Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-10-19
INSINCERITY is
CHARGE IN DEAL
Stanton and Backers Claim
Union Electric Is Tied
to the Bell.
CALL FRANCHISE HAWKER
President Sucker Shows That Not
Dollar Has Ever Been
offered.

Before a meeting Of the city council
last evening charges OF bad faith were
exchanged by the Union Electric Tel
ephone company and l. w. Stanton,
claiming to represent eastern capital
lists, incident to the negotiations look
ing to the taking over of the independ-
ent telephone properties here, in Mo
line and in Davenport. Owners of the
Union Electric were accused of hav-
ing already sold to the Central Union
and Mr.. Stanton was branded as a
franchise vendor attempting to obtain
an option on valuable plants with hot
air that he might hawk his holdings
without investment Of a dollar
S. R. Kenworthy appeared as attor-
ney for Mr.. Stanton and his hackers.
Mr.. Kenworthy explained that before
he accepted a retainer he first con-
WINGED himself that the men who had
engaged him were sincere in their eff
forts 10 invest their money here and,
furthermore, he had satisfied himself
that they were able to carry out any
financial obligations that they might
shoulder He said that an offer Of
S250,00O had been made the Union
Electric. and that his clients were
prepared to deposit any reasonable
amount to bind the bargain, be it s1O,-
600 or $4,000 in cash Within 80 days
they would pay the remainder either
in cash or acceptable securities, the
latter to be converted into cash at the
expiration of four months
Bailey Turns Down Offer.
He explained conferences had with
George B. Sucker. president of the
Union Electric, and his attorney, Lee
Roy Wolfe, all of which were unsatis-
factory, inasmuch as he had been I'M
able to get the latter gentlemen to
agree on any terms of sale whatever,
convincing him. if ne had any previous
doubts. that the property already be-
longed to the Central Union. Mr..
Sucker, in fact. had admitted to him
that he was without authority to close
q deal. Finally, Mr.. Sucker consent
ed to communicate the offer Of $780,
600 to Mr. Bailey. trustee for the bond
holders, at Harrisburg, Pa. He did so,
and Tuesday q negative answer came.
Mr.. Kenworthy reviewed the history
of the Union Electric here, and al
legged that it had never. from its in
ception, been on the square with the
public; that fIom the first it had been
playing into the hands of the Central
Union. Mr. Kenworthy read an eX-
cerpt from the official proceedings of
the Davenport city council to show
that the statements that had been
made 10 the effect that the council of
that city had passed an ordinance con-
firming a sale of the property of the
Union Electric to the Iowa Telephone
company were in error. 1t appears,
from the facts read by Mr.. Kenworthy.
that before the Davenport council
takes final action on the ordinance the
latter is to be published four consecu-
tive weeks in the newspapers to give
the taxpayers opportunity to express
themselves.
Dealing Nearly Two Years.
Mr.. Wolfe. replying to Mr.. Ken
worthy, said that his people had been
dealing with Byron Osborn of Frank
lin, Pa, the financial head of the syn
dictate represented by Mr.. Stanton, for
nearly two years in an effort to sch
the Union Electric properties. but that
Mr. Osborn always managed to wlggle
away when there was talk of a cash
consideration. Terms had been agreed