Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-02-27
MEYERS WINS SUIT.
United States Circuit Court Directs
Verdict in His Favor.

Verdict in His Favor.
From the Wilkesbarre Record.
After seven years of waiting Archi-
tect Elisha Meyers, who drew the plans
for the first million dollar temple of
justice it was proposed to erect in this
county, on Wednesday before the
United States circuit court in session
at Scrant ton, secured a verdict against
Luzerna for the balance OF his claim
$4,000, with interest. This means that
the taxpayers of Luzerne will be com
PEELED to pay an additional $14,75O for
the Meyers picture which adorns the
walls Of the county commissioners
office.
Judge Archibald heard the case and
after hearing the testimony he took the
case out of the hands of the jury and
directed verdict in favor of the archi-
tect. Che case will be appealed to the
United States appellate court, and if
the decision of this week is sustained
the cost of the discarded Meyers plans
and pictures will foot up S24, 4,75O.
The history Of the case is familiar to
the majority of the citizens of this
county. At the beginning of the new
court house agitation in 1895, Thomas
Smith, =. r. Norton and Thomas Dull
lard were the county commissioners.
They entered into a contract for plans
for new court house with Architect
Meyers, OF Detroit, Michigan. 1t was
stipulated that Meyers should receive
$4,000 for the plans and a commission
of per cent on the cost of the building
for supervising the work
He was paid the first installment of
$4,000, but by the time the next ten
was due storm of protests had been
raised against the proposed building, on
the ground that it would cost more than
$1,500,000 to erect and furnish it, The
commissioners finally gave up the idea
OF building aud refused to pay the
$4,000 which Meyers alleged to be still
due on his contract. The next year
Messrs. Smith, Norton and Dulard went
o"' vi OIl'e duu tne OOdrI OF county
commissioners that tsucceeded themwould
have nothing to do with the Meyers plans
and began to look for new architect.
This board of commissioners was com
posed oil John M. Jones, A. D. Hay and
John Quincy.
Fred Osterling, of Pittsburg, was the
artist who was finally selected to de-
sign building, but he had no sooner
been engaged than Mr.. Quincy object
ed to him on the ground that he hyp-
Noticed Messrs, Hay and Jones during
a junkct to a number of the temples
in the West that he devised But his
plans were accepted by the commission
ers and after much litigation they
were placed in the hands of the Judges
for approval. They still rest there and
there is no indication of early action
upon then
The hearing before the United States
court on wednesday did not take up
much time. After Architect Meyers
had produced his contract and called
attention to some Of the buildings he
designed In various parts of the country
and the county's witnesses were unable
to disprove his claims, Judge Archibald
directed that a verdict he given him for
the amount at issue, S14,75O
The principal witness for the county
was Commissioner Thomas Smith, who
was one Of the members of board which
entered into the contract with Movers.
He was unable to produce any of the
papers IN connection with the transac-
tion, they having mysteriously dlsap-
peared from the county commissioners
office.