New Britain herald., 1916-03-13
LANDERS LOSER IN
 SUIT FOR $7O,0OO
Charged Libel on Nine Counts
 Against New York Man
SEEKS VERDICT SET ASIDE

Counsel for senator Landers Main
 tains Jury Was Misled and That
 Conspiracy Charges Were Ridicu- EX-Senator George M. Landers of i this city is the loser in a suit for S70,- 1 GOO brought in the supreme court of | New York for libel against Ragland
 Momand, former vice president of the l Pressure Lighting Company of New l York, of which MT. Landers was l president. The case grew out of charges alleged collision by MT. Lan- ! ders with high officials of the United i Gas Improvement Company, the hold , ing concern, which controls most of l the large lighting companies in the United States. Counsel for Senator Landers has asked Justice Dugro of i the supreme court to set the verdict
 aside on the ground that the jury
 was influenced by improper state
 ments and assumptions injected into , the trial by Momand and his counsel. ! . Jury Was Misled Is Claim. ! Following the unfavorable verdict, which it has been moved to set aside. : Mir. Landers today received the fol- 1 lowing telegram concerning the case
 from his counsel, H. M. Earle in 1 New York: | Story published today features l Momand's accusation against Will ! Hams, his usual attack on officials ! who refuse contract with him or ac- 1 cept his views Not necessary reply l papers here. Momand's ridiculous
 conspiracy charge not proven. Jury
 influenced by improper statements
 and assumptions injected into trial ! by Momand and his counsel. Owing
 Landers position jury thought not
 damaged by Momand's libels No l proof whatever sustaining Momand's S : positive statements against Landers i Court reserved decision to set aside i verdict because of improper state
 ments Momand and his counsel"
 Momand's Allegations.
 New York papers today give con- <, siderable space to the case. Momand 1 besides being vice president of the
 Pressure Lighting Company is also a | gas expert and inventor of gas lanns 1 A quarrel arose between him and Mr. l l-lnders as the result of letters writ- ] ten pE Momand to the New Britain man. In one he charged MT. Lan- ders With allying himself with tho rlVai concern, the United Gas Inn proNenent company for the purpose oi crushing his own concern. In hls complaint charging libel, MT. l-aooefs fled nine distinct charges. How Quarrel Began.
 In relation to the case the Na.v
 York Times today tells the fo1lowine story:
 In october. 1913, the Pressure Com pany had contracts for lishting the streets of Indianapolis and q part of those in Brooklyn. These contracts were obtained by competition with the subsidiaries of the United Companv Ii was about this time, 1t was said. that MT. Momand learned that his associ- ate, Mr. Landers. had taken a trip abroad Tn August and September, with Morris R. Bockius, of the firm of M or sah' LeWls Bochius, general coun- sel for the United Company Further informatio said to have been ob' tained by MT. Mom and was to the ef- feet that Mr. Landers was on intin,- ate terms with the United Company, and that he was working against the Pressure Company. The interest of MT. Landers. MT. Momand believed. was confined mainly to the Welsbach concern, which had contract then for lighting part of Brooklyn. 1t was admitted during the trial that the Welsbach Company was one of the subsidiaries of the United Company
 Mr. Momand decided to demand an explanation from MT. Landers and sent him a letter, on which one count in the libel action was based.
 Momand Locked Out.
 MT Landers made no response to this letter. Then he was accused of trying to put through a resolution at a meeting of the executive committee of the Pressure Company to remove MT. Momand from the concern On October "A Mir. Landers locked the door of the office of the company a 129 Water street and put men on guard to prevent MT. Momand from entering. The latter began injunction proceedings to prevent interference 1 with him in his duties as an officer of 1 the cmpany. He won tho suit.
 On Dec. 30 MT. Landers caused d | bid to be filed by the Pressure com ! pany for a renewal of a contract held | by the company in Brooklyn at SIP 1 a lamp, the same price as the cur rent contract. The New York Globe Gas Light company, one of the con- cerns of the United company bid 25 cents a lamp lower. Thereupon MT. Momand wrote to Commissioner Will | liams that the bid of the Pressure company was collusiVe, and that ne | ought to reject the bid of the Globe company.
 In June 1914. Mr. I.anderS began his suit for libel and caused the a,- rcst rf Nh, NIOn1nnd. who had to ful,- l