The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-02-21
James E. Murdock Trying to Mystify
People with a Big Bluff, but Ad-
mits that the Deal Is On.
TWO HEARSES AT TAFUNERAL
Rival Shelbyville Undertakers
Came Near Having a Fight.
Indiana Charities Conference at Terre
Haute-Gas City Slugger Knocked
Out-Secret Societies.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
LAFAYETTE. Ind. Feb 2O-The publica-
ton in the Journal this morning of a spe-
cial announcing that the plants of the La
fayette artificial and natural-gas COM
panies had been sold. and giving the figures
said to have been realized thereon. created
a great deal of talk in this city, While il
had been quietly whispered around for a
few days that there was movement on
foot looking TO a possible sale Of the two
plants named, the facts had not become
generally known. Stock had been bought
up, and there were whisperings of a deal
of great magnitude, but the local officers
of the companies stated to the interviewers
that there had been nothing definite done.
and that until such time as it was they
had nothing TO give out. The publications
this morning came like a clap Of thunder
to the community. President James Muir
dock, of the Lafayette company. has been
the target for a great many interrogatories.
Mr.. Murdock said that 1t was true that for
some time there had been going on an ef-
fort to make deal of this kind. There had
been negotiations for the purchase OF the
two gas plants of this city, but up to
this time the whole thing was In en-
bryo, and it hard to tell what
the outcome might be- Positively, however,
he said the deal had not been
closed, and whether the publication would
In any manner interfere with the sale, he
could not say. AS to figures given in the
Journal, Mr.. Murdock said they were not
correct They were misleading and inaccu-
rate. He did not however, feel at liberty
at this time, he said, to give the public ths
figures on which negotiations had been car
ried on, for the reason that the sale was
not made and the price was a matter
that was of interest only to the sellers AND
the buyers.
The readers OF the Journal may be inter.
ested in knowing that of the total amount
of natural gas stock in the Lafayette plant,
$400 600. but $4,000 is held by persons not
residents of this city. The controlling in
terests are right here. The reporter also
asked Mr.. Murdock what interest any other
of the Indiana companies had In THIS sale,
the publication made intimating that IL was
a gigantic deal, involving all the Indiana
companies. To this Mr. Murdock replied that
so far as he knew, and he thought he was
in a position to know, there was not an
other company Interested in the TRANSACTION
If the sale went through, as contemplated
at this time, Ii would involve no other COM
pany, and would be made solely On the
merits of the Lafayette plant.
Also Looking for other Plants.
1t has been known in this city some
time that the New Workers were endeavor-
ing to close deal for the purchase OF the
Lafayette plant and yesterday 1t was
printed exclusively in the Journal that
they had succeeded in purchasing it for
s65O, 900 and had also bought the Illuminating
plant there for $4,000. Besides Mr.. Muir
dock, the owners are Edward Hawkins, of
this city; Charles Stuart. Of Lafayette:
United States Senator Brice, Of Ohio, and
several Chicago men. The New York cap
italists who own the indianapolis plants
have over 100000 invested in this way IN
the State and are said to be reaching out
for more investments of the sort They
have been going over the natural gas
region carefully during the past few months
and it is thought will try to buy the Lo-
gansport and Fort Wayne plants. They
will not buy the natural gas plant unless
they can secure the Illuminating one, be-
cause in case the natural gas supply should
fail they want to use all the pipes for man.
ufactured gas. They control patents on a
new method for making gas for which they
ultimately expect to have wide use