Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 68, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 November 1919 — ANOTHER LAND SUIT IS FILED [ARTICLE]

ANOTHER LAND SUIT IS FILED

lowa Man Asks >15,000 Damages From Rio Grande Valley Co. Attorney G. D. Dean and W. D. Johnson of Indianapolis were in Rensselaer last Tuesday and filed a suit for |15,000 damages against the Rio Grande Valley Land corporation, and A- J. McColl, its president. The case was filed here because of the fact that the 'attorneys in .the case had learned that Mr. McColl would be in Rensselaer on that date, and they came here to get personal service on him. The plaintiff is Rease L. Johnson, who resides in lowa. Complaint alleges that plaintiff is a farmer, aged 69'years and rehides in Cherokee county, la., and had resided there for the past 25 years; that last March be was induced by the local agent In C ier« okee county to take a trip to the lower Rio Grande valley where the land of said company was located; several agents of the land company were on the excursion train and that the party was all entertained over Sunday in Houston and Galveston, Tex., from where they were taken to McAllen, Tex., where the land was located. The complaint states ■ that several speeches were made on the trip by Jdr. McColl, who stated that the land was irrigated with a plentiful supply of water, raised three crops a year, had a rental value of from 125 to 150 per acre and was worth mu Ch more than the >4OO per acre they asked for saime. In fact,' they could not pay too much for this land. All of which statements plaintiff alleges were false and known to be false by the said McColl and were ipade for the purpose of inducing plaintiff and others of the party .to purchase. Plaintiff says that after their arrival at MoAllen they were hurriedly driven past the lands of the company; that he was shqwn a tract of 38-05 acres and told that it was worth >4OO per acre aijd could be sold for that at once and that it divided into 5-acre tracts could be sold for >6OO per acre; that he was prevented from making any of the land for the reason that the actomobile only stopped a few minutes and that

he knew no one in said county and was not permitted to see or talk with anyone about said land. Plaintiff says that he had no intention of buying at all but was later inducted to purchase the said tract for >4OO per acre or >15,225, executing several notes for same, including one vendor’s lien note for >2,620, and that all except the latter note had been paid. After entering into above contract and taking possession of the land plaintiff alleges that one F. L. Sherwood, an agent for the defendant corporation, came to his home in lowa and Induced him to trade the traet he had previously purchased for another tract of 49.78 acres, which he said was all level, was better improved and was represented to be much better land, could be easily irrigated and was well fenced, while, he said, 10 acres of his 38-acre tract was too high to irrigate by the ditches, etc. That plaintiff relying on the statements of said Sherwood and, although never having seen the land, traded for same, paying >19,912, Sherwood taking In the tract plaintiff had previously purchased as part payment. Plaintiff executed notes for the difference in value and states that all of same had been paid. On investigating the land he found that 23 acres of the latter tract was under water and of no value whatever for farming and that the Improvements were not; as represented, not as good as on his former purchase, and. had no fencing whatever. ' Plaintiff alleges that none of the land in either tract yhs worth onethird the price asked or that he paid for same, and some of it was utterly worthless, and says that by reason/ of the fraudulent acts, conduct and statements of defendant company and its agents he has been damaged in the sum of >15,0p0, and he asks judgment for that su'm. The complaint is very voluminous and covers 15 type-written pages. It was filed by Attorneys G. D. Dean Miss Eleanor P. Barker of Indianapolis.