Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-06-07
Congressman Issues Vigorous
Statement Declaring Dean
Omitted His Answer to Suit
Denying He Owed the Bill

Denying absolutely the charges made
by Fl. II. Dean that he had used liquor
in his first congressional campaign and
later refused to pay for it, Congressman
William Schley Howard. candidate for
the United States senate to succeed
Thomas w. Hardwick, on Wednesday
gave out a statement in which he charg
ed the Gainesville man with deliberately
distorting the facts in the case.
The statement was issued a. Howard
campaign headquarters in the Kimball
house. 1t had been prepared by Mr.. How
ard for publication last Saturday, but
was withheld on account of the death
of Mr. Deans little granddaughter.
Mr. Howard declared that Mr.. Dean
having in his possession the true court
records, "designedly doctored and gar
bled" the facts for the purpose of de-
ceiving the public"
The congressman's full statement in
the matter follows:
when H. H. Dean. in his opening
speech as a candidate for the United
States senate, at Athens on May 25,
charged that l had. purchased liquor
from r. j. Park, of Chattanooga, for
use in a political campaign and for
which / had refused to pay, l imme-
diately branded that charge as an I'M
qualified falsehood.
Record was Doctored
The record of the suit which he
claims that he held in his hand was
designedly doctored, distorted and gar
bled for the purpose of deceiving the
public. who were not put in possession
of the facts by Dean.
For the purpose of deception he de-
signedly struck from the record the only
plea to the suit ever authorized by me,
which reads as follows:
"'Now comes the defendant, w. s.
Howard, in the above-stated case,
who says that he is not indebted to
the plaintiff, b. J. Park, for any
goods whatever in any amount, and
that he has never at any time au-
thorized any one to purchase any
thing from the above party as plain
tiff and charge same to his &C
count
1.-The plea of the statute of limita-
tions was filed without my knowledge or
consent, as is shown by letter from
the attorney who represented me in this
case, Hon. Neal G.. Goss, which 1 here,
with submit:
Decatur, Ga, May 81. 1918.
"Hon. William Schley Howard,
Kirkwood, Ga
my Dear Colonel Howard:
81 have just read the opening
Ga, in his campaign for the SEN
ate, and am astounded to note that
he has made reference to suit in
which l was employed to represent
you at Decatur while you were in
Washington in 1915.
- personally filed the pleas en-
tered in this suit, entering first
the plea you instructed me to en-
ter denying that you owed the &C
count, and setting out that you had
never authorized the purchase OF
the goods by any one else, and upon
my own motion I added the plea OF
the statute of limitations. This, of
course, would not have held, as
any attorney will know, as the ae-
count had not run four years and ~
Is, was not barred by the statute.
wish to state further that this suit
70 was dismissed fer lack of prosecu-
ton.
Every truly yours.
(signed) NEAL G. GOSS.'
Was Political Move
This suit was brought against me
for political purposes and the record
shows that it was dismissed for lack