The age-herald., 1902-01-29
File Answer to Minority Stock holders Bill in City
 Court
ADMIT CALLING HIM SNEAK
Allege That Robinson's Only Purpose Is to InIure Wire company's Business and the Schu-
 lers in Particular.

In the City Court yesterday, before Judge w. W. Wilkerson, the case of MT. c. E. Robinson vs. Messrs. E. T. Schuler. G. H. Schuler and R. D. Carver, directors of the Alabama Steel and Wire Company at Ensley was taken up. The defendants filed an answer and the day was taken up with the introduction of testimony by the plaintiff. The plaintiff was on the stand when court adjourned until today.
 The petitioner, MT. Robinson, alleged that he was a minority stockholder of the Alabama Steel and Wire Company and as such had obtained an order of court entItling him to inspect the books of the company but that the defendants, In defiance of this order. refused to al- low him to inspect certain books; that they claimed to have destroyed some of them. and he said that one letter book No 6-had been made over and certain letters which were copied in the original were omitted from the new book. He asked that they be required to show cause why they should not be attached for contempt of court.
 Defendants File Answer.
 The defendants. in their answer filed yesterday, say that they never in any way intended to disobey the order of the court and that they believe they are not guilty of contempt; that If they have done anything which was a technical breach of the mandate it was done under a misapprehension of it's meaning, and that if they are mistaken they will yield to such construction as the court may put upon it.
 They admit that c. E. Robinson owns 400 shares of common and 400 shares of preferred stock in the Alabama Steel and Wire Company and they also admit his demand In May. 19Ot to inspect the books of the company and their refusal to allow It. which they state was done because they believed he was prompted In such course by a pirpose inimical to the best interests of the company and with the intent to injure the company, and especially E. T. Schuler and George II. Schuler and to vex and harass them. That 1t was to further designs which he had against each of them, and not for the purpose of finding out whether the business of the company had been prop erly conducted or whether any injury had been done Robinson as stock holder.
 Only One Dissenting Voice.
 Defendant say in their answer that the capital stock of said Alabama Steel and Wire Company is $1.5OO,OOO and that all the stockholders except Mir. Robinson are in accord with and satisfied with the present management as was evidenced by a vote at stockholders meeting of Jan uary 21, 1902 when all the stockholders, except MT. Robinson approved the pres ent management.
 Defendants E. T. Schuler and G. H. Schuler aver that MT. Robinson has villi- fled and abused them and is seeking to hiure the business of the company. That he would sacrifice his holdings if at the same time he could destroy them.
 Defendants then refer to their appeal from the courts decision awarding a m mandamas against them and deny as false the averment that said appeal was made to give them additional time in which to destroy the books of the com pany. They say that MT. Robinson ap- piled to Mir E. T. Schuler on January IS, 1902 to see certain books and that he | was informed that they had been de- stroyed These were Reconstruction led | ger, journal and cash book, which were | all cheap books and not intended to be | permanently kept. They were destroyed | because in the latter part of 1900 1t was | found that the construction and operat- ing books had been more or less run to- l gether and confused from the fact that | the operation of the plant had been com | meAced before 1t was entirely completed. | It was decided to do away with the old | books and open new ones. This was done in September 1901. The balances were transferred and the old cash book and ledger burned. The old construction books were burned June 26 1901 The de- struction of these books was decided on prior to MT. Robinson's suit for man. damus and they aver that this destruc- ton was in no way a contempt of court.
 Attorney Examined Books.
 They say that they allowed MT. Rob- inson's attorney to examine the books and Robinson himself on January 10 1902, and subsequent days. He was also allow ed to examine the securities of the com l pany. Defendants deny that they ever refused | to let him see the original letter books, l - zz..u-rzzrzszz=zszsuuzzznz