The Lamar Register

Stockmen of This Section Win First Round of Legal Battle With Western Livestock Loan Company.

The dozen stockmen who are engaged in a legal battle with the Western Livestock Loan Co., of Denver, are feeling good this week as a result of the first round of the big legal battle involving nearly one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

These suits grow out of the selling of shares of the capital stock of the loan company and giving a district agency to loan money on livestock. They claimed to have unlimited money back of them and that they would be able to take care of all loans that could be made.

They sold ten or more exclusive agencies in the territory of Baca, Bent and Prowers counties, and each thought he was the only agent in the territory until the company filed suit in Denver against Jack Creaghe on notes given in payment for stock. The victims at once realized that they were stung and ten of them who had notes for over $130,000 out brought suit in the district court for Prowers and Bent counties to cancel their notes. The company tried for a change of venue but Judge McChesney overruled the motion and the cases will be tried here and at Las Animas.

Last week, however, the case against Jack Creaghe was tried in Denver with Judge Granby Hillyer representing Jack Creaghe and Judge N. Walter Dixon of Denver representing the Western Livestock Loan Co. The case was tried before a jury in the Denver district court and was a hard fought legal battle lasting two days. Judge Hillyer won a complete victory for his client resulting in an order for the cancellation of the notes outstanding against Creaghe. This result is not only a big victory for Judge Hillyer, won at the state capital against one of the leading members of the state bar, but would indicate the final cancellation of all the outstanding notes and a big saving to the local stock men.