The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-10-10
THE PLUSH MILL.
A Partial Hearing Yesterday and the Case
Then Postponed to a Future Date.

The hearing of adjudication in insol-
vency VS.. the Plush Mill corporation,
which was adjourned from Monday, the
End of October, came up in the lnsol-
vency court before Judge Peabody yester-
day morning A petition was presented
by two additional creditors! asking leave
to join in the creditors petition; and in
support of the application of the three
former creditors, who signed the petition,
to withdraw from the creditors petition
affidavits were presented tending to show
that they were induced by false represen-
tations made by Mr.. Ackroyd and
others, to join the petition, and being
satisfied that these representations were
untrue they asked leave to withdraw
from the petition. Gov. ROBBIE, the as
signee, was introduced as a witness and
testified at length as to his management
of the plant and material manufactured
since the assignment was made to him,
to the effect that he had made every
effort to dispose of the property, for the
best interests of the creditors, acting
always under the advice of some of the
creditors, and keeping all informed of
the condition of affairs by letters and
circulars. The purpose of his testimony
was to snow that the representation that
had induced creditors to join in the
petition was untrue. His testimony was
also received as bearing on the validity
of the claim of Mr.. Ackroyd as sone OF
IL, ;oip in ho odd al
petition and showing that whatever claim
Ackroyd might otherwise have had was
to be offset by $4,000 of stock subscribed
for by Ackroyd, and which was wholly
unpaid.
Mr.. Ackroyd testified supporting in part
the representations alleged to have been
made by him to the Messrs. Barbour, and
claiming those representations were true,
that some of the representations made by
him were matters of opinion of which
they were as well qualified to judge as
himself. His testimony rendered to
show that there had been negligence on
the part of the Waterman employed in
the mill, through which negligence some
of the property had been stolen, and.there
had also been general neglect in keep
ing the machinery in proper condition.
Mr.. Tilton, treasurer of the corporation,
testified that an entry hada been made in
his books without his knowledge, which,
he believed, to be in the handwriting of
Mr.. Ackroyd, to the effect that Mr..
Ackroyd's subscription of $4,000 in stock
was to be paid for service. The contract
with Mr.. Ackroyd was shown by which
it was understood that he was to receive
$4,000 in stock for five years services as
superintendent, $1,000 to be paid him in
stock at the end.of each year.
Upon reassembling in the afternoon,
Mr.. Field, the day Waterman at the mill,
was put on the stand. He testified that
the machinery was in good order, that
it had been under the direction of the
assignee, and carefully guarded from rust
and dirt; that nothing had been removed
from the mill except two pieces of plush,
which had disappeared; that Gov. ROBBIE
had been regular in his visits to the mill
and taken every precaution to keep the
property in good condition. Mr.. Field
wassthe only witness called in the after
noon.
The total unsecured indebtedness of the
corporation, including the claim of Mr..
Ackroyd, was shown to be $21, 005.75, and
it requires one quarter of this indebted
ness to secure the adjudication of insol-
vency against the company. This quarter
amount cannot be secured in case three
of the petitioning creditors have leave to
with draw from the creditors petition.
One of the petitioners, Mr.. Randall, was
not able to be present, and heard, and
the case Gncluding the right of original
creditors to withdraw, and new creditors
to unite in the petition) is to be heard on
future day, to be assigned on agree
ment of the parties.
.. Hon. C.F. Libby appeared for the corpo-
ration and H. and WI. Knowlton, by W.
J. Knowlton, for the petitioners