The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-14
UNDER ADVISEMENT
COURT WILL REitnER DECISION TODAY
Attorney Guthrie for Petitioners De- clares Hill and Morgan Have Bought Stock Since Decree
 of Supreme Court.

St. Paul, MiEn., April 13.-The decision of the United States Circuit Court as to the right of E. H. Hartman and Wins low Pierce as trustees for the Oregon l Short Line to file a petition in the case l of the government against the Northern Securities Company and others will be handed down tomorrow when the court | meets. The arguments on the motion were concluded today, Judge Johnson ad- dressing the court on behalf of the de- fendants and W. L. Guthrie closing for l the petitioners.
 MT Guthrie in closing furnished the sensation of the hearing by maintaining | that the Northern Securities CoE&pany | has since the decree of the United States Court declared the Securities Company illegal, added materially to It's holdings | ot Northern Pacific and Great Northern stock with the intention of retaining con trol of these roads. This statement Elihu Root took occasion to deny. saying that hn was authorized to say that neither Mir. Hill nor Mir. Morgan have acquired one chare in either company since the de- cree was handed down.
 The arguments today attracted an even greater attendance than those of yester- day and were followed with keen inter est. Mir. Guthrie made the closing speech of the day.
 "I wish to call specific attention" said he. ito the fact that not one of the de- ferdants has filed any affldavits or made any denials whatever of the claim made by US that if this distribution goes into effect that the Northern Pacific and the Great Northern will be in still closer control than before. The only form of denial they have made Is to quote from the report of Secretary Nichols to the effect that if distribution is made under the plan, Mir. Hill will have left only 2i per cent.
 We all know tha. 1t is a common prac' tice among bankers, financiers and brok- era to hide ownership of stocks by mak- ing them over to clerks friends and any one whom they can conveniently use for the purpose
 "I here offer if am allowed to exam inc the books of the Securities Com pany, to trace every individual certiii- cate of stock in its original issue to It's present owner. No matter whether 1t has gone through a hundred transfers.
 "If we are permitted to examine the books we can show that the effect of this plan Of distribution Is. and has been from the first to perpetuate the control of the Northern Pacific in the hands of MT. Hill."
 At this point MT. Guthrie made the SC mewhat sensational charge that the Northern Securities Company has in- creased its holdings since the decree was issued.
 Referring to Mir Johnson's argument that the object of this action was to obey the law. MT. Guthrie exclaimed: why are they afraid of delay? There has been no competition between the Northern Pacific and Great Northern snce 1896 and all of a sudden they are terribly worried"
 We want our Northern Pacific stock back. We do not want any Great North ern. It Is the simplest thing to under stand that If we are forced to take an interest in both we will naturally not care for competition. If we take only Northern Pacific we must have and will seek competition with the Great North ern."
 Judge sanborn asked as to the form of order desired.
 Mir. Guthrie replied: We ask that tho permissive decree be made mandatory anc the court direct that the distribu ton of the stock be made to original holders"
 As Mir Guthrie closed his argument, EIjhu Root rose and obtaining permis- sion of the court. replied to the charge