The Saint Paul globe., 1904-03-13


statement numbered with details of con-
versations, motives or explanations, in
short, that you simply want the salient
facts.
and W. G. Jordan company when the
company was Incorporated. Have always
been member of its board of directors,
but took no active part in the manage.
ment of its affairs beyond placing its
paper when company was in the market
for money.
In September last, at directors meet
ing, the matter of the expiration of our
contract was discussed, and Mr.. w. b
Jordan thought it was time to do some
thing in the premises. thought 1t too
to run. Mr.. Jordan suggested that look
after the matter at the proper time, and
1t was left in that way.
It seems that subsequently he appeared
before your board and had more or less
talk with you relative to a new contract.
l knew nothing regarding these negotia-
tions until Mr.. Jordan handed me a copy
of 1.-THE proposed notice for proposals for
convict labor" requesting me to look it
over and give my ideas as to what our
bid should be.
He then went West from where. he
wrote me that "It might be tnconvenient
for him to return before time for MAX
ing bids had expired" Immediately
wired him to the effect, Time for re-
ceiVing bids does not expire until Feb. 22,
but if possible I would like to. see you
at once on important business" He ar
rived Feb. 2 or 8, 1 believe. and l in
| formed him that Warden Wolfer was go
ing out of the prison work and that l
had decided to go in with him and bid
for the prison labor. I suggested that he,
Mr.. Jordan, go in with us, and II con-
tract was secured would form company
to operate it, in which each of US would
have one third interest. He rejected this
proposition. 1 then explained to him that
my reasons for calling him here 1mme- e.
diately were in order that he might be
fully apprised at the earliest possible mo-
ment of just what my plans Were, and !
also mentioned the fact that did not
want nv small holdings In the company
to prevent me from becoming bidder.
He then suggested that we buy his stock
and that of his brother, in which event
they would not compete In the bldding,
and he afterwards repeatedly brought up
this point, namely, that If we bought
them out it would all be amicable. and
that they would render us any assistance
IN their power % o% JS%aTos as gel6 nnt e by
Mr.. Jordan as inducement to pay
the price which he asked for his
stock. We bought the stock accordingly
Subsequently Mr.. Wolfer informed me that
Mr. Boucher had withdrawn his accept
ance, that the board had asked him (Wol-
fer) to withdraw his resignation and that
he had determined to do so. He asked
me if could interest others in his place,
If not, he would stay with me and decline
to withdraw resignation. I thereupon In
formed MesSrs Jordan of the exact sit
ing l would take as much more than my
original holdings as they would allow me,
and further, said that their taking the
stock might be-, if they SO desired, con- con-
tingent on the Jordan company or myself
Gn the latter case to assign contract
to the Jordan company securing contract
This was accepted. put in my bid. Mr..
Jordan knew what 1t was and cautioned
me not to forget to accompany it with
certified check, and 1t was understood that
if accepted it was for the Jordan COM
pany, in which he and his brother would
own q three-fourths interest less what
they might allot to him.
When bids were opened and was ad-
vised that mine had been rejected at
once informed Mr.. Jordan and asked him
to go before the board in an endeavor to
close a contract, saying: You are now
the one most interested and want you
to Go the talking" He did so. You, gen.
tlemen know all that took place there ex-
cepting the conversation between Mr.. Jor--
dan and myself after he had declined
your proposition.
called Mr.. Jordan into an adjoining
room and said to him: "Mr. Jordan, you
must do one Of two things, either take
back and pay me today for the stock I
| now hold excepting my original holdingsl
| or close that contract. I cannot afford to
| take the chances of someone else taking
| this proposition while I hold all of the
| stock. If you succeed at the end of sew
contract you will call for the stock as per
agreement but If your tactics result in
loss of contract have all of the stock
on my hands, will stay with you to the
amount of my original holdings and If
contract is not secured, well and good,
however, if you decline to act one way
or the other today | shall have to accept
the boards proposition in self protection" "
Mr.. Jordan says: DO SO. am out OF it. =
then came out and closed contract.
I will say for the information of the
board that the stock of the w. B. & w. G..
] Jordan company is now held by Mr.. A. e.
Mccartney, of st. Paul; Mr.. David Bron-
| son, of saltwater; Mr.. r. H Bronson, of
! Saltwater; Mr.. w. H. Caldwell, of Still
water, and Mr. Thomas Connolly, of Still
water, the last two being the active man
| ayers of the company.
l. have noticed in the newspapers insinu-
ations that Warden Wolfer is interested in
my holdings of stock in the w. B. & w.
| G. Jordan company and that he always
| has been. I wish to state that this is not
| true. He has never had any interest actual
/ or implied. in my holdings of w B. &
| w. G. Jordan company stock. 1 am, gen
| tlemen, very respectfully,
+ r. H Bronson.
To which Mr.. Bronson added later:
! Since my communication of yesterday I
| have read Mr.. w. B. Jordan's statement,
as published in the ST. Paul G o b e, and
desire to add the following thereto:
| Upon entering the room of the board
/ of control with Mr.. Jordan at the time
| of the final negotiations, We found War
| den Wolfer there, and Immediately call
| ed him aside and related to him Mr.. Jor-
! dams statement regarding his sons ac-
| tions, which statement Mr.. Jordan had
| made to me on our way to the capitol.
| We then went into a conference with the
/ board and when they retired for consul
tation Mr.. Wolfer brought up the matter,
referring to his son, saying: IF find
! remain in his position or words to that
| effect. The warden then said to Mr. Jor-