Letterhead of the Harvey United Steel Company, Limited.
28, Victoria Street,
Westminster, S. W.
June 8th 1903
T. A. Edison, Esq.
Orange, New Jersey.
Dear Mr. Edison,
A few weeks ago, your representative in Antwerp, Mr. White called upon me and stated that some parties in New York were making unfounded and dishonest claims against you in connection with your Phonograph business and asked me as one of the shareholders of the New York and Metropolitan Companies to give you the benefit of my support in resisting such claims. I assured him that it would be a pleasure for me to do so, and gave him to a Power of Attorney in your favour to vote on any shares owned by me in said Companies. He now writes that your Lawyers have cabled that the Phonograph Companies will not recognize much Power of Attorney and that it is necessary to send on my stock and he asks me to forward it to you personally.
I have looked through my old Phonograph documents and the only Certificates in either the New York or Metropolitan Companies that I can find are the enclosed, viz: two for 50 shares each and one for 16 in the New York Phonograph Company. These, as you will observe, stand in the name of Charles A. Cheever, Trustee, who transferred them to me by endorsement, (vide his letter to me referring to the same dated Nov. 5th 1890 enclosed). I never had these shares put into my name on the books of the Phonograph Company, because about that time I came to Europe and have been here ever since, save for occasional visits to the States. About seven years ago I heard that the various Phonograph Companies had failed, so I have since thought no more of the business. It is possible that I may be the owner of other shares in the New York or Metropolitan Company, which owing to the lapse of time since I was connected with the business have been lost sight of in my office, but I do not find any trace of such among my papers. However in order to cover such a contingency and to give you the fullest assistance in my power for your protection against the claim in question, I enclose a transfer to you of all shares and interest of any kind that I may own in either of the above named Companies.
It is so many years since the Phonograph transactions that I do not now recall the various details, but I remember that my interest in the business arose under the contract which Mr. Jesse Lippincott made with Commodore Cheever, copy of which contract I find among my papers and enclose for your perusal as it may possibly be of use to you
I also find that I have Certificates for quite a number of shares in the Missouri, Georgia, Colorado, Alabama, Texas, Florida, Old Dominion, Tennessee and Minnesota Phonograph Companies which stand in my name. I presume that these are of no service to you in the present proceedings, else your representative would have mentioned it to me.
Hoping that you may be successful in the matter,
I remain, with kind regards,
Very truly yours,
Edwin M Fox
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