The Washington herald., 1913-05-24

Mr.. Andrews and Woodbury. Blair into
personal contact, they had conversation
with regard to the purchase by Andrews,
or company to be formed by him. Mr..
Yerkes said that Mr.. Blair wrote Mr..
Andrews of the increase in value OF the
property TO 81. 10000. which fact was i'm
mediately communicated by Mr.. Hill to
Mr.. Andrews.
After that. without knowledge 'to our
, selves, and without any communication
to us OF that change in value that this
private price placed upon the prop
erty by Mr.. Blair, 1t is communicated
not to Archibald, but to a co-official OF
the trust company-that is, the trustee
and he given the opportunity to deal with
Andrews and others in selling that prop
erty and preventing US from having the
same advantage he gave to his CO.
Official"
Mr.. Howard said he had no connection
with the contemplated sale offering TO
either MIR. Hall or Mr.. Addison for
81, $4,000. and said that as treasurer OF
the trust company he had never had any
duty of any kind connected with the
Arlington Hotel property sale or price
When Archibald went to England in
August. 1872 said Mr.. Howard. he met
him on the Mauritania. and he (Archi-
bald outlined a general plan to him:
would be a money-maker. Archibald
asked Howard whether he would help
to organize the company; he said he had
interested Mr.. Dupont. Mr.. Howard
met Mr.. Andrews, who was also on
board ship. through Mr.. Archibald, and
that he discussed with him the hotel
proposition. 80.
Proposition Looked Good.
Regarding the connection of William
Corcoran Hill with the transaction. Mr..
Howard said he had had absolutely moth
ing to do with il. Neither did Mr.. Addi-
son have any connection with the sale Of
the property to him or Archibald Wit
ness met Mr.. Taft January /. 1911. At the
home Of Mai. Butt and discussed the hotel
proposition with Mr.. Taft In Maj. Butts
bedroom for an hour. Mr.. Taft said it
looked like a good thing and that he
would so into 1t.
Woodbury. Blair declared on the witness
stand that neither Mr.. Hill nor Mr.. Ad-
olson ever submitted anything to him
with reference to the sale of the property,
and that he notified both these gentlemen
March s that the property was withdrawn
from sale. Witness said that Frederick
May. westcott, and Strong had also been
endeavoring to sell the property.
A letter written by Archibald to Wood
Trust Company, trustees, dated January
Is, 1872, in which he claimed commission
on the sale. was read in evidence. as fol-
lows: Il claim of you a commission Of 21z
per cent upon the sale of the Arlington
Hotel property, the commission amount
ing TO $4,000. Upon full consummation Of
said sale, l hereby direct you from said
commission to pay in my behalf to 7.
Coleman Dupont IS. 900. with interest there
on to date of payment as provided In an
by me to him. The balance
OF one-third OF said commission I hereby
direct and authorize you to deposit to my
credit in my account with the Union Trust
Bank and to pay the remaining two-thirds
to George Howard. The receipts of Mr..
T. c. Dupont. the Union Trust Bank, and
Mr.. George Howard shall operate as full
and complete acquittance and discharge
by me to you on account of said COM
mission"
The Arlington Hotel Company. accord
ing to papers offered in evidence, was
January -. 1911. by Edward
G. Cook, Richard T. Rodney. and George
F. Townsend, jr. The first stockholders
meeting took place at Wilmington, Del,
January IS, 1911, and the first directors
meeting February a 1911. with the fol-
lowing directors elected and present: r
Coleman Dupont, Frank NJ. Andrews,
George Howard. Murray Cobb. Fred E
Chaplin, and James F. ]. Archibald.
After all the evidence had been brought
in Attorney Frank NJ. Hogan made a mo-
ton that the court instruct the jury to
find a verdict for the defendants on the
ground that on their own evidence the
plaintiffs had failed to show any right
to their claims. The court will announce
It's decision Monday morning