The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-15
Company Alleges a Threat of Extern na-
 ton In Business
SPIES PLACED ID WATCH
 CIGARETTE SHIPMENTS
It Is Said That Congress Will Take Up This Fight and Senator Rev. erIdge Will Take Up Cause
 of the Independents.

Raleigh N C., August 14.-(Specia1.) )--In the big damage suit of the Ware Kramer Tobacco company of Norfolk against the American Tobacco company and its sub sidiary, the Wells-W Whitehead company. instituted in the United States court at Raleigh, it Is declared that R. G. Briggs, of Wilson, N. C., speaking for the Amer ican Tobacco company, through the Wells Whitehead company, made this threat:
 we will crush hell out of you and your company. If you go to China, Ja- pan or anywhere else in the world, we will follow even to the gates of hell, and we will crush hell out of your company. We will do this by fair means or foul"
 This language is alleged in the bill of complaint to have been addressed to F. D. Ware, president of the plaintiff corporation, by MT. Briggs, who had, the complaint alleges. already effected the sale of the whitehead company. in which he was an officer, to the Amer ican Tobacco company.
 There are two causes of action set out, one setting up claim to s1, 100000 damages and the other to s1.OOO.0Oo damages. The bill of complaint is voluminous, and re- cites in detail trust methods of crush ing out competition, as directed especially against the Ware-Kramer Tobacco com- pany, which was organized at Wilson in 1904 by F. D. Ware, Samuel Kramer, s. D. Boykn and J. c. Hales.
 The bill declares that F. D. Ware was offered his choice between $1O,0OO per year position with the American Tobacco com pany and financial ruin if he persisted in the formation of the new independent corporation and that others who were en- terested in the Independent corporation were threatened with financial ruin.
 One of the most startling allegations in the bill Is the charge against the American Tobacco company of placing spies upon the shipments of cigarettes sent by the Ware Kramer company to China
 A letter is said to have been written by Percival s. Hill, president of the liam Carter, manager of the Wells Whitehead company in which President Hill is quoted as saying:
 We are advised that a load of cigar cites has been exported to China by the ware-Kramer Tobacco company. If possible I wish to ascertain what port these goods were shipped from and the name of the consignee. If you cannot learn the name perhaps you can find out from the markings of the cases as well as the point in this county from which the goods were shipped by steamer. A carload meons to us about 5,000.0G0 cigarettes. If we can get this information, I think we can shut off their market.
 It Is alleged that the promise of MT. Hill was made good and that no more cigarettes were shipped to China by the Ware-Kramer concern.
 This act alone is said by the plain tiffs to have done them damage 10 the extent of $100,000 and the Chinese business was highly profitable and of great value.
 It is declared that Congress will take up the fight against the American To- bacco company and that Senator Rev. eridge will champion the cause of the independent manufacturers.