The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-05-27

the questions of law and fact brought be-
fore him. Delay, he stated, meant a
heavy loss to the property and his course
would be to wind up the litigation as
quickly as possible. In the course of the
proceedings to-day he said the court
would not shut its eyes to the fact that
the Central was in very bad condition
and that the longer adjudication was de-
layed the worse it would be. He said
however, that the court did not propose
to hurry anybody unreasonably or cause
the sacrifice of the property in the inter-
est OF anybody; that it was nOt.he dis
position Of the court to put any faction in
power, but all would be given reasonable
time and opportunity
CRAWFORD AND sPEER CLASH.
During the hearing short tilt occurred
between Mr.. Crawford and Judge Speer,
Mr.. Crawford being the attorney who
made the sensational charges against
Judge Speer at Savannah. The question
was as to the wording of the contract
providing for the sale Mr.. Crawford
stated that the sale was ordered private
| or public. He was interrupted by Judge
Speer, who said the sale provided for was
| not private or public one. Mr.. Craw-
lord, in an emphatic manner, said the
court was mistaken as to the fact, and
produced the contracts to support his cor
| rectiOn. Mr.. Crawford was opposing the
| consolidation of the litigation, the Termi-
nal lawyers having taken a determined
stand on this point.
TIE CHARGE OF MIsMANAGEMENT.
1t was expected that Mr. Crawford
would arraign Receiver Conner. He did
question the receivers administration,
but the direct charges of mismanagement
and GOlluSiOD wit TpOVrra nj tiOr poYr1
| mittee were made by Alex. King of the
firm of Calhoun, King g. Spaulding, who
represent Alex. Brown q Sons and Simon
Borg & Co. Mr.. King occupied an hour
in his arraignment of the receiver, and
while he delivered himself plainly of
what he alleged to be facts of the mis-
management there was nothiUg approach
ing persOnalsm in his speech. He
charged that the present demoralized
condition Of the Central was due to the
mismanagement of the receiver.
A CHARGE OF ExTRAvAGANCE.
The revenues had been wasted in un-
usual extravaganza, such as the Nancy
Hanks train and car cOuplers upon which
| Supt Wadley received a royalty of 3
each, he being the patentee. Six hundred
and fifty dollars had been paid for cars
that could have been bought for $3.50 He
asserted that Receiver Comer's misman-
! agement had allowed the Ocean Steam
| ship Company, which had paid $500, 900
net, to default.
Receiver Conner was alleged to be an
active partisan of the reorganization COM
mlttce, when, as an officer of the court,
he should be absolutely impartial. Let
terS from Mr.. Conner to H. B. HOllins and
from Mr.. H0llins to Mr.. Conner were read
to support this charge. 1t was also
charged that Receiver Conner is interested
in bn
line of the Central railroad, and on all
these charges he should be removed.
MR.. LAwToN DEFENDs MR.. CONFER.
A. r. Lawton, Jr.. of Savannah, repre-
! senting Receiver Conner, answered the
charges made against his management.
| The answer denied the claim of misman-
| agement in toto, but admitted that the
receiver favored the Hollins plan of re-
organization. The reason Receiver Conner
favOrs this plan is that he believes it the
only way of saving the property The
| Central railroad has been insolvent since
| March, 1892. The whole case was re-
viewed in the answer and the present con-
ditiOn of the property given as accurately
| as possible. It was denied that the direc-
| tors had deliberately defaulted in interest
| in order to bring on n receivership or re-
| organization. Interest payments were
| defaulted because there was no money on
| manu- WIFI WHICH 10 pay Juem. Nlf.
| Conner had himself loaned the road $780,,
| 600 and had made every possible effort to
! borrow money in New York.
COMPETENT OFFICIALS CHOSEN.
The receiver has, Mr.. LawtOn claimed,
! put competent officials in office and in
every way managed the property to the
best of his ability In point Of fact the
property has been improved and the re-
! ceiver thinks the charges upon which his
removal is asked are, on whole, entirely
too vague and flimsy to bear the light
a master to examine all accounts of the
road Will be appointed tomorrow.
The argument on the demurrer, entered
| by Mr.. Evans will also be heard.