The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1914-06-19
HENNESSY'S FIRST
AID TO INJURED" "
Prompted by Desire to Aid
the Poor, and Not with
Hope of Personal
Gain"
Former Employe of New South Farm &
Home Co. Bites Hand that Fed Him.

the New South Farm & Home Com.
pany, on charge of attempting to
detraud by the use of the u. S. mails,
was, it is alleged, brought about with
the assistance of Jas. j. Hennessy, a
former employe of the company who
Was discharged because of incompe-
tpncy and negligence and a desire to
annoy and harass certain buyers and
employees of the company; also be.
cause Hennessy for the first time
since the organization of the company
abused the privilege of signing Pres
ident Chas. H. Sieg's name to CORE
spondence.
The company received a letter from
Bert A. Burgett Of Hoxtun, Col, dat
ed November %, 1913, stating that
8urgett could not keep up the pay
ments on his land. Hennessy had
tkis tract of land looked up by Mr..
Bogue, the company's representative
at Burbank, and note on the margin
of the letter says: Good land; Mr.
Bogue-12-5-13."
Hennessy then wrote Burgett that
the company was in no position to buy
back the land, and added that he, how
ever, had buyer. Hennessy then
transferred the ten acres to his wife,
Mrs. Augusta E. Hennessy, on which
Burgett had paid $3.50, and sent him
a draft for $50. Burgett thereby lost
S125 on the deal. Hennessy then paid
the company the balance due on the
Burgett lot, less $40 discount for cash,
or $50, thus obtaining a ten acre tract
f land valued at $3.50 for $115.
TIE contracts of the New South
Farm & Home Company state that
buyer who has paid in one-half of his
contract, will, upon request, be given
a mortgage deed, and the company
will accept note or notes for the
balance. From the correspondence
it does not appear that Hennessy ever
offered Burgett this proposition.
With every purchase of ten-acrc
tract the company gives town lot at
Silver City or some other town site
on company lands. Burgett was Civ
IN a town lot at Silver City Hen
messy had the company's agent at
Burbank pick out a good lot" in
Burbank town site, and this lot he
also decided to his wife, instead of the
City. Mrs. Hennessy's lot is close to
the Burbank school house and is val
ded at $50, whereas the Silver City
10. Was valued at $3.50.
Hennessy's Demand.
A few days after Hennessy's dis
charge the company received the fol
lowing letter:
D,1
New South Farm & Home Company,
Palatka, Fla.
| Gentlemen:
You will please take notice that !
| regard your summary and unwar-
ranted action in severing my connec-
Jon with your Company as final
breach Of your contract with me for
employment during your present fis-
eel year ending January IA, 1915; and
that | will expect you to pay my reg
uIaa compensation during the remain
der Of said fiscal year, IN amounts of
ajN 90 a week each week as hereto
fore.
And | further notify you that upon
steps as may be necessary to enforce
compliance with said contract.
Yours very truly,
]. j. HENNESSY,
By j. V. Walton,
JVW-TCV. his attorney
President Sieg verbally took the
matter of this letter up with Attorney
Y On and declined positively to pay
any attention to Hennessy's demand
on the ground that no employe of the
company ever had been engaged by
the y ear. Mr.. Sieg also wrote Col
Toomer, through whose recommenda
..on Hennessy was employed, regald
ing the demand as follows:
Feb. II, 1914
Col. w. NJ. Toomer,
Jacksonville, Fla.
Dear Colonel:
Mr.. Turner has written you will
re e. rd to Brother Hennessy'S error
. understand that he has a habit o.
| wrapping his fingers around the 9th
er fellows throat, and | have beer
assured by at least two of his forme
employers that they are willing II
testify to that effect should it becom
necessary for us to secure them a
| witnesses in order to defend any fool
: ish claim of this nature that Hennes
sy might desire carrying into court
; Yours very truly,
The New South Farm & Home Co.
} CHAS. H. SIEG, President
Mr.. Turner's letter, to which Pres
ident Sieg refers in the above commu
, nication, was written the day before
5 calls Mr.. Toomer's attention to tn
2 fact that Hennessy had no annus
+. contract; that no employe was eve
$ given more than a verbal contract g
so much per week or month; recite
the fact that as Mr.. Hennessy is
personal friend of Col. Toomer's, an
offers on that account to release Co
: Toomer from defending the compar
" Toomer being the company's alto
n neyy in event of suit by his frier
fienneSSy.
!, Pres dent Sieg also on the l6t
! wlote Attorney Walton a general lie
; ter referring to Hennessy'S come
: tiUn With the company and going in
I the matter of certain unsatisfacso1
5 allotments of the company, of viii,
: + ennessy, since his discharge, h;
) made complaint to Mr., Walton, wi
: was the attorney for certain 9th
:. land purchasers whose allotments HI
3 been found unsatisfactory through
:, unfortunate flaw in titles, but whi
II the company was moving to corre'
This letter also explains to Mr.. Wa
ton some of Hennessy's transactio
J. while with the company, knowledI
t of which he felt that Mr.. Walt
v should have before deciding to becor
S. tangled up with him in any htigati'
Is with the company.
D. Mr.. yFalton's Action as Attorn.e
Mr.. ]. v. Walton's connection WI