The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-02-09
GUILD
SUES A. Y. MORE
PRESENT EDITOR AND PUBLISH
Err OF couRlER-NEWs SUES a.
Y, MORE ALLEGING PADDED
CIRCULATION AND MIsREPRE-
SENTATloN OF FACTS.

A lawsuit that will attract con-
siderable notice not only In Fargo
but throughout the state is the one
instituted by DR.. L. T. Guild, the pres
ent editor and publisher Of The Fargo
Courier~News against A. Y. More,
former owner of that publication,
charging distortion, Misrepresentation
of facts and padded circulation OF The
Courier-News.
In his complaint DR.. Guild states
he was a Methodist minister with a
charge at Toledo, drawing a salary of
about $4,000 and had accumulated
about $40, 900, which he invested in
the plant of The Courier-News. He
states he was induced to make the
investment by A. Y. More and h a on
certain representations he resigned
his Toledo passionate and came to Far
go to form a stock company taking
over The Courier-News.
Among the Misrepresentation al
legged by the complainant are that The
Courier-News was the official organ
Of the progressive party in h state,
which was the next to the dominant
party in North Dakota: that 1t was
sound financially, had a large sub
scription list and was worth $751;
900.
DR.. Guild AYERS that the progressive
party has practically no organization
in the state, that The Courier-News
has been in disrepute and heretofore
discredited, that it has been the organ
Of various political parties n party
factions and had had an unbroken rec
ord for bad faith financially, that it
was running behind at the time 1t
was sold to him and h present cor
nprokjop Ea otfnYN mrs fn rAPOVar &35.-
900 damages.
Regarding the suit, The Courier
News of it's issue of Sunday, Feb. S,
has the following to say:
Circulation Padded.
The charge is made that the sub
scription list was grossly padded. and
misrepresented and the value of the
plant greatly misrepresented and that
the u~ncollected subscriptions were
overestimated and were in fact only
a small percentage of the value repre-
sented by defendant.
The complaint states that the above
facts were not discovered until after
he had entered upon the management
of the paper, that as soon as he did
discover them he repudiated the trans
| action, that at defendants request he
continued to manage the paper and
to avoid injury to it and embarrass-
ment to defendant he waived the pro-
posed rescission, choosing rather to
| hold the defendant for damages which
he sets at $85, 900. with interest from
Sept. 10, 1913.
More Makes Answer.
The defendant. A. Y. More, admits
| that he was owner of the Courier
| News, that the company was organic
| ed, that he received a mortgage upon
the plant for part Of the purchase
l ~s4 r I1oSos chat fhn r1n1SN H1,ne
misrepresented and that he received
more than $4,000. He admits various
episodes and incidents but maintains
that he had no responsibility toward
them and that the general reputation
Of the paper must have been known to
the plaintiff before he Joined in organ
izing the company and taking it's man
agement. a2.-- - 49, 49,
Circulation Padded.
In regard to the suit fled MI. Guild
states that he examined the circua.
ton lists as did some circulation ex-
perts at that time, but it was impos-
sible to discover what afterwards be
came plain, viz, that a large number
of names thereon were Of persons whc
entirely repudiate their subscriptions
These names were put on through
test and remained through neglect tt
discontinue names which had been or.
dered removed by the subscribers.
The present manager, Mr.
Guild, has added several thousand new
subscribers to the list. but in spite Of
this the total does not now reacf
above the number represented to hin
as being bona fide subscribers at thu
time Of purchase He has also beer
Informed that a number of Fargo
business men were agreed to refusC
patronage to The Courier-News ant
SO to eliminate it from the town. TIL,
Injecting Of this sentiment vas mos
Id~iscouraging.
Did Not Have Facts.
Although the past history and vicis,
Isitudes of the paper We're known tx
many persons, those whom Mr.. Guile
circulated among while he was inves,
ltigating the property did not give hin
information which would arouse sus
lpicion that it was anything but a fint
and we'll supported newspaper.
The patrons of The Courier-News
need not be alarmed for the property
is nearer paying its way Just nov
than it seems aver to have been, ant
the 100000 he put into it was evi.
IDENTIFY more cash than it had seer
for some time preceding his advent
Mr.. Guild owns the majority of thu
stock controlling the paper SO tina
this suit has no effect upon the polio.
or conduct of the paper; he is it
> manager. s .#. a..t.'.,> -