“ It is that I shall buy the stock of goods and run the store in a third party's name, leaving you and your brother in the store, and to conduct the business the same as you have, and pay the expenses of the store and remit the balance to me.' He had before said, in this conversation, 'I will restock this store with new goods and furnish you what goods are necessary to conduct the business, and in the meantime I will have Rudolph, my agent, find a better place for business than Hudson, and after the first of January we will move the stock to the place he shall select. ”

“ Mr. Michaels told him he had made a proposition to me, and we had come there to talk with him about it. Mr. Michaels then stated the proposition over to my brother as he had stated it to me. My brother then asked him, in case we should sell the stock to him, what would become of our other creditors, and what we 'should do in case they should present their bills.' Mr. Michaels said, 'Pay no attention to them; they can't do anything.' Mr. Michaels then asked my brother who the third party should be. My brother proposed the name of David Bovie, of Coldwater, Michigan, who was master of our lodge. ”

“ Michaels. Mr. Shipman then wrote a receipt. This interview after tea lasted about an hour. I returned to Hudson the next morning, Tuesday morning. On that day (Tuesday, October 26th, 1869) Mr. Sloman came to our store, and said that he had come to make out a list of what goods we needed, so as to send it to Mr. Michaels. My brother and Mr. Sloman looked through the stock, and made out a list of what goods we needed. Mr. Sloman made some proposition in regard to some goods he thought we ought to have, and Mr. Sloman took the list and went away. ”