The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-03-28
.ROAsTs TRUST N
BILL Of C0MP[A|
Ware Kramer Company Tells
Story of Relentless Per-
secution
ASK HEAVY DAMAGES
/. FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS
Say Trust Paid Man In Com
plainants Employ to De-
stroy Their Bush
ness

Especial to The Richmond virginian.1
RALEIGH, N. c.. March 2s.--Thos
definite setting of the famous million
and a half dollars damage SUIT 81
e-kramer Tobacco Company. az
Norfolk. va. The American Tobacco
Company for trial at the May term
OF the United States Court here before
Judge Henry G. Conner gives this
long standing litigation an Immediate
interest and promise of speedy settle
ment. The suit was originally for
Two and a half millions of dollars for
the destruction by the great tobacco
trust OF the business OF the plainttfg
In cigarette manufacturing business.
nrst at Wilson and later at Norfolk.
The complaint Is that the company
was finally forced Into bankruptcy by
the relentless business prosecutions
the American Tobacco maintained co.
ward them as a business competitor.
:. One million dollars OF the damages
claimed were Topped Of some months
ago by ruling by Judge Common that
the claim for damages must be cons
nned 10 the phases OF damages allows
ed under the Sherman Antitrust
Act, no punitive damages being ad-
mfssible I'm such a case as this. The
bill OF complaint sets out about every
phase of competition that trust II
supposed to exercise in driving ont
competition, including contracts b1nd~S
ing dealers to handle none OF the good1
OF the plaintiff and spreading reports
about the Ware Kramer CompanY
detrimental to their commercial stM1i0~
Ing. One section Of the complaint De<1s
out that the plaintiff shipped two cars
loads OF cigarettes to China to MI ore
'ders received and that the two car.
loads completely disappeared. nevee
e<sh fhofv E..a A
LEGATION showed that American Tobac-
co Companys goods actually arrived
In the stead Of tine Ware-Kram6r
shipment They charge. too. that thu
trust really paid the PLAINTIFF for tn
two cars OF cigarettes In question, tn
inference in the complaint being thax
the trust fetnd through sort 81 Do
tsctivs service that the Ware-Kram.
err Company had secured the big 1edGFE
from the Orient and set about to pros
vent it, delivery and me substitutlon
OF it, own goods. There was DRAFT
attached to the bill OF lading and thu
was duly paid and the Ware Kramer
Company assert that they hzd no Ink
ling OF any "hold-up" In the delivery
OF their goods until their agent found
that It was American Tobacco Com-
pany's goods and not the Ware Kram~
er goods that were supplying the tr1d4
that the two car shipment was fntends
ed to supply. ~
Another remarkable feature OF ri
complaint IL that in which 1t IN set cut
that w. NJ. Carter. as a secret aren't
Of the American Tobacco Company.
contracted for $4,000 worth or stock
In the Ware Kramer Company. ana
was put in charge Of the sales DE-
partment at good salary and thae
they soon found that he was ronliy
knocking the Ware Kramer Compai1v
In every why he could. and decreasine
their business and prestige a. fart -
possible. A subsequent order Of tla9
court had made Mr.. Carter . party
to the suit AZ CO. defendant with IT,
American Tobacco COMPANY. II 49,
the Wells Whitehead Cigarette CCss1s
pany that the American Tobacco Gems
pany used principally in lighting tn
Ware-Kramer Company. according u
the complaint.
All the papers In the case has been
carried by Judge Conner to his home
Office in Wilson where he IL going
through the dispositions ana putting
the papers In order for the least POI
sible delay in the progress OF tho
trial when the case Is called. This;
court will convene May %, and the
first week win be devoted ID criminal
cases. Then the Ware Kramer Corf~
pany Va. The American Tobacco Cons
pany case win be called and 1t Ii e.
pected that something like n month
will be required In the trial.