E. H. Jeffords to M. F. Judd on Metropolitan Life Releasing Otto Binder Before the Charleston Trials (1936)

A one-page letter of June 15, 1936, marked "Personal," from E. H. Jeffords of the General Asbestos & Rubber Division of Raybestos-Manhattan at North Charleston, South Carolina, to M. F. Judd in Bridgeport, on the subject of Otto Binder. Jeffords acknowledged copies of Vandiver Brown's letters of May 14 and May 27 and Judd's letter of June 12 to George R. Weber. He regretted that Metropolitan Life "has taken this step prior to the time that we have concluded trial of all of the cases which are pending against this Division," and judged that Metropolitan "will not be in favor of granting Mr. Fehnel permission to testify for us at future trials."

What it shows

The Charleston division was defending asbestosis suits and had relied on J. William Fehnel, Metropolitan Life's dust engineer, as a witness; Simpson had earlier had him subpoenaed (see Simpson's letter to W. J. McConnell of October 19, 1935). Jeffords read Binder's release as a sign that Metropolitan was pulling back from the companies' litigation.

In Johns-Manville's index

Johns-Manville's attorneys indexed the Sumner Simpson Papers. Their index describes this document as follows:

Acknowledges receipt of several pieces of correspondence. Regrets that Binder will be leaving Metropolitan Life before all of the Charleston asbestos trials are completed. Expresses concern that this action is an indication that Metropolitan Life will not allow Fehnel to testify for Raybestos at future trials.

Related documents

• Vandiver Brown to M. F. Judd on Metropolitan Life Releasing Otto Binder (1936)
• Vandiver Brown to M. F. Judd Confirming Johns-Manville's Hiring of Otto Binder (1936)
• M. F. Judd to George R. Weber on Otto Binder Leaving Metropolitan Life (1936)
• Sumner Simpson to W. J. McConnell of Metropolitan Life on the Charleston Asbestosis Suits (1935)
• Johns-Manville and Raybestos-Manhattan Letters on Hiring Dust Counter Otto Binder (1936)

About this copy

This is document 02854 of the Sumner Simpson Papers, as numbered in the collection's index.