Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1912-02-23

THE OBJECT of this suit is to procure
a decree directing the parties defendant to
interplead and settle among themselves
their respective claims to the reward of
two hundred dollars offered by the plaintiff
for the arrest and conviction of the party
or parties who set fire and burned the
buildings on the properties of John W.
Hoffman, W. W. Conner and Martin New
man, and that the plaintiff may be directed
to pay said sum of money into the Court,
and for such other relief as the case may
require.
The Bill states that on the 9th day Of
November, A. D. 1908, that certain build
ings on the properties of John W. Hoffman,
W. W. Conner and Martin Newman were
set fire to and burned, said property being
located in Bethesda District, Montgomery
County, Maryland, by some person or per-
sons then unknown.
That the plaintiff on the LIST day of De-
cember A. D. 1908. passed an order and
had the same published in the county
newspapers and otherwise Offering a re-
ward of $4,000 for the arrest of and con-
viction of the parties who had set fire to
and burned said buildings.
That on the 9th day of April, A. d. 1909,
the plaintiff passed an order and had the
same published in the county newspapers
and otherwise offering a reward of 5000
in lieu of the reward of $4,000 heretofore
offered for the arrest and conviction of the
party or parties who had set fire to and
burned said buildings, copy of the order
being filed with said bill.
That Matthew Griffin was arrested and
tried for said burning and convicted for
the burning of the Hoffman property and
plead guilty to the burning of the Common
property, whereup0n he was sentenced by
the Circuit Court for Montgomery County
to serve term Of eight years in the Mary
land penitentiary; as result of the trial and
conviction for the burning of the Hoffman
property and following the plea of guilty
to the burning of the Common property said
Griffin was sentenced by the Coure to serve
a term of two years in the Maryland peni-
Tertiary, said term to run concurrently
with the sentence in the Hoffman case.
That since said trial, conviction and SEN
tence, the defendants, James Dalton, Olive
Stott Gabriel and Ernest G. Petit, have
filed with the plaintiff written claim and
demand for the payment of said reward
of $4,000.
That the plaintiff is unable to decide
among said conflicting claimants as to
which, if to any of them, said money should
be paid, and that they are willing and
ready to pay said reward to any party or
parties who may be entitled by its terms
to the same. The plaintiff can not safely
pay said sum of money to any of the
claimants, or recognize the rightfulness of
any of said claims involved therein, until
the same is settled by some Court of COM
petent jurisdiction.
That the plaintiff has no interest in said
funds except to see its riehtful application.
That the said James Dalton and Olive
Stott Gabriel reside in the city of New
York, State of New York, and Ernest G.
Petit is resident of the District of Co
lumbia, in the city of Washington, all of
whom are non-residents of the State of
Maryland and do not reside therein.
tits thereupon this 23rd day of January, A.
D. 1912, ordered by the Circuit Court for
Montgomery county, sitting as Court of
Equity, that the plaintiff, by causing a
copy of this order to be inserted in some
newspaper published in said Montgomery
county, once in each of four successive
weeks before the Gath day of February,
A. d. 1912, give notice to the said absent
defendants of the object and substance
of this bill, warning them to appear in
this Court in person, or by solicitor on or
before the 18th day of March, A. D. 1912,
to show cause, if any they have why a
decree ought not to be passed as prayed.
JOHN L. BRUNETT, Clerk
Circuit Court for Montgomery county.
True copy-Test:
JOHN L. BRUNETT,
Clerk
JOHN A. GARRETT,
Solicitor for the plaintiff.
jan 26-td