Evening star., 1915-01-29
DENY ANY LIABILITY FOR
JOHNSON BANK DEBTS
G. P. Williams and w. A. Mearns
Declare They Quit Firm
Months Ago.
Point to Public Notices-Answe,
Suit by Trustees Demanding
They Be Held Responsible.

Charles P. Williams and William A
Mearns, former members Of the brok
erage firm of Lewis johnson G. Co.
filed separate answers today to the pc
tition of H. Rozier Dulany. ]. Mile!
Kenyon and Byron U. Graham. trus
tees in bankruptcy of the firm, b!
which the trustees seek to hold then
as members of the partnership and re
sponsible for some Of its Indebtedness
The trustees also asked that Mr.. VIII
liams and Mr. Mearns be required t.
surrender their assets to be admins
tered with the assets of J. William
Henry and Benjamin woodruff. mem
bers OF the firm at the time Of the fl
ing of bankruptcy proceedings.
Mr.. Williams and Mr.. Mearns boil
deny they were members Of the firm
against which the proceedings were in
stituted at the time of the bankruptcy
They declare they had withdrawn anc
sold out their interests to the surviv'
ing partners many months previous
and had an acquittai from them of al
Indebtedness to the firm, when the,
transferred all their interest in the as.
sets of the partnership to Messrs
Henry and Woodruff. Attorney Franz
J. Hogan f1led the answer of Mr.. VIII.
liams and Attorneys Douglass, Ruffir
& Obear for Mr.. Mearns.
Mr.. Williams Statement.
MIR. Williams calls attention to the
newspaper notices, both in the adver-
ttsing and news columns in January,
1913. in which public notice Of his re-
tirement from the firm was given. In
addition. he says. the firm sent to it's
customers notification by mail of the
change in the personnel of the firm
He says he withdrew January Is, 1913,
and had a full settlement with his
partners and received a release from
them and an agreement to indemnify
and hold him harmless for any claims
against the firm. At the time Of the
dissolution. he states, he paid in full
the amount agreed on as due by him.
Mr. Williams denies that he is liable
to any of the creditors of the bankrupt
firm. and up to the time of the bank
ruptcy no one, he AYERS. has ever as
serted a claim against him. AS far as
he knows the claims now made In
due on date later than the time OF
his withdrawal and for credit extended
not on the faith of his connection with
the business.
since he denies liability for any part.
nership debts, Mr.. Williams submits
that he should not be required to make
any statement as to his financial con.
dition at this time.
Mr.. Mearns' Statement.
Mr.. Mearns in his answer tmpresses
on the court his contention that after
his withdrawal from the firm an en-
tirely New partnership existed, which
comprised only Mr.. Henry and Mr.
Woodruff. The bankruptcy proceeding.
were taken only against these two
men. he states, and the trustees are
entitled to handle only the assets Of
the f1rm as constituted at the time o,
the failure.
Mr.. Mearns says he is not insolvent
unless he should be legally held to be
responsible for debts of Lewis johnson
& Co. II so. he points out that a sep
arate proceeding in bankruptcy Is
pending against him. and If he shoule
be adjudged bankrupt all claims
against him should be adjudicated il
that proceeding He denies the right Of
the trustees of Lewis johnson & Co. tt
compel the surrender of his assets ir
that case. as he is no longer member
of the firm and had not been for more
than four months prior to the fling ol
tho ha n nkrnOfcv nrncpe6in1S