To Samuel C. Davis and Company1Jump to section
Yours of the 20th. received yesterday. We have just now paid the costs in the cases as per statement sent you. It took $330.90 to pay them. Currency answered the purpose. We used the $300 of yours we had here on deposite---and we drew on you, in favor of Mr. Ridgely2Jump to section for the remaining $30.90.3Jump to section The draft to Mr. Ridgely on you is signed ``A Lincoln'' and not ``Lincoln & Herndon.[''] This was done inadvertantly, and we mention it in order that you may not misunderstand the draft when you see it.
All this cost the defendants have, eventually, to pay. By the law of the U. S. court, there is a docket fee of ten dollars in each such case as these, taxed as costs, & when collected, paid to the plaintiff's attorney. There being ten of these cases of yours, we, as your attorneys, received one hundred dollars of this cost. You ultimately recover these docket fees back from the defendants, the same as the other costs.
We are in some perplexity about the collection of these debts. The Marshal now has the executions and will soon call on the defendants. Any that may pay in money, or turn out sufficient of personal property, will be easy cases; but in cases where real estate is turned out, we see no way to be safe, as to titles and value,