Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-09-30

| HE HOW L ain SIMPLY ruined.
"Well, I'll stick to you few months
| longer, not because [ care anything
about you. l have no time for sym
pathy with individuals; besides it
isn't business. / only care for the
success of movements. If your
scheme could be carried through it
would save me several millions; that
would be clear pickup. If you
| fail / shall try a scheme of my own.
One thing is sure: Warde must be
got away from here. I'll try and get
him an opening in New York
| Late that afternoon Warde ran
| across Hillsman, who had just got
up. The debauch of the night before
had told plainly upon him, his flushed
face and bloodshot eyes bearing con-
elusive evidence against him. He did
not allude at all to the meeting of
the previous evening, and it was evil
dent that dissipation had drawn a
veil over all that had happened and
| left in his mind merely blank.
Warde was considerably relieved on
this score, for at present he did not
care to complicate matters by having
| to consider Frank as an element in
| them.
| At eight o'clock Warde and Nh Ev-
erett were again closeted together,
and the paper that had caused such a
vast amount of trouble was taken
from the safe and carefully read. It
was dated 20 years before the time
of this story. The handwriting was
bold and plain. The following we're
the contents in full:
AGREEMENT BETWEEN JOHN T.
WRIGHT AND JAMES FRANKLIN.
John t. Wright has this day made the
following transfers of property with the
| subjoined understanding with James
| Franklin: The Wright homestead, 500
| acres, all improvements. The Magnolia
plantation, 1000 acres, in parish,
Louisiana. The Coahoma plantation, s.
| $40 acres, in Mississippi. The Queen City
plantation 1850 acres. in Arkansas. A
| lot on Maine and Boulevard in the city
| of Nilus, so by $50 feet. A lot on Linden
| street near the Bayou, 100 by 200 feet
| A lot on Front row, near Madison, 40 by
| $50 feet with improvements. All to the
| Shelby Real Estate and Investment COM
| pany. A tract of land in Young county,
Texas, 6,957 acres, to the Shelby County
Real Estate and Investment company.
A tract of land in = county, Colorado,
| 5000 acres. To the Diamond Mining COM
| pany of Denver, Col.
| These transfers are made to protect
the said John L. Wright from sundry
suits at law, which threaten to grow
out of the difficulty that terminated in
| the death of Jeremiah Baxter at the
hands of the said Wright Regretting as
| he does the necessity of taking human
| life, the said Wright is not willing that
| his estate shall be sacrificed and the
| welfare of his family jeoparded; and
| these transfers are made with the dis
| tinct understanding that whenever the
| said Wright desires to revest these vari-
| Gus properties in his own name the said
| James Franklin will take steps to at
| once turn over all the papers with which
| he is intrusted, and that he will at once
| secure said Wright In the possession of
| his property. The consideration alleged
| in these various deeds was never paid
| over. James Franklin binds himself as
man of honor and a friend of John T.
| Wright to faithfully fulfill the terms of
| this agreement whenever the said Wright
so desires. JOHN T. WRIGHT.
JAMES FRANKLIN.
'That is certainly one of the most
| remarkable documents that it has
ever been my fortune to consider,"
said the lawyer, his keen eyes snap
ping with relish for a novelty in le-
| gal literature. "Have you any idea
what the paper is worth?'
81 should say two or three hundred
thousand dollars" said Irving.
'sIt is nearer ten or twelve mil
lions," declared the lawyer.
Irving's eyes betrayed a dazed sur
prise as he gaspingly repeated the
words after Mr.. Everett. The latter
smiled and said: 81 haven't the
slightest doubt that Frederick Meri-
vale would give at least 81 100000 for
the rights secured in the Wright es-
tate by this paper
"But-how can it be?" asked Irving
in whisper.
Before | explain this part, let me
tell you this; that the Shelby County
Real Estate e Investment company
and the Diamond Mining company of
Colorado are virtually and practically
James Franklin. These facts were
| discovered by Fenton, who at nv
| suggestion has examined the records
in the registers office, and learned
the exact state of the case It was
| easy sailing about the real estate
| company, but the facts concerning
the mining company were harder to
get at. 1t became necessary to have
thorough Investigation, and with
this end in view FentOn went to Colo
RADIO and there he soon learned that
the local incorporators in the Dia-
mond Mining company were dunn
mics, and that James Franklin owned
a large proportion Of the stock.
These two companies were evidently
created by Wright and Franklin for
the purpose of more thoroughly con-
cealing the real nature Of the trans
fers made. Fenton paid q visit to
the Colorado tract of land and it
proved to be in the heart of rich
mining section. Originally Wright
had bought it for a song and had
looked upon it as a very Indifferent
speculation; but in 20 years great
changes have been wrought, mines of
| Cf rio hoy yo1 n