The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-08-11
MANN TO RESIST
The FARMER CASE
Threatened Suit Governor an Old Cam.
paign IsSue-COunseI Volunteer
Services.
RICHMOND. VA

an issue IN the campaign or last
year, Is absolutely without merit
or precedent, and will be left 20
the courts without further COM
ment by me-"
That was the manner in which Gov
ernor Mann discussed the anticipated
suit or j. III. Farmer, OF Nottoway.
against him for alleged breach of con-
tract and consequent financial dam
ages, as he claims, resulting from said
alleged breach.
William l.. Royal, OF this city. is
counsel for Farmer. Mr.. Royall call
ed on Governor Mann Saturday morn
ing In connection with the case.
When IL became known today that
the suit was threatened, Speaker
Richard Z. Byrd at once called and
Volunteered his services as counsel
Ior Governor Mann, and within n
snort time former Speaker William
-. Cardwell, of the law firm of Scott
buchanan & Cardwell, called and Of
1ered his services and those of his
associates In case the suit is brought.
Inc Governor thanked the LAWYERS
LOT their services, and IL the case
comes to trial ii means that Mr.
Royal will be opposed by an array
OF counsel that will keep him busy.
one thlng is certain, Governor Mann
VIII night the case to the last ditch.
Basis of the Suit.
me case Will be recalled by the
general public. 1t was figured in the
campaign of last year. The facts are
said by Judge Mann's friends to he
about as follows:
In the summer Of 1907 Judge Mann
was consulted by Farmer in connec-
hon with some lumber transaction ne
had with the Akers Lumber Co Tbe
Judge advised Farmer as to his riTotS
IN me premises, and was paid a small
Zee. Farmer, when leaving remark
ed that II there was any further Iiti-
gatlon ne would want Judge Mann to
T0nrRCanf n Jim In,
Mann replied that he knew of no rea
son why he should not do so. That
was the end of that case
sometime later, just how long is
not exactly clear, the A1ers Lumber
company, of Lynchburg, brought a
suit against Farmer. Judge Mann be-
ing employed by the plaintiffs He
was later seen by Farmer and ac-
quainted with the previous converse
without precedent in Virginia iuris
prudence: 1t is known that Governor
Mann viii contest every inch of the
litigation. He. appears not i'm the least
worried over the matter. and declines
70 discuss IT in any way. and declines
Tor the lawyers to do when the case
-, 1t is Mr.. Royals intention to bring
the suit in the Richmond Law and
Equity Court during this week
rupted by the refusal Of Judge Mann to
act as his counsel. and claims that the
was with the understandings that he
was retained to defend any suit that
MEM miSnt result from following Judge
Farmer Letters. 1909.
In June, 1909, the Houston Record
advertiser published a letter to Mr.
Broad Anderson, written by Judge
Mann in relation TO the Farmer mat
ter Judge Mann's letter was as fol-
lows:
AS Mr.. J. II. Farmer. Of BurkeviIle.
Va. is in person and by letter maxi
n n CT
ne intends shall prejudice me in the
eyes OF the people to whom he talks
and writes. / wish to state the facts.
am away from my office and can
not give dates
Mr.. Farmer consulted me i'm refer
encc TO transaction between himself
and the Ahers Lumber Company. OF
LNnchburg. Va. / gave Mr. Farmer
my opinion and charged him IS for
II. Mr.. Farmer then said that IL any
trouble grew out OF the matter he
would like TO engage my services as
attorney.
1 made no memorandum, and some
months afterwards. the matter having
entirely passed out of my mind. Mr..
AkerS, the manager OF the Akers
Lumber Company. wrote to me about
the same case and employed me To
attend TO ii for him. / entirely over
looked the fact that Mr.. Farmer had
spoken to me in the case. and as an
ular counsel l thought the matter was
all right. After preparing the papers
Tor the Akers Lumber COMPANY was
informed by Mr.. Farmers counsel of
the facts as ! have stated them. and
j at once wrote TO Mr.. Farmer that I
would give up the case of Mr.. Akers
not charging any fee for what / had
done. / could not then take the case
Tor Mr.. Farmer because Mr.. AkerS
had talked confidentially to me. and
Il Il
10 do with the case on either side.
! regret that / forgot the conversa-
ton between Mr.. Farmer and myself
but as soon as ii was called to my at
tention did everything that any man
could do in the premises. This is the
whole truth about the matter.
Respectfully,
WILLIAM II. MANN.
j. III. Farmers Reply.
In the next issue off the Halifax
paper was printed the following replv
by j. H. Farmer:
BurkeVille, Va, June -, 1909.
Editor Record-Advertiser:
/ see in your issue OF June 9th an
article headed Another Charge Re
futed," which was a statement from
the Hon. William Hodges Mann to the
erect that had by certain statements
made, and letters written to some of
my friends, endeaVored to win votes
for Mr.. Tucker Judge Mann practi-
cally admits all that l have said either
by letter or statements. but does not
quite give the whole history of the
case in question. He not only advised
me in the matter referred to in his
letter, which was in regard to plain
contract. and accepted fee of me for
his advice, but ne then and there
promised to defend me in case a suit
came (by my following his advice),
which l told him l thought would hap
pen from my knowledge of the par
ties that the contract was with. My
reason for seeking his advice was that
the gentleman that had been in the
habit of attending to my legal business
was of the opinion that it was a case
that should be settled in a different
way (to which l did not agree), so
i told Judge Mann that | did not like
TO go into a case in court with an at
torney that was not sure of his ground
and wanted him to defend me when
the case did come.
This controversy arose over a con-
tract, as Judge Mann stated, with the
Akers Company. The contract was
made for the manufacture and sale of
certain timber which 1 purchased
from William Hodges Mann and J. L.