The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-01-18
GAS CO.
TO SETTLEMENT
BY DAMAGE SUIT
Former WaShingtonian
Tells How He Made
Monopoly Disgorge
For Insult.
Show of Fight Brings
Agents and EmmiSsarieS
Of Peace by the
Score.

CIOl -
Tell the people that they don't need
10 be held up by ut least one OF the
pet devices Of the gas rnonopoIv for
Tobbing suckers" said i. W Pierce
Of Vienna, Va, who used 20 live lu
Washington. and holds the distinction
OF heins one Of the few folks who ever
beat the Washington gas combine at
AS own game.
Mr.. Pierce got real money out Of the
Ias mOnOpOly-got Il because he
wouldn't stand the holdup, and showed
nght His story viii suggest to hun
oreds OF other people how they can pro-
tcct themselves.
About five years ago was living in
washington, sad Mr. Pierce az The
4lmes office today. and rented a little
mouse on Capitol HilI when Z Was
teoSs 10 move IN, the gas being already
~ Heu on. went 10 the gas COMpanv's
once 10 make my meter deposit Tho
clerk at the window said he cGuldD,f
lahe II tlIl The record OF the premises
we're looked up. He looked II up and
-1-l-'- I4@Is was q charge against the
Li'...l.-s. L.l.l.lses. as taey can il. That is. the
previous tenant owed q small bin TO tbf.
company. Mind you. he had a deposit
VITA the company, and had mereiv
lIahSi erred his account from that pror-
erty 70 another in tho city: he us
silA using gas and sfiu had the dar"sf+
UU. The company was 1erfe.ti,,II - 81
cured but II wouldn't allow me 20 use
EdS until paid the leftover account
OF the previous tenant.
Plan Of Campaign.
Il maze tender Of nv de1ozir t,,+ 20
a
home, bought a kerosene can and q set
Of lamps. and hired good lawyer. 1
thought u was time Tor somebody 70
find out whether the town - bere for
the convenience and Troft of the gas
company, or the gas company was here
"a utility. for the town
The lawyer said. Wen. well eua 'er,
ioF ud4Agess and we'll make il inst
etSuah 10 pe &ppedlabie in case its de-
daed agaiiNt us IN the justice court
80 no started the suit. Imn.edfareI7-
the gas company began 10 take an in
teFesJ. Say, / was the most u0pJlIar
person ~ town with that concert Their
a"yer hunted up my lawyer
~. Mna- are you trying to do TO us?'
AS my lawyer didn't know for suro
whether citizen had any real rights
lhat gas company was bound 10 re-
sPtcL NJ concluded 1t wasn't best to BE-
TOO specific
Wait tin VIC get you into court
Lnen we II show you, good and plenty
What were going 70 do to YOU ne re-
pied with an air Of awful mystery
Sent an Agent Around.
The gas lawyer went away. and pret-
~ soon the company sent an agent 10
me They really didn't want anv from
Die with customer. he said. They
found II had all been an awful mis-
take. They were right sorry. about n
The trouble was that the helm jidD.+
nave manners enough 10 treat DroDls
right but the company was awful So
~, ana he assured that its manners
were fine.
I told him that I had first baa,
turned down very CuTtly by the cIsri-
AT the WINDOW, and then when I frfs,I
TO protest further had been sent tn tn
chlei CLERK who was still more dis
agreeable and insulting. / guessed 7
might as well try the case
8ut l didn't. III tell you wkv T,I,e,-
ptid me the fuI amount Of damages
ioI Wnlcn l had sued, paid my attor-
apology from the insulting clerk YES
sir sent him around TO see me and toIi |
me how sorry he was. -
The nard-luck story that the cIarL-
t2ld wes one OF the funniest parts of |
the performance. He said he had nsda
dreadful rlistake and was sOrrv -
has annoyed his superiors deeply. and
unless / would be nice about in and
settle without making more trouble, il /
would greatly injuTe him-mayFTa cosE
his positions and his family needed tbs
money. " asnI that sad state of /
affairs?
Can Make Them Behave.
Anyhow, took the apology and the
money, and the lawyer took the fee
and l never had any more tl5ubIe with
the gas people. Now, the moral to This l
is that everybody else can bIun tho pas /
company into Jecency if he will iTsr 1
take the trouble. Do you supnosa GTSf
concern would let such a suit as yI1i1s /
go TO trial and decision? You know it /
wouldn' The decision would be /
against it, and then one Of its finest 1
gratis would be ended.
My lawyer went into the matter care |
fully, and convinced himself thar there /
WASH I any DOUBT OF winning the case.
How the gas company Eelt about il caD
be imagined from the fact that if I
up real money TO keep from /
trial.
Now, the gas octoTus goes right on !
holding up people for money on tba /
same pretense that il tried to rob RE I
II forces people TO pay thousands of !
dollars every year, Of accounts ineurraG l
by other folks, just because it has the /
power TO eXtOrt money by refusal otbar
wise. TO turn Oh gas. It is NOT o79ix-
robbing the people, but ii ca be COM
PEELED 10 dlsgorge the money if anv
body wants to start action against + /
Beyond that, it is probably liable for
damages. O'
ANYBODY who pays another mans /
gas Oil, IN circumstances such nc
have outlined. is just being robbe1
He's a sucker to DO IT. If he will fiebt
or threaten TO fight, there will be no
more trouble, the gas conDanx- v-iU
come down. Tell your readers arciit clit :
this experience OF mine and they'll de- |
serve to be robbed IL they permit it any
longer"