The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-27
TILTED over RATES
LUMBERMEN DISPUTE STATE
MENTS OF RAILWAY COUNSEL
AT COMMISSIONS HEARING.
w. n. STILLWELL SAYS LUMBERMEN
ARE NOT MOST PROSPEROUS CLASS,

Interesting Evidence at the Hear
ing of the Lumber Rates Case BE-
fore the Interstate Commerce.
COmmissiOn-It Is to BE Continued
To-day With More Evidence,
Governor Terrell and His stan at
MacOn-News Notes of Atlanta.
Atlanta, Oct. 26.-The Interstate
Commerce Commission to-day began
the hearing of the lumber rate case in
the federal court. Four members OF
the commission were present, the alb
sent one bein ; James Yeomans of Iowa.
After the case was stated by Attor-
ney Wimbish of this city, for the COM
plainants, and Judge Baxter of Nash
Vile, for the railroads. the examination
of witnesses was commenced. Five
witnesses were heard during the sitting
and at times the interest of the parties
and spectators was aroused to a high
degree by the passage between the at
torneys and witnesses.
w. B. Stillwell of Savannah, vice
president of the Georgia Saw Mill AS
movement that brought on the present
hearing, INDUCED in a lively tilt with
Attorney w. f. Kay of Brunswick over
a question asked by the latter. Mr.
Stillwell denounced the statement that
the lumbermen were the most pros
porous class in the South as an "un-
truth" and added that the mills were
not earning 4 per cent. on the invest
ment they represented. He charged
that this was the result of the per
cent. increase in freight rates from this
state to the West and stated that the
Western market was practically lost
through this action of the roads.
All the testimony introduced by the
lumbermen was to the same effect.
Many more witnesses will be heard
tomorrow, before the roads introduce
their evidence.
A squabble arose soon after the court
opened over the demand upon the part
of the lumbermen that the roads fur
nish statement of their earnings and
other inside information. The court d-
rected that the parties agree upon just
what they wanted of this. No agree
ment had been reached tonight.
The hearing will continue several
days. Both sides. are represented by
able counsel. and the. court room is
crowded with people from all over the
country Prominent lumbermen. rail-
road officials and attorneys form the
bulk of the audience.
Governor at the Fair.
Gov. Terrell, accompanied by
large party of his staff and several
state officers. went to Macon to-day
to attend the State Fair. Most of
those who went with the Governor re-
turned tonight, but Gov. Terrell and
several others remained there for to-
morrow, at which time a meeting of
prominent Georgians will be held for
the purpose of discussing ways and
means of providing Georgia build
ing at the st. Louis Exposition.
Moody to the Penitentiary.
Rawis Moody, well known young
white man, who is prominently con-
nected, plead guilty to forgery to-day,
and Judge Roam sentenced him to
two years in the penitentiary. The
young fellow enriched himself by only
$3.50 when he gave the forged check.
Upon several other occasions Moody
had been arrested for forgery by the
local police, but each time he escaped
the penitentiary by entering a plea
of insanity, which had always been
accepted as the truth. He has been
to the State Sanitarium at Milledge-
vile two or three times, but has al
ways succeeded in getting a discharge.
He has a mania for forgery
Companies Remain Disbanded.
No attempt will be made for the
present to reorganize the two Augusta
companies which are to be disbanded.
1t is likely that Gov. Terrell will fol-
low the recommendation of Maj.
French. the United States army Of
ficer, and organize one company in
Augusta with a large membership,
rather than to have two companies with