Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-02-20
CARD FROM FRY & CLAY.
To the Editor OF the Ledger.

nan relative to the allowance by tn
City Council Of the bin Of Miss Porte
In the Reed cases. 1t has not been on
custom, Mr.. Editor, to enter newspa
per controversies, and especially owe
matters Of a strictly business charac
ter, and, in this particular instance
were 1t not for the fact that Gen. Ken
nan has shown himself so yindictiyI
and ungallant as to seek to unjustl!
bring the name Of a young lady int
public condemnation, we would re
main silent, as heretofore. We haC
thought that the broadness, intelli
geuce and experience or Gen. Kennar
would have dictated that he not entei
upon so small and ~picayunish an I'm
d~ertaking. However, smartlng undeI
a merited defeat, administered by hi
colleagues in the City Council, he ha'
pelLmell rushed into print to Civ,
vent to his pent-up grievances, ant
this, too, at the expense OF the posi-
bility Of innicting an injury upon I
young lady who has on every occasion
shown him every courtesy, and has
yet to do him or anyone else a wrong,
If Gen. KEENAN,, after numerous ef
forts, covering a period Of many weeks
to defeat this bill, and being unable
to convince the Council Of the correct
ness of his position, can expect to gair
the applause and commentator Of the
people Of this community by an at.
tempt to publicly humiliate a woman
and slap in the face their chosen Of
~ficlals, then w mistake the spirit and
sentiment OF its citizens.
Mr.. Editor, we have no desire TO at
tempt the defense OF Miss Porter oil
any member of the Council; they need
none. We do, however desire that In
justice to them the real facts in this
matter be given the same publicity as
was the article of Gen. KEENAN,.
These facts may partially be gotten
from the following letter, which we
on Monday addressed to the Mayor;
To the Mayor and City Council, Mexico, Mo.
MEXICO, Mo-, Feb. II, 1902.-Gen-
tlemen: We have been informed that
the Council will tonight hold a special
meeting in order TO consider the bill
of Miss Porter against the city for SER
vices in the cases OF Mary A. Reed VS..
the city and W.. Il. Reed VS.. the city.
In this connection we also have infor-
nation that a member of your honor
able body, Gen. w. H. KEENAN,, has in
his possession two letters from Mr.. Geo.
Robertson, attorney for Mr.. and Mrs.
Reed, wherein 1t Is stated that prior
to the preparation Of the transcripts
In these cases by Miss Porter, he, Geo.
Robertson, notified Miss Porter that
any transcripts prepared by her would
not be accepted.
In the first place, and in answer to
such statement, we desire TO say that
even though such facts were true they
could not in the least degree effect
the bill OF Miss Porter. The law re-
quires an appellant In any cast to pre-
pare a transcript OF the proceedings on
the trial Of such case Ia order that the
Appellate Court might review the
errors complained Of therein, and per-
mits him to prepare and obtain said
transcript from any person or source he
may see fit. Mr.. Robertson, therefore,
as you will readily observe, had no
more to do with the city'S preparing
the transcripts In these cases or had no
more the control over the sources from
which said transcripts should be OBJ
tained than he had TO do with OF con-
troll over the English government.
But in this effort OF Mr.. Robertson,
through the medium OF Gen. KEENAN,,
TO defeat Miss Porter's bill he has stu
diOusly avoided, so we are informed,
making known to theCouncil a positive
and explicit agreement had between
himself and Miss Porter prior to our
departure from Mexico to Clayton for
the trial of these cases, which agree
ment vas as follows; That Miss
Porter sould go to Clayton and report
the cases and in the event an appeal
should be taken from the Judgment Of
the Circuit Court she should prepare
the transcripts; that In the event his
clients lost the cases he would Sc
cure the transcripts from Miss Porter,
or IL on the other hand, the city was
unsuccessful he would accept her
transcripts prepared for the city.
1t was not until after Miss Porter
had gone to Clayton (her expenses
only being paid by the city, and had
spent the whole OF five days In report
ing the cases In shorthand and after
Robertson had obtained a verdict
in the Mary A. Reed case for a much
less amount than he had expected and
had met complete defeat In the w. +.
Reed case, did Mr.. Robertson seek to
avoid this agreement, claiming as an
excuse therefor that he personally was
willing to accept her transcript, but
his clients were unwilling to do so.
Miss Porter tells us the above facts are
true and we ourselves have personal
knowledge Of the same, as well as has
your city attorney, Mr.. j. d. Orear.
In this connection we also desire to
call the Councils attention to the
fact that Gen. KEENAN,, who Is most
active in attempting to prevent the
LAY ulCHb VI JHio Dliif uuo3 On nuulCl-
Gus occasions, been invited to our
offices to consult with us upon the
cases, get the facts regarding the
transcripts, and to in every way ac-
quaint himself, so far as was In our
power to give him information, upon
every detail connected with the cases;
vet, thus far, he has steadfastly re-
fused TO do so, or to in any way assist
US or allow us to give him the benefit
OF our information upon the subject.
At the same time we are reliably
informed that Gen. KEENAN, has re-
peatedly been in consultation with Mr..
Robertson, the attorney for Mr.. Reed
and wife; has obtained most Of bis in
formation from him; has at all times
adopted his suggestions and advice re-
garding these cases, In preference TO
that OF the four attorneys employed
by the city; has urged upon the Coun-
Gil the payment Of the Judgment, in
GLIDING costs, in full against the city
and In favor Of Mrs. Reed; and has at
every step placed as many obstacles In
the way OF the successful prosecution
and determination OF the cases as pos
sible. We are frank to confess that
this is the first time within our expe-
rience that we have ever known the
client of one attorney TO continually
consult and adopt the advice Of the
attorney of his opponent. We are
also equally frank TO say that II we
r not TO have the full cooperation
OF the Council in our efforts to win
these cases il would be best for the
city that they be settled at once and
no further steps taken therein. We
cannot even hope for success II we are
to continually experience the misf0r-
tunes and impediments Of a ''bouse
divided against ITSELF"
In conclusion We merely desire to
say that when the question or appeal
ing the cases IA before your hOnora-
BILE body We duly notified you OF the
necessity OF the transcripts being pre-
- a. 49,