bars the husband was released on putting up cash bond of $500. The wife was held until January ,, 1901, when new charges were preferred against her for stealing horses in New Jersey. On the latter cnarges she was kept in durance vile until January %, when she had trial and was acquit- ted. The case against her husband was nolled. At the hearing Judge Zabriske stated in substance that it was an abuse of criminal practice to use it for the purpose of collecting an ordinary debt.
 After the acquittal of the Richardses on the first charges, Peck and Lines preferred new charges against them to the prosecuting attorney at Bridge port, alleging that the property in question was obtained by false repre- sentation. Extradition papers were made out, signed by the governor of this state, based on the charges made by the Bridgeport firm, and served upon her in New Jersey, where she was taken into custody, brought over to New York and turned over to the officer having the extradition papers in his possession, who escorted her to Bridgeport, where she was shut up in jail and forced to remain there until March %, when she was set at sib- erty. Since that time the Connecticut proceedings have been dropped.
 When placed in jail in New Jersey Mrs Richards handed over $2, 100 to her attorney, who in turn procured bail for her husband with this as their se- curity. As she fingered in jail for some thirty or forty days without see ing anything being done for her, she called in additional counsel, but be- fore they would act they required her to turn over to them fifteen horses and fifteen new rubber tire coaches and other stock, the whole representing every dollar she was worth. After this the wheels were set in motion and Mrs Richards was tried and triumph antly acquitted.
 After she had cleared herself in the courts she commenced to look around to see how much of her property was left. and to her great dismay found that she was unable to get back a cent of the $2. she had handed over to the New Jersey lawyers. and she could get no account of the horses and car riages either.
 These suits are brought for the pur- pose of determining what became of Mrs Richards's money and other prop erty. and whether the Bridgeport men shall be required to reimburse her for injuries and damages suffered because of the prosecution. Mir Richards wants to know if he can be stuffed into jail and kept there until bailed out on .1c- count of his wife's indebtedness with out being compensated therefor. The papers were served to-day by Sheriff Hawley.