The Globe-republican., 1906-09-20
HIMCHMAN WINS
District Court Holds That City War
rants are Valid.

District Court Holds That City War
rants are Valid
The case of Hinchman VS. the City or
Dodge City which has been In court for
a long time has been settled so far as this
court is concerned, and according to the
finding OF the district court Mr.. Hinch-
man will be able to collect bis money.
This case comes from some Of our past
sins, which are always sure to find US ont
sooner or later. Years ago Dodge City,
like all western towns was hard up, but
expenses went on just the same. When
there was no more money the expenses
were paid In warrants. Most of the peo.
pie who received the warrants sold them
at discount. Some Of them were
bought up by home people, but in some
of the years the nome people were not
cashing many warrants and they were
seld by agents to investors further east,
Mr.. Hincliman lived some where In the
east and was looking for bargains in war
rants and the like. AT least no became
possessed Of considerable amount of
Dodge City warrants or bonds, or perhaps
both.
The time came when Dodge City be-
gan to sit up and take notice. She had
gone about as far in to the hole as she
could and the city administration began
campaign to crawl back out. In the
process OF this campaign certain agencies
were employed to get settlement on
some of the outstanding debts. Where
warrants were owned at home different
arrangements were made. Some of the
more doubtful ones that were owned by
spectators were settled by agreement at
so much on the dollar. AS fast as it
could be done these outstanding debts
were called in, the city making the best
arrangement it could with the party who
held the bonds or warrants.
When Mr.. Hinchman was approached
he weuld not hear to anv cutting on the
warrants he held and the interest earned
by them. The explanation that western
towns had been up against series of
hard times until many Of them could not
pay out in full did not impress him
Dodge City's plucky determination to pay
out as far as she could, even the debts
that were extravagantly contracted and
some of them probably more like hold ups
than any thing else was all right with MIR.
Hinchmap, so long as he "got his''.
The city wanted to get the account off
of the slate and 1t is probable that it
would have been willing to have settled
1t If Mr.. Hinchman had offered reason
able concession. The amount held by him
was something like $1l 900 but the inter-
est has been busy and has almost equalled
the principal. Hinchman b1 ean litigation
to collect the interest and principal, and
the city represented by Eugene Ware has
contended that the amount claimed by
Hinc bmau is not due him, on the ground
that the warrants held are out lawed by
lapse of time.
The coHrt found that the warrants were
legally drawn and that the time that had
passed had not invalidated them, so that
whether or not we had been worked in
contracting the debt the city had made
payment in wawAntS that were collect
able.
Steps are being taken by the city's
attorneys TO appeal the case to the
supreme court with the hope that sav.
ing may be made. 1t will probably turn
out to be forlorn hope, but still, here's
hoping that it will not.