Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-23
MRS. DU PUY WON'T SETTLE
Unless the Full Amount Paid for Her
Stock Is Returned.
HEARING BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.
Bankers Testify, but Nothing Startling Was
Developed.
JUDGE WHITE SHUTS OUT REPORTERS


cite Coal Company affairs had another airing
yesterday.
Don't say word to reporters" was the
motto of nearly everybody concerned on
either side, and yet THE DISPATCH as
usual has been able to learn such of the pro-
ceedings as were of interest, as well as some
things not before Commissioners Robb and
BeaL
1t was stated by one of those largely in
terested in the corporations in question at
this time, and who has had to do with the
shaping of recent events of importance re-
garding them, that very important COM
promises had been made. 1t was said by
this gentleman that with the exception of
the Du Puy suit all the important litiga-
tion had been compromised. This was news
of very decided character, as it would
seem to include the suits against ID. Her.
bert Hostetter to recover s., 500, 600
of securities alleged to be improperly held
by him. When asked if the Hostetter
suits were included in the compromises the
gentleman referred to said that they had
been recently settled on a satisfactory basis,
and that three attempts had been made to
adjust the Du Puy case in view of the IA
vorable outlook for the general scheme.
Mr. Du Puy would not agree to the terms
suggested, and for the present his salt will
continue.
Hoping Still for Final Success.
1t is understood that the lands which
formed the mining property of the Penn
Anthracite Coal Company are now in the
hands of n. w. Taylor from whom they
were originally purchased by j. III. Miller.
Mr.. Taylor is friendly to the Maryland
Central scheme, and has agreed to join it as
soon as it is fully developed. The other
railroads which are concerned, the
York and Peach Bottom and the
Susquehanns extension of the Mary
land Central, are reorganized and rearranged.
Owing to the troubles which have arisen
the Baltimore Belt road has been absorbed
by the Baltimore and Ohio, but the Mary
land Central retains its traffic agreement
with the Belt line and the use of its old
terminals 1t is declared by those in charge
of the scheme that it will shortly work out
all right, and that instead of losing money
the Pittsburg banks and others who hold
bonds and stocks will not lose money on
them.
The hearing in the case was resumed
yesterday behind closed doors The same
old crowd of lawyers, bankers, plaintiffs
and defendants were present, but they were
all pledged to secrecy, and the reporters
were excluded under instructions from
Judge White to the Commissioners. A few
weeks ago, Mr. Plummer, for the Trades
mans National Bank, complained to the
court that the proceedings were public.
Judge W hire Seems to Be Astonished.
The Judge was very much astonished and
asked if any OF the Commissioners were in
the courtroom. Mr.. Beal happened to be
there, and the Judge told him that the re-
porters must not be admitted to the hear
ings. He added that the Commissioners
were appointed to take the testimony
for the Baltimore court, and, if the
Judge there saw fit to give it out, it would
be all right, but under no other circum-
stances must the evidence be made public
Judge Magee dissented strongly from
this opinion, and held tina, the public had
right TO hear the testimony and know how
financial institutions are conducted. In
view of Judge Whites positive in
structions the Commissioners decided
10 exclude newspaper men, and
the lawyers on both sides pledged them
selves not to divulge any of the testimony.
The attorneys in the case were careful to
state that they had no objection to making |
the testimony public.
Winfield j. Taylor, for the plain |
tiffs, said: I'VE certainly hadn't any
objections to the reporters being present. |
for we have nothing to fear. Just as ex- |
pected, the evidence to-day was of no con- |
sequence, and was not detrimental to us or |
the banks. objected to impertinent ques-
tions. regard the work of the plaintiffs |
as an impudent toraging into private affairs. |
When 1 saw the turn the examination was |
taking, objected from the start, as the |
testimony had no bearing on the case"
Everybody Seemed to Be Satisfied.
At the outset Mr.. Taylor objected to the |
questions of Attorney Schoyer as improper, |
and he claimed the commission was irregu- |
lar. The Commissioners overruled the OBJ /
lection. At the conclusion of the hearing |
in the afternoon Mr.. Taylor said he was
satisfied. S. Schoyer, for Mrs. Amy Du
Puy, the plaintiff, remarked that if the de-
PENDANTS were satisfied he certainly was. He |
EXPRESSED himself as well pleased with |
what had been developed at the hearing.
He added that the bankers might as we'll
have testified in the first place instead of
making so much fuss about 1t
John Henry Miller, one of the defend
ants, of Baltimore, was present and said he
had nothing to conceal, and he wanted the |
testimony published.
"The public will begin to think now,"
said Mr.. Houseman, "that there is really
something serious back of these proceed
lngs. l am opposed to star chamber ses-
sions. Mr.. Miller lost a great deal more
money than the Pittsburg people. There
never was Maryland Central pool. The
people here invested their money in
a scheme that failed. Mr.. Miller
held more of the stock than the Pittsburg-
ers and he lost heavily. 1 assert again that
the losses in this city did not occur in the
Baltimore companies, but Maryland Gen.
tral shares were put into holes made by
declines in various local stocks"
Discounted Only for individuals.
The officers of the Tradesmen's Bank were |
asked in regard to notes discounted by them
Tor various individuals with a view of as
whether there Was any connec-
ion with the Terminal Company. The
bank officers stated emphaticaliy that they
lad never done any business with the COM
'any, but had dealt always with, individ-
lals
EK-Cashier Dunn, who was one of the |
asst witnesses, corroborated the evidence of |
he Tradesmen officials
Cashier Steinmeyer, of the Third National
Bank, it is claimed, also denied having any |
ealing with the Terminal Company direct
lie said that notes had been discounted for
Individuals and stock taken as collateral.
lie was cross-e1smined at some length with
ut developing anything new.-
A. G. Dravo was the last wituesa He
1plained his connection with the COM