The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-02-20
CLAIMS ARREST Is
RESULT OF ENMITY
William Lee Popham Makes Statement
Regarding Recent Indictment by
the Federal Grand Jury.

| William Lee Popham was taken
before United States Commissioner
Sidney H. Diamond by United States
Marshal Strickland at Tallahassee on
Thursday for the purpose of making
bond, after an indictment by the fed
eral grand jury in the recent term OF
court held there, in connection with
the widespread campaign of publicity
given to the Oyster-Growers Coop
erative association, located at Apal-
iachicola.
Bond was made for appearance in
the term of United States court in the
northern district of Florida for Janu-
airy, 1928.
In speaking of the indictment, Mr..
i Popham made the following state
ment:
! "The action of the federal grand
Jury is the result of a few personal
enemies, who couple of years ago
made threats that they would throw a
monkey wrench into the business ma
chinery of my promotion, and they
have gone their limit in carrying out
that threat
Il have known for many months
that these enemies were exerting ev-
] ery effort to injure me and my BUSH
ness, and while they have devised this
means of injuring me, by the news
paper publicity of the grand jury's
finding. which viii not amount to the
snap of your finger when the truth is
known.
'sThe fact that the grand jury had
made this Indictment does not signify
any guilt any more than the fact that
| / could swear out a search warrant for
You or any other innocent party for
stealing my watch, even if | never
owned a watch.
+ However, you would think that an
enemy would stoop very low in the
/ mud of revenge if he should have a
search warrant issued to search your
house for the supposed recovery of an
article which had really never been
stolen or even lost, simply that your
lenemy could report the same in the
newspapers.
| This exactly illustrates the vile in
/ tent OF my few personal enemies at the
bottom OF this procedure, but they
cannot injure or weaken the conf
dence of my investors in me, in my
honor or in oyster culture, in behalf of
my investors.
II want 1t plainly understood that
nothing in this procedure has or Will
or can prevent me from the present
progress or continuing my present
great business and promotion of oy-
ster culture, in which | am having
abundant success.
! Il have done more than 1 have ever
promised for my investors; l have
made good in every detail of oyster
culture and no vile actor unholy de-
sire of an enemy can halt, hinder, or
postpone my present great progress, or
/ injure my reputation, or harm my
character, or shatter the undying
faith of my many investors in either
my honor, business ability or integ-
rity.
/ Neither can this feeble attempt
shatter the confidence of my investors
in oyster culture and it's inevitable
success.
! 81 am continuing my present promo
ton, my present progress of operation,
and the use of the United States mail,
appearances of myself and my assoc
ciates in January. 1923; and in the
meantime, am going right ahead
making a great success of oyster Gull
f ure.
Il am happy in my great success
and in the continuation of my wonder
full progress, unmolested by any feeble
attempt of a few personal enemies,
and / have nothing to fear or cause
me worry.
Il consider this a wonderful oppor-
i tunity to publicly prove to the world,
! by official record in the United States
court that oyster culture is a great
and practical success in Florida where
the United States government made
/ its famous survey and plat, at an APP
provimate federal cost of 10000