The morning journal-courier., 1908-10-24
President of National Mercan tile Company of Hartford So Ordered by su-
 perior Court,
MUST GIVE UP s15,ooo
Hitch Over Attorneys Engaged by the nefcndant-Norton W~M First Given a Week In Which
 to Pay Up.

Hartford, Oct 2S.--T. B Norton president and treasurer Of the National Mercantile company was ordered by Judge Shumway in the superior court here this afternoon to pay $l5000 to tho receivers of that company within thir ty days with the further statement that if settlement was not made by the expiration of that time the court would use all means within Its power to col lect 1t, The court first ordered Norton to pay the amount within a week or . submit to a judgment for 1t, but after listening to q plea by Norton that he be allowed all the time possible modi- fled his order by extending the time to thirsty days.
 ! The matter came Up on the motion citing Norton and his wife into court Eta show reason, why they should not be 'adiqdged in contempt of court for alleged failure to lipas up to the agree rnent, lnade'wtth the court to pay over Sl500o and surrender all stock held by them In the Aatlopal Mereantilc com- papy Since that agreement was made Norton discharged his attorney, Noble E. Pierce and retained Charles F. Per kins Mir. Perkins asked the court to postpone the hearing as he desired to plead and after some argument the court over-ruled the motion for post ponement.
 Receiver arren R. Fairfield of Maine was in court and protested against fur ther continuance. He said the delay would be q hardship to both the stock holders and creditors of the company
 Attorney Robertson representing the anclllary receivers said that If the agreement made with the Nortons was not lived Up to, and If new issues were raised. the seal would be removed from the lips of Norton's former attorney, Mir, Pierce and he would be called upon to inform the court as to the revelations made to him by Norton He further stated that tho reason that Mir Pierce had been discharged as counsel by Norton, was because he insisted upon living up to the terms of tho agreement as ratified by the court
 In overruling the motion to postpone, the court said 1t was not the duty of the receiver to give Norton any fur ther consideration after the agreement had been ratified by the court Norton was then called to the witness stand and sworn. During his recital of the conferences which lead up to the settle ment. the name of C. F. King of Bos- ton was frequently mentioned. He went into the details of the legal con ferences and said that he was very fearful AS 10 the punishment that might be meted out to him if he did not sign over his home in settlement of all criminal and civil suits against him. He di sod but later settlement upon tho basis of s15,o00 and the surrender of all stock held by himself and wife was made, with the distinct understanding that all criminal prosecutions were to be withdrawn
 It transpired during the course of the hearing that the criminal cases would be nolled.
 The court tf1ereupon asked Norton f he was able to raise slo,0oo He said ho didn't know, but probably with the assistance of friends he could. The or der of the court was then given,