Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1920-03-11
Newspaper Man To Be Sued.

tFrom the Fredericktown Democrat-News.)
When number. of copies of last
weeks issue of the Pennington Times
reached here Friday afternoon our
people were astounded to find on its
front page write up of the Commerce
ial Hotel in the following languages:
"The boys and girls of the High
School basket ball team went to
Fredericktown Saturday where they
played teams at that place in the ev-
ening. Very fortunately, it now
seems, most of the players and root
ers returned home that night, but
party of five girls stopped at the
Commercial hotel until Sunday, and
the manner in which they were
"worked" at that leading hotel is
sufficient to kill all desire in the aver
age person to wander from their own
fireside. The five girls were jammed
into single room, with two beds and
little else. They were not robbed
that night, but the "touching up"
process was applied the next morning
when they paid their ''bill and then
a plenty" The five were "stung'' to
UuC LuuO VI RI1 lOI OhoU OAO ShCdP
room, so the girls report.
The Times is not informed as to the
name of the party who is thus "hold-
ing up" the trade at the Commercial
Hotel in Fredericktown. at this time,
though we know it is not Jesse James.
Jesse never learned his trade so
proficiently as that. He would be
novice in comparison, as he held up
only men, and usually took chance.
Under such management that hostelry
should be capitalized at million or
two, which stock, once properly dis
tributed throughout the community,
should be able to pay dividends that
would cause the travelling" wolf of
b. C. |. to shy at that community.
But under such conditions even
grown-ups are no longer safe in visit
ing neighboring towns, much less
young girls.
Within a few hours Mrs. White, the
proprietor fthe Commercial Hotel,
had employed the firm of Davis &
Davis to bring suit against the news
paper,
In an interview the attorneys stat
ed that the action would be brought
in Pennington just as soon as the
necessary papers could be drawn.
They declined to divulge the amount
of damages that would be asked but
were frank to say that in their judg-
ment the absolute falsity of the
published article would justify the
asking of very large sum. Colonel
Henry Davis was in Pennington yes
hncinaoo nnnnpntad U1itb
the case but could not be reached
yesterday evening for statement.
Needless to say Mrs. White was
extremely indignant. She gave this
version of the affair to The Demo-
crat-News version that is substan-
tiated by her books and by the testi-
mony of number of persons who
were at the hotel. On the afternoon
train Friday five ladies came from
Pennington and registered at the
hotel as Mrs. Harlan, Virginia Morris,
Helen Graves, Ina Evans and Frances
MacMinn. They asked about rooms
and Mrs. White suggested two rooms.
Some of the girls said they would
prefer to be together as they could
have more fun than if separated. So
at their request they were assigned
to room having in it two beds, after
having been told at the desk by Mrs.
White that their room would cost the
party 81 each, whether they occupied
one or two rooms.
That evening four of the party ate
supper.
During the game that night one Of
the girls, Miss Thompson, was hurt
and it was decided to keep her at the
hotel rather than permit her to re-
turn home that night. Another room
was given her and for breakfast some
toast and milk were given her, and
for neither room nor food was any
charge made.
| Breakfast was served to five of the
ladies and dinner was given to six.
Mrs. Harlan paid the bill and made
no complaint at the time. The sum
was $14.00, which is absolutely in ac-
cord with the regular rates of the
hotel. Fifteen meals were charged
for at 60 cents each and lodging for
five at one dollar each makes the
fourteen dollars.
Just what caused the Times to
publish the article is more than the
| people here can figure out. 1t seems