Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1902-05-29
WEST END Law SUIT.
Cards From Canada, Gray and Down
ing.

To the editorof the Sturgeon Leader:
In the last issue Of your paper | no
tice yon publish the petition filed I'M
the case Of s. W. Downing VS. William
Mayer, myself and four other persons,
In view Of the unusual prominence
which you give to this suit may l ask
that you permit me tossay word in
regard thereto.
Although | have not been served
with copy Of the petition, yet the
allegations contained in the petition as
published desire tosay are absolutely
and willfully false, at least so far as
they relate to myself
1t is true lam a stakeholder in the
mining company mentioned, but the
statement that l at any time ever en-
tered into a conspiracy to cheat, de-
fraud and swindle" Mr.. Downing or
any one else, is malicious falsehood,
made from whole cloth. On the con-
trary, was always opposed TO selling
to any one any interest In the mining
property and did not even know until
after the sale that any interest had
been sold or to whom. After discover
ing there had been a sale l went to one
Of the parties and offered sl,10O in
cash for the interest he had purchased
for sl, 900. lie, as did all the rest, re-
fused to sell. One Of the parties who
now claims to have been defrauded
went so far as to pay 81, 900 to one of his
|friendsfor the interest which had been
bought for 81, 1865 at the same time he
purchased his interest, and which he
knew had only cost that amount.
Another one who also claims TO have
been defrauded has been the main
beneficiary Of the Investment, having
drawn a salary Of approximately slOOl
per month as manager of the COM
pany.
On the dates which the petition al
leges / entered into this transaction,
SO FAR from my being in Neosho, was
sick In Mexico, Missouri, where l re-
NAMED for about thirty days.
/ have never seen the Mcbride Com
pany's mine, nor have ever asked
any one to purchase any interest there
in, always opposing a sale. Further
more have never met Mr.. o. L. era.
yens, the person from whom the mine
was purchased, nor was | ever a party
to any option contract with him, as
charged in the petition. went into
the company in good faith, have always
paid my assessments promptly, aggre-
eating something like 81, 200.
1t is my intention to contest the
case and at the proper time will have
my attorneys file an answer setting
forth my entire connection with this
whole affair and will be able to show
beyond the peradventure Of a doubt
the absolute falsity of these malicious
charges against me.
/ cannot account for the venom and
spleen that has been injected into the
petition, the unusual prominence given
the suit, the undue haste In bringing
it for the October term Of the circuit
court before the June term has yet ar
rived unless it be for political rea-
sons, AS you know, Mr.. Editor, one
of the defendants, William Mayer, Is
candidate for Collector of Boone
county. am not citizen Of Boone
county and have no interest whatever
in the race in that county, do, how
ever, most emphatically object to some
Of Mr.. Mayors enemies dragging my
name into the matter and preferring
false charges against myself solely for
the purpose Of making political capi-
tai against Mr.. Mayer.
thank you for your valuable space,
and beg to remain, Yours truly,
]. II. CANADA.