The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-10
CHARGES SENSATIONAL -e-, q RECEIVER ASKED FOR SOUTH ERIN STEAMSHIP co.
 @oT ! Minority Stockholders Allege Con- spiracy Was Practiced by Those in Control of the Corpora, |.
 tion's Affairs.
Advertiser Bureau,

.-.. -....... - .- Mobile, Jan. 9.
 The sensation of the now year was a legal paper filed last this afternoon in the Chancery Court. '.- .
 The document was petition for re- ceiver for the Southern Steamship Com pany. an organization of this city, en- gagged in fruit importing. The applicants arc Philip Allison, A. F. Piazza, the Rolf Seebery Ship Chanalery Company and others representing S1O shares of stock in the company.
 The paper is directed against John A. DorEan, Harry T. Hartwell. Alfred Pros kauer. Joseph NJ. Walsh. John B. Dortch and Thomas Kettles of Mobile, the Lein- kauf Banking Company of Mobile and Jacobs Weinberger and Simon Steinhardt of New Orleans.
 Many startling allegations are charged in the application. Conspiracy is read in every allegation. It Is charged that the defendants, Dorgau, Hartwell. Proskauer and Walsh. holding majority of the stock, elected themselves directors and elected Piazza with them. limiting the number to five: that the four first named pnr- chased eighty thousand of stock, of which only thirty thousand was paid in. The four directors then resolved to turn, in fifty thousand and issue to themselves
 
 other stockholders to turn in their stock, and receive only the par value in stock according to what had been. paid. in by theEn. .. . .-- .t ;. ..,y...
 It is further charged that the defend- ants, gaining control, entered into consptr- acy with the Blueheld Steamship Com pany and United Fruit Company, com petitors. tor wreck the Southern. and force it into bankruptcy, thus destroying the competition; that they used the com pany,s funds to this end; that chartered steamships wore held in port and that the price of fruit was, cut and in. absence of other purchasers the planters. were forced to sell to the conspiring companies at greatly reduced. prices; that Hartwell had been sent to Nicaragua to purchase concessions for the company from that government: that he did so as an indi- vidual and refused to transfer itsto tho company unless he was paid therefor, this being intended to be a means of forcing the company out of business. Other like charges are made; -.-- .! s,.-,-' :
 An answer to the allegations is prayed for .-
 w. l.. Henderson. land and industrial agent of tho Southern Railway, stated this afternoon that a deal had been closed with Pampanltla ConlEllc or NeW York for six thousand acres of land near Malcolm. 9 miles north of Mobile, on the Southern Railway. The purchase price Is nj the neighborhood of $60. 900. The land vii lbe colonized with Italians who will engage in truck farming and fruit raising. Coniglis arrived in Mobile last night with twenty-one Italians who will be located on portion of the lands 4 T. $. Bidgood. a well known citizen of Mobile, died this morning at his home in this city. MT, Bidgood was for a long time cashier of the Peoples Bank and was a most estimable citizen.
 The new wear started off very satisfac- torily. so far as the Custom House was concerned Several large cargoes went out and others are preparing to get away early the incoming week The fruit business has been somewhat lax, due to tho short demands. One of the large in- dependent local importing firms has four vessels at the wharf where they have been for some time. Another firm has had no arrival in over a week. With these companies idle the importation of fruit has been considerably reduced.