The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1909-09-30
SHONTS SUED.
FOR BIG SUM
Charged With Alternating
the Affections of Mrs.
Frederick Hipsch.
HAS QUEER DEFENSE
Railroad President Declares He
is Victim of Strange Case of
Mistaken Identity.
(From N. Y. worldly

New York, Sept. 24.-Theodore p.
Shonts, president of the Interborough
Metropolitan company, president cf
the Chicago and Alton railroad, pres
ident of the Toledo, st. Louis and
Western railroad, director of many
other important companies and one
of the most potent figures in the in
dustrial and financial life of the city,
has been sued for 5000, 900 by the hus-
band of a woman whose affections he
is charged with having alienated.
Through his lawyer, Delaney Nj
coll, Mr.. Shonts declares he is the vic
tim of one of the strangest cases of
mastaken identity on record.
1t would seem, according to Mr.. Nj
coll, that the president of the Inter
Met. has some double for whose mis-
deeds Mr.. Shonts is being held re-
sponsible AS to who this double is
there has been no hint.
The suit against Mr., Shonts is
brought by Frederick Hipsh, the New
York manager of a Kentucky distil-
lery, with offices in the Flatiron build
ing. Mr.. Hipsh while not a man of
large wealth, has comfortable in
come.
According to Mr.. Hipsh his wife met
Mr.. Shonts at Narragannsett Pier in
1907 and afterwards in this city. On
behalf of Mr.. Shonts it is declared
that this acquaintance with Mrs. Hipsh
was most limited and confined to the
courtesies which any gentleman pays
to a lady whom he knows only cas-
ually. On the other hand Mr.. Hipsh
in his complaint charges Mr.. Sbonts
with conducting an intrigue with Mrs.
Hipsh for over two years.
Mr.. and Mrs. Hipsh spent the sum
mer at Asbury Park. On August 2,
Mr.. Hipsh found telegram to his wife
asking her to meet some one. The
telegram was unsigned but on the
strength of it Hipsh hired detectives
and got evidence, he says, on which he
began his suit. Mn Nicoll says that
on August 2, Mr.. Shonts was sick in
bed in care of DR.. Wolfe and a trained
nurse.
On Thursday Mr. Nicoll had a two
hour conference with Mr.. Hipsh and
his lawyer, Mr.. Harrington, and told
them of his willingness to produce DR..
Wolfe and the trained nurse to satisfy
the husband that his charges against
Mr.. Shonts were most unjust.
At this conference Mr.. Nicoll de-
clared most emphatically that Mr..
Shonts had no more to do with the
troubles of the Hipshes than the man in
the moon. He insisted that 1t was a
case of mistaken taentity, and that
while Mr.. Shonts would have no diff
Guilty in proving his absolute inno-
cense in court, it was a cruel outrage
on an innocent man to force him to
defend himself against charges of this
kind. Mr.. Nicoll wanted Mr.. Hipsh
to withdraw the case but this he re-
fused to do.
Mr.. NicolPs declaration made an
impression upon Mr.. Harrington, Mr..
Hipshs counsel, and he said today:
II am now eXaming a number of
witnesses who are absolutely disinter-
ested. / appreciate fully the import
ance of this matter and if by any
change 1t should be established to my
satisfaction that Mr.. Shonts is the vic
tim of mistaken Identification the suit
against him will of course be drop
ped"
Mr.. Shonts would not be seen to-
night.