Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 59, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 April 1909 — Several New Sults Against Seth Bruce Moffitt [ARTICLE]

Several New Sults Against Seth Bruce Moffitt

Seth_B. Moffitt, of Union township; who has been In the courts as a defendant in a number of suits within the past few years, is again the-defen-dant in several cases, and the plaintiff in one, that will be tried at this term of the circuit court. Action was also instituted in the federal court for foreclosure by the Provident Life Insurance C 0.,, of Philadelphia, of a loan of $20,000 on his 540 acres of land near Fair Oakrn Since this suit was instituted, however, the land has been sold by Moffitt to C. N. Williams, of Indianapolis, and the suit has been withdrawn. B. F. Ferguson, who represents the Provident Life Co., also assisted in making the sale of the Moffitt property. Moffitt has two sections of land in North Dakota, to which place he will move, probably next week. The Fair Oaks land will’ be managed by Mr. Ferguson, and about three hundred acres will be planted In oats and wheat.

The suits in this county against Moffitt are for settlement of account or notes. One is brought by David S. Lehman, through his attorneys, Foltz & Spitler. Lehman alleges that he was a partner with Moffitt whenjthtf contract was let for the construction of the Moffitt ditch and which Moffitt contracted for. ’He says that he sold out to Moffitt for the sum of S3OO and that the money was never paid and that Moffitt has since refused to make settlement. He asks judgment in the sum of S4OO. C. S. Jones sues Moffitt for the collection of a note given Nov. 8, 1907, and which Jones purchased. James R. Craig, of Thayer, holds a note against Moffitt he alleges for S9OO, Which was given on Jan. 3, 1905, and which he alleges is wholly unpaid He asks judgment in the sum of $1,200. The old subscription'books of the Republican show that Moffitt was more thin 22 years a subscriber to the Rensselaer Republican, but the books also show that during all that time the credit side of the ledger is blank, he having been what might be termed a "star subscriber,” never missing an issue nor paying a cent. Bruce, during the earlier period of his subscription indebtedness, would make promises to settle, but that was when he was younger and less experienced, fbr as the years went on his promisei were less frequent and apparently less sincere. Finally Bruce related imaginary grievances against the former publisher as a reason for not paying his account and lastly he showed the cloven hoof and said he’d be damned if he’d pay it unlessi he had to. The fellow that Bruce owes is evidently, mighty lucky if he gets to see the color of his money, unless he gets it through the clerk of the court