Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1911-09-20

agricultural society, whereby the
company agreed to send an aviator to
Lancaster for flights on Thursday and
Friday of this week. The dates were
not filled, and the suit was started on
Friday. George B. Clementson and
W. J. Brennan, came to Milwaukee
on Friday to arrange for the attach
ment on Beachey's machine.
STATEMENT BY CLEMENTsON.
. We entered into a contract with
the Curtiss people, he said, and
feel that they should have kept their
part of it. They tell us that on ac-
count of the death of one Of their
aviators they could not fill the date.
but later argeed to send man. He
did not arrive. and we have had no
flights. We have brought suit for
$4,000. and have garnisheed the state
board of agriculture and have attach
ed Beachey's machine. We have
given the sheriff an indemnity bond
to protect him. The one thing which
we did not want to do was to injure
the state fair and keep the people who
will attend from the flights. There
fore we arranged that every time the
machine leaves the custody of the
sheriff the fair board is responsible
while the machine is in the air.
Attorneys representing the Curtiss
Company also furnished to Messers
Brennan and Clementson for the fair
society an indemnity bond of S., 600
in addition to the above, to cover the
matter of garnishment proceedings,
and these bonds are now on file with
the clerk of the court of Grant Coun-
ty.. An action has been started
against the company for $40, 900 and it
will take place IN the court here.
The Milwaukee officials with whom
Messers Brennan and Clementson had
to deal we're very accommodating and
gentlemanly in the matter. and Of
fered all the assistance and courtesies
at their command which are very
much appreciated.
WITTMER REFUSED TO FLY
Wittmer and his 'mecanicien ar
rived in Lancaster on the noon train
Friday and were met and at once
hurriedly taken to the grounds by
7toIN + ~ Of fhn So%1
looking the situation over he declared
that there was not room for him to
start flight and that he would at
once ship his machine to Depere,
Wis, where it is understood the
people we're also recently deprived of
a series of promised flights by reason
of the aviator and his machine
dropping into Fox Lake. Wittmer
was permitted to re-tag his machine
for shipment to Depere and attach
ment papers were then served upon him
by the fair society and the machine
brought down town and locked up.
On Saturday both of the attached ma
chimes were released, the company
putting up an indemnity bond in the
sum of $40. 900. covering further &C
tion.
FAKE CLAIM OF "NO ROOM"
The hollowness of Wittmer s claim
of insufficient room to start his flight
will be recognized when it is known
that in Milwaukee Beachey made his
flights with running start of less
than 300 feet and that in the recent
Chicago aviation meet the average
start Of the several fiers was much
less than this. On the race track
several hundreds Of feet Of track could
have been placed at his disposal, while
all around were vacant fields, free
from any obstruction, that would have
furnished all "the room" necessary.
There is no doubt that it was
largely bluff on the part Of the
aviation company, almost if not en-
.tirely from the start, and that they ex-
pee ted to pick up the $1,000 provided
for in the contract without giving
much Of anything in return.
The fair society and it's friends are
very much incensed at the dissppoint-
ment and humiliation that have been
heaped upon them through the very
questionable course pursued by the
aviation company, and believe that
thew can and should have heavy
damages therefor. It is the society
intention to carry the matter into the
courts, to force whatever reparatlon
may be legally possible and to teach
the company that it cannot victimize
the people Tout here in the coun try
without being made to smart for it.
Everybody will hope that it may be
possible to make them pay handsomely
for what appears to be dirty piece of
business.