New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-08-12
LAMB TURNS ON THE LIGHT
WEIDENFELD ONE OF REAL PLAINTIFFS
IN PETER POWERS SUIT
LAWYER ADMITS THAT HIS ELUSIVE Gil.
ENT IS IN CANADA-HE HELPED
THE ESCAPE.

george Alfred Lamb, attorney for Peter power
in the suit against the Northern Pacific direc-
tors, made some important revelations as a wit
ness yesterday. He admitted that Peter Power.
clerk in his law Office. had been made the
plaintiff in the suit 10 conceal the identity Of
Wall Street operators who the real plain
tiffs in the case. He admitted that Camille
Weidenfed, the broker. at Nc. Is WaIl-st..
one of the persons who had been concerned in
bringing the suit.
Mr.. Weidenfeld was to have been witness
yesterday in the hearing before Mr.. Ma bey. the
special examiner in the clerks office Of the
United States Circuit Court. in the Federal
Building. but he was excused until to-day at the
request of his counsel. Treadweu Cleveland.
NJ. Lamb was called to the witness chair to
testify about the part he had taken in the dis
appearance Of Peter Power, and he admitted
that Power was in Canada He promised that
he would try to get Power to return 70 this city
and face the imprisonment for contempt Of
court ordered by Judge Lacombe
Before Mr.. Lamb testified yesterday, Mrs
Carey, who keeps hotel at West Hurley, y. Y,
testified about the disappearance Of Peter Power
and his wife from the place a week ago in
Company with Mr.. Lamb. and her son testified
that he drove the lawyer and client from West
Hurley 10 Rhnebeck Mr.. Lamb cheerfully
admitted that he was in Powers company 1t
the time Of the departure from West Hurley,
and going on to explain why Power had
failed to come to The city, when W. D. Guthrie.
of counsel for the railway directors. said:
Mr.. Power is living at the Queens Hotel,
Montreal, under the fictitious name Of P.
Blake"
That is true" asented Mr. Lamb.
Mr.. Lamb declared that he wanted TO bring
Power here from Rhinebeck. but Power was in a
nervous state and insisted on going TO Canada
He was about to go TO Canada after Power.
h said. but he was stopped by the subpoena
He declared that he had sent messages to Power
and was doing his best to induce him TO return
to this city.
Mr.. Lamb then told of having been counsel
for the firm of Lawson, weidenfeld & Co, and
having conducted litigation for Mr- Weiden-
field personally. Other clients, he said, had
suffered heavy losses in the personal controversy
between the houses Of J. P. Morgan s Co. and
Kuhn Loeb & Co He had heard discussed on
every side the subject of the Northern Securt-
ties Company and its legality. He had many
talks with Mr.. Weidenfeld concerning it They
decided something should be done to protect
those men who had sustained losses
I told Mr. WeidenfeId.'' said Mr.. Lamb. that
no one in Wall Street dared start an action.
Any banker or broker who dared bring suit to
combat the enormous accumulation of capital
would have his business curtailed by the inter
ested parties teIephoning to the National City
Bank and other banks. having their loans called
In and their business Curtailed. Mr.. Weidenfeld
then suggested that some responsible man be
found who could protect his principals and con-
ceaI them entirely. II such man could he
found MI weidenfeId told me, he would agree
20 purchase stock for him and begin a suit in
his name.
Il suggested Peter Power as a young man
had f7be tod
money, as a proper man In the mean time l
was constantly being importuned by my clients
10 take some action against these people. Later
I found that the State of Minnesota, through its
Governor and Attorney General proposed 10
take some action. I suggested to Mr. Weiden-
field that we might in harmony with the
officials Of that State l visited st. Paul, and
there met Mr.. Van SAINT. the Governor. and
the Attorney General. They heartily welcomed
an action on my part In fact the Gov
ernor told me he at one time thought it would be
a good idea for the State of Minnesota to buy
some Northern Pacific stock and bring a suit
as a stockhoIder So the Power suit was
nienced as well as by other clients of mine
holding large blocks OF the stock 1 saw that
the plan to retire the preferred stock was but a
plan TO formulate the Northern Securities Com
pany. The public invited to come in, buy
this preferred stock and help buy up the prop
erty. Then, suddenly. they are shut out by the
retirement of the stock from participating in
the profits of the road. which their capital had
assisted in building up. Then 1 learned that
President Roosevelt had ordered steps taken by
the Attorney General against the Northern Sc
curftfes Company and l felt that everything
would be all right
WEIDENFELD TRANSFERRED STOCK.
Mr. Lamb was proceeding to tell of his faith
hi Wis 70 SaP
in England. when he was stopped by Mr.. Guth-
rie Mr. Lamb wanted an adjournment, but
Mr. Guthrie pressed cross-examinat ton He
said he would insist Mr. Lamb producing to-
day copies of all letters and kilograms he had
sent to Power in Montreal and copies of the re-
plices Il shall 4ant," he continued copies of
all letters or kilograms you may have received
concerning the commencement OF this SUIT from
Camille Weidenfeld. Henry Stern, H. Content
& Co. or any one else Interested in this action
Mr.. Lamb declared he would not furnish such
documents without the consent of his client.
Mr.. Guthrie then endeavored 10 md out from
Mr. Lamb whether there had been a certificate
of stock of the Northern Pacific Railway in the
name of Peter Power. Mr.. Lamb said there
had always been certificate of stock at their
disposal. He had had it in his possession.
Surprised by the production OF the original
complaint, III which it was stated that Mr.:
Power had beer the owner of one hundred
shares of Northern Pacific stock for six months
prior to December 80 l9Ol Mr Lamb said;
The stock was transferred to Mr.. Power by
Mr.. Weidenfeld in May. 1901
DO vou not know that the hundred shares
of stock referred to in the name of II. Con-
tent & Co and subsequently transferred 10 Mr..
Weidenfed?"
Il did not nor do know il now, except as
YOU Sav now
Mr. Guthrie tried to lead Mr. Lamb into ad-
mitting that there had been a mistake in per
n1;ttirS power 70 swear that he had owned the
Northern Pacific stock six months before the
suit was brought. and Mr.. Lamb protested
against what he called oroWoeatln
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