Source: North Manchester Journal, November 26, 1896

Mr. Rex, who is working up the telephone business, reports only fair progress but hopes to put in an exchange here this fall. He wants at least fifty instruments.

Source: North Manchester Journal, December 17, 1896

Mr. Rex is busily engaged in putting up the poles and wires for the telephone exchange and unless bad weather prevents he will probably have it in operation by the holidays. He also contemplates building a line to Disko to connect with a line built out from Rochester.

Source: North Manchester Journal, February 2, 1905

BOUGHT TELEPHONE STOCK
O. Rex Acquires Interest in Kosciusko County Company.

A deal was made Saturday that puts O. Rex of this city in possession of the biggest single block of the stock of Kosciusko County Mutual Telephone company, he becoming the owner of stock to the amount of $1390 by acquiring the holdings of Peter Clemmer, Stephen Fisher and Mr. Whitman. The company is incorporated for ten thousand dollars, and has lines all over the southern part of Kosciusko county. It now controls seven exchanges, they being located at Packerton, Claypool, Mentone, Burkett, Silver Lake and Big Foot, and has 699 telephones in operation. In speaking of his plans Saturday evening, Mr. Rex said it would be the intention to develop the exchanges at all of these points, and to also open an exchange at Sidney. Mr. Rex has an extensive experience in the telephone business, and is in close touch with the independent companies of the state. This experience will be of material aid to the county. It is the expectation to make extensive improvements in the lines during the coming summer. A large part of the stock in this company is owned by the farmers and other patrons of the line, as when the company first commenced business it required the patrons to buy their own telephones, and to take one share of stock amounting to ten dollars.

Source: North Manchester Journal, April 13, 1905

WANTS A RECEIVER
Telephone Company Troubles to be Aired in Court

A law suit that promises to be both important and interesting was begun in court at Wabash last week. It is the suit of L.J. Noftzger against the North Manchester Telephone company, more commonly called the Rex company. The suit is for an accounting and a receiver. The attorneys for the plaintiff are Isaac E. Gingerick, Sayre & Hunter and Shively & Switzer. The case was begun about a week ago and the defendant company has ten days by law to make reply, then both sides have as long a time as their attorneys can spar in the legal ring.

The complaint filed in court is a lengthy legal document covering several pages and the charges are embraced in sixteen paragraphs, each one being a separate and distinct charge of malfeasance and mismanagement of the business. To sum up the whole complaint in a few words as possible the contention is that Mr. Rex, who owns a majority of the stock of the company, has controlled the business in his own private interest to the detriment and financial loss of the plaintiff and all other minority stockholders and that he has so controlled the company's affairs that the plaintiff has had no voice in its management. Also that under the Rex management a large and profitable business and plant has been reduced to a condition of insolvency. On this account Mr. Noftzger asks the aid of the law to protect his interests.

The complaint further recites that the capital stock of the company is $5,000, of which Mr. Rex owns 24 shares, his wife one share and Marion Wright one share, the latter two shares being controlled and dominated by Mr. Rex. Mr. Noftzger owns 22 shares, D.C. Harter one share and D.W. Krisher one share, a total of 24 shares which has proved powerless in the management of the company as against the stock controlled by the defendants, Mr. Rex, his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Rex, and Marion Wright. When the case will be tried is not known at this time.

On the other hand Mr. Rex enters a general denial to all the charges singly or collectively and says he will be pleased to exhibit the books of the company in court and to meet all the charges with facts and evidence. He claims that the suit is but another "move" in the telephone fight that has existed in this city for some years past and the essential particulars of which are entirely familiar to all the people of this place and vicinity. Mr. Rex says he is not worried over the outcome of the suit.

Source: North Manchester Journal, May 25, 1905

The Telephone Suit.

According to the Wabash papers there was a pretty hot legal battle between lawyers in court at Wabash last Saturday when the telephone suit of L.J. Noftzger against O. Rex and the North Manchester telephone company came up for first hearing. The contention was over an examination of the company's books, the plaintiff asking for a private inspection and the defendants agreeing to only an open examination. Judge Paulus, of Marion, who is hearing the case, decided that the books, papers, and accounts of the company should be examined in the presence of both parties to the suit and their attorneys, and it was agreed that the town hall in this city is to be the place where the examination will commence in a few days and will continue until the matter has been thoroughly gone over to the satisfaction of both sides of the case.