New-York tribune., 1902-08-14
NO INTEREST IN POWER SUIT.
MEMBER OF CONTENT & co. ADMITS
MAKING PAYMENT On ACCOUNT
OF IT, HOWEVER.

Tho hearing yesterday in the Peter Power
suit against the directors of the Northern Pa
Cidc Railway Company did not bring out much
additional information about the interests which
are behind the disappearing plaintiff" The
chief witness examined before Mr.. AIabey was
Walter Content. Office member of the brokerage
firm OF H. Content & Co, the firm that bought
for Camille Weidenfeld the hundred shares
of Northern Pacific common stock which George
Alfred Lamb. Peter Powers attorney. said had
been transferred TO Power before the suit was
tegun Mr.. Weidenfeld swore on Tuesday that
he never saw Peter Power. and never consented
TO have Power act as a dummy plaintiff" in
the suit. Mr.. Content was called yesterday by
w. D. Guthrie, OF counsel for the railway di-
rectors, in an effort to ascertain if H. Content
& Co. had a personal interest in the suit
How many times has your firm acted as
plaintiff in suits at Mr.. Weidenfed's request?"
asked Mr.. Guthrie.
u do not recall any except that in the case
0. the Metropolitan Street Railway Company"
was the reply.
Mr.. Guthrie tried to get from the witness an
explanation of Mr- Weidenfelds action in trans
ferring to Captain Stern, who has desk room in
the Office of H Content & Co, the one hundred
shares OF Northern Pacific stock which had been
made the basis Of the Peter Power suit. Mr.
Content said Captain Stern was a mining engi-
neer. The firm had made certain payments to
him Mr.. Weidenfeld's account. By Mr.. Wei
denfelds direction payment of 200 had been
made to Captain Stern on account Of the Peter
Power suit. The one hundred shares of North
ern Pacific stock had been purchased for Mr..
WeidenfeId on December 20. 1901.
Q.-From whom did you buy that stock? A
on advice of counsel. I decline to answer.
Odd Nj Weideufeid order you 10 buy that
sJOck2 Ale did
T.. g. .
Q.-Was the stock bought at about the mar
ket price? At was.
Mr Content then said that his firm was not in
terested directly in the Peter Power suit, and
had not contributed to the expenses Of the suit.
He never had discussed the suit with MIR. Lamb
or with Ar Power, ne said.
Nr. Lamb asked if the witnesses firm had an
account with Ellsworth Ives Chapman, whose
vile IS plainun in a suit against the Northern
Pacific directorate, and Mr.. Content admitted
that The firm had made loan of SlHuu9 TO
Chapman on one hundred shares Of stock OF the
Great Northern Railway. He denied that Mr..
Weidenfeld had guaranteed payment OF the loan
but admitted that the loan was equal TO the full
value Of the stock pledged.
Mr.. Guthrie said he would want the witness
to produce any documents showing payments
made by II. Content & Co. to Captain Stern or
Mr.. Chapman Oh account, or by order Of Mr..
WeideufeId. NIr Content said he would abide
by the advice Of his counsel as to giving in
inEs with customers.
Mr.. Content. in reply to Mr.. Lambs questions,
said the firm had begun suits against the Bay
State Gas Company and the American Tobacco
Company, and held stock In both corporations.
Some Of the stock might belong 10 Mr. Weiden-
field, he said. but he none Of It be
IorEeL TO ". Bourke Cochran.
Patrick Ttrhune, bOOHkeeper for II. Con
tent < Co. was called 10 the witness chair ana
was interrogated by Mr.. Guthrie about cash
payments 10 Captain Stern on Mr. Weidenfelds s
account. He looked appealingIy for advice 10
lawyer representing the firm, and developed
such loss of memory that Mr.. Guthrie asked
for an ad journment until this morning and had
Terhune instructed 10 appear then With a sworn
transcript Of the account OF Captain stern. Mr..
Guthrie obtained promise from the firms
counsel to have Captain Stern present at the
same time and he said he wanted TO have Henry
Content present as a witness for a short time.
Mt Lamb made feeble objection to the ad-
i0urnment Then he declared that ne was using
his hest eudeavors to have Peter Power come
home from Canada. He said he was almost
sure that Power would come 10 this city and be
ready for examination before Mr.. Mabey next
Tuesday