Rocky Ford enterprise., 1908-10-02


$500 received from the State Bank
which they had sent to New York or
Dec. n. The Hanover National bank
Of New York refused to honor the
check and they had tried to get cash
or exchange on the First National
bank of Pueblo from Mr.. Godding
but were unable to get it. Their tes-
timony was in confederation of that
sA6ecretary G. NJ. Hall given earlier
IN the day and reported in last weeks
Enterprise.
Friday, the eleventh day of the trial
was rather monotonous. John D. Lee
colored. testified to buying 20 acres
Of land from DR.. w. E. Fenton a.
$I25 per acre. giving his notes and
trust deed for the same. He had in
tended at the time to meet the notes,
but had been unable to do so.
F. D. Perry testified to purchasing
30 acres of land from DR.. Fenton at
SI2s per acre. said he purchased it in
good faith. but owing to the. dry
weather and the scarcity of water,
had been unable to make payments
and had given up the land. He con-
sidered the land worth what he agreed
to pay for it when he bought it.
Joseph Stctz testified to purchasing
40 acres from Fenton at $50 an acre.
had paid SIoo and still lived on the
land. He said he had always paid his
debts and had bought the land in
good faith. but was unable to meet
his payments.
Henry w. Adsmond. assessor OF
Otcro county. showed the assessment
return of John f. Godding for 1907,
not signed by Godding. The defense
objected to its introduction and the
court took the matter under advise
ment- The assessor was asked to
produce the tax schedule of 7. F..
Godding. Sr.. for 1907, and said no
schedule had been returned. The as
SCISSOR produced the tax schedule of
w. z. Fenton & Co. for 1907. which
showed property listed amounting to
$4,000 The tax schedule of F.. J.
Smith. cashier OF the bank. for 1907.
showed property worth $I.oso. Ads
mond said he generally listed proper
ty at 40 per cent OF its real value.
The next witness was William A.
Park. a machinist at the Sugar fac
tE. He testified to having fifteen
ySHrs' experience at his trade. He
had been out TO sec the Fenton pump
ing plant and made = report as to
its value. which he placed at 5000.
or IS per cent of its original cost.
William McCaskiii, of Manzanola.
testified as to his familiarity with the
prices Of land and water rights in this
section Of the alley. He. with sew
crai others. had been out to see the
Fcnton land about two weeks ago.
lie placed . total value upon the land
of sI6.ooo.
l. r. Fenlason. the real estate man.
had also been ont to see the Fenton
lauo and placed a total value of $I7.-
500 on it. Mr.. Fenlason also testified
to being one of the school directors
in district No. 4. Rocky Ford. and re-
lated some trouble they had with the
Rocky Ford bank about tho middle
Mes. Anderson. had issued . check
for $1,000 upon an order Of the board
to Biankenship Bros. of la Junta as
payment on the new school building
at Rocky Ford. This check had been
placed in the First National bank of
Ia Trnta hut the Rocky Ford bank
had failed to put up the cash for it.
1t was finally fixed TIP by the Rocky
Ford bank giving security to the la
Juota bank and they carried the
check
The witness then related his cx-
Pcrience with draf. he had bought
on the First National bank of Pueblo
and which had been returned by that
hank. Mr.. Godding requested that he
return the draft and get New York
t6hangc as he had plenty of money
New York but was short in Pueblo.
TA draft was finally paid in Pueblo.
Htwas then asked il he had occasion
to investigate the collateral and sccur-
tiles given by w. f. Fenton to secure
.t. = l. l..
the State. Bank of Rocky Ford He
gave as his opinion that the security
was worth about $4,000
The next witness was J. J.. Nickel
w. the real estate man and loan bro
kcr who said he dealt in commercial
paper He was asked what he thought
of the securities and what was the
marset price of the paper OF w. +.
Fcnton held b. the Rocky Ford bank.
aggrepating $4,000. He declared he
wouldn't give $1,000 for it. but this
answer was stricken out and he in-
ally said that as an asset he didn't
think il worth anything. He said he
WAS acquainted with John F.. Godding
aud related Il conversation he had
with Mr.. Godding i'll May or June.
1907. relating to the sale OF $40 900
worth of bonds known as the Dclls
bonds. These are bonds covering
watering resort in Wisconsin and that
hc made an offer of $4,000 for them.
lie claimed that Mr.. Godding in Dc
ccmbc-. 1907. had offered him $50
thousand as a commission il lie could
get certain parties with money to de-
post it in the State bank.
Rufus Phillips. cashier of the First
National hank of La Junta. estimated
M,r value pf tho Erp,p, lands ,f S,t
I73. and the financial worth of Fen
toms parer at $4,000
T.Io,i Pollock. former bookkccpcr
in the State Bank. occupied the stand
all fo-~-NNor en Saturday lie said
that Dec 10 Inn- he 4alLcd Nth