The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-04-23
ALLEGED SHORT
 WEIGHT COTTON Investigation Progressing But Statements Not Yet Ready. PRESIDENT EGAN TALKS
Head of Central of Georgia Answers a Few Questions-Much Gossip In Savannah Concerning the
 Matter in Birmingham.


 the alleged short weights in cotton ship ped from Birmingham by Smith & Cou- 1 ghlan, but there were no new develop ments yesterday and attorneys represent ing various concerns interested had no statement to make public The Savannah News of yesterday says:
 The Central of Georgia railway and several large cotton mills in the south may be heavy losers by the short-weight cotton shipped out of Birmingham. What at first was presumed to be an ordinary shortage in shipments appears now to be larger than the first disclosures indi- cated.
 When 1t was discovered that the Gen. tral was a probable loser further steps were taken to investigate fully all it's transactions in connection with the Birmingham parties against whom al- legations in connection with the short age are made.
 President Egan Interviewed.
 President John M. Egan of the Gen. 
 current on the cotton exchange. and whether the railroad was loser. said that so far nothing tangible has develop ed. and he could give no information.
 Claim Agent J. F. Gray of the Central has gone to Birmingham to investigate the alleged fraudulent operations. He is acting on the advice of the railways counsel here and at Birmingham.
 With the exporters and mills the loss was in receiving short-weight bales. whereas the Central, according to the rumors, "got no bales at all." It is al- legged that on compress receipts, the reg ularity of which are now the subject Of investigation, bills of lading were issued by the railroad for something like GOO bales of cotton, which 1t Is said have not been received. Whether these were 6OU imaginary bales, whether they are in the present invstlgation to be accounted for by the signers of the compress re- ceipts, or what the outcome will be is a matter of guesswork. How the bills of lading were realized upon. whether the cotton was sold or the bills hypothecated In bank or held, are also questions yet to. be solved. The railroad is alleged not to have received the cotton for which the bills of lading were issued and its object is now to ascertain the reason if there was failure to deliver.
 The compress receipts on which 1t is alleged the bills of lading were issued by the Central were from tthe compress company at Birmingham, of which the of president.
 Was the compress company under bond?" President Egan was asked.
 'Yes. it was under bond of $1O, ,o00," he replied.
 As to Railroad Indemnification.
 If the reports that bills of lading for 600 bales have been issued upon irregular receipts Is true the railroad will not be indemnified by this bond for the prob- able value of this amount of cotton would be around ss0.0OO
 A Savannah exporter is reported to have shipped fifty bales of cotton from Birmingham to a domestic mill, which turned out 160 pounds short to the bale, or a loss of 5000 pounds. Other mills are looking into their recent receipts to ascer- tain if there are any shortages in weight, and if so, the exporters handling the bus- mess will probably soon be advised.
 Considerable cotton from Birmingham is afoat and the shortage in weight. if any, cannot be learned until the control lers get hold of 1t on the other side
 The sales of the Birmingham cotton were made locally by several brokers, and some of the cotton Is reported to have been bought direct by the exporters themselves. The next few days promises to bring fuller developments, and enable all interested to know where they stand.