The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-27
IN FRENzIED ACT
Three Topeka Grain Firms in
Financial Row
Growing Out of Bills of Lading
and Grain Drafts.

Finances of three Topeka grain
firms truly became frenzied this
morning when two Topeka grain
dealers found themselves stretched
out on an unattached limb with two
turned down drafts in their posses
sion, one for s1.062.45, the other for
approximately $500. NJ. w. Card
well of the NJ w. Cardweu Grain
company, engaged in a hand-to-hand
struggle with Edward F. Huckstep,
representative of the Miller & Ste
phenson Grain company of Hutchln-
son and Topeka.
Cardwell is one of two Topeka grain
men holding the sack, and his Jack
Johnson stunt w staged for the pur-
pose of wrestling from Huckstep's pos
session a bill of lading. Cardwell
seemed to be laboring under the be-
lief that possession of the bill of lad
ing would protect his apparent loss
of 81 500 on a draft for the sale of a
car of grain to the Miller & Stephen
sol Grain comply
The men were all at the front Of
flee of the Kansas Reserve State bank
endeavoring to adjust their grain
transac tions.
Huckstep had a bill of lading in
his pocket which he believed he
should retain in his possession. Card
well unable to secure it by persuasion,
forcibly seized the bill, jerked 1T out
of Huckstep's pocket and ran for the
door. The young janitor of the bank
near by was told to keep the door shut
and Cardwell from leaving
Mr.. Kaths, president of the bank,
believing that the bill should not have
been forcibly taken from Huckstep,
went up to Cardwell and with sim
Huckstep. Cardwell stormed about
the bill of lading and returned it to
Huckstep- Caldwell stormed about
considerably and the officials of the
"a nj in cal tn
headquarters. By the time the police
had arrived Cardwen had given up
in despair and had left the bank.
Filed Suit in 10 Minutes.
F. A. Derby of the Derby Grain
company, found himself in a similar
plight to Cardwell. Derby had a
draft for $1,062.45 turned down. He
didn't pursue a strenuous course for
financial recuperation as did the six
foot. 200-pound Cardwell. Yet, he
moved anything but slowly when he
heard the draft was turned down.
Derby met George McDermott of
Stone & McDermott on the street,
and took the attorney t. the court
house and in ten minutes had filed a
suit against the Miller & Stephenson
Grain company for the amount, pay
ment of which had been refused.
Both Derby and McDermott were
out of breath when they arrived at
the court house. For a time it
seemed that the chief bit of testimony
needed had disappeared. Derby had
lost the draft. He telephoned to three
or four offices and while asking over
the telephone if he had left the draft
there, pulled it out of his coat pocket.
The Miller & Stephenson Grain
company has been in Topeka only a
short time. The firm has offices in
the New England building. Huckstep
stated that the Cardwen draft drawn
on the Topeka office would be made
good.
1.-The other draft is drawn on our
Hutchinson office" said Huckstep. Il
don't know what will be done about
it,
The bill of lading for the car of
grain which caused the fight is locked
securely in a deposit box rented by
Huckstep.