The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-06
FISH-HARAHAN CLASH.
President of Illinois Central Fails to
Win His Assistants Support.

Chicago. Nov. 6.-Stuyvesant Fish,
president of the Illinois Central rail-
road, has made a final appeal to J. T.
Harahan for aid in his fight against
E. H. Hartman to retain control of
the railroad as its executive head. It
was without avail. Mr.. Harahan Will
vote with the Hartman directors. He
will be the new president of the Hi
nois Central.
Mr.. Fish departed for New York
with the appearance and name of a
man who had suffered defeat He
will make his last stand at h meet
ing Of the directors On Wednesday,
but his removal as president is ON
ceded by authorities who are best
posted on perhaps the most dramatic
situation that ever has occurred in the
history Of American r~ailroading.
Mr.. IIarahan also departed In haste
for the east a few hours after Mr.. Fish
had gone
The attitudes of the two men ap-
parently told the story. Mr.. Fish was
detected. II he had any fight left in
him, his manner did not show it. He
would not discuss tht situation at all.
Mr.. Harahan's attitude was that of a
man who had beer called to New
York to assume the presidency OF a
great railroad system.
One solitary ray of comfort was left
Mr.. Fish. Gov. Deneen told him that
he would go to New York and vote
for him-that he would stand by him
to the last. At the same time the gov
ernor did not Mr.. Fish in
the belief that he would Wsn.
It has also became known that John
c. yelling, who has been regarded as
a stanch supporter of Mr.. Fish. would
not be able to attend the directors
/ meeting on Wednesday. Mr.. yelling
was too i'll to see any one at his resi-
dence, 1850 Greenwood avenue. but it
was authoritatively stated that his
health would not permit him to leave
his room, and that he would not at
tend the New York meeting on We'd
nesday.
This leaves the lineup of the diree-
tory. according to the most trust
worthy information. as follows:
For Fish-Gov. Charles s. Deneen.
Charles NJ. Beach, S~tuyvesant Fish,
J. W. D.. Cutting.
Against FISH. T. Harahan. Cor
nelius Vanderbilt, Edward H. Harri-
man, Charles A. Peabody. Walter
Luttgen. John ". Auchiucloss, Robert
W. Goelet, John Jacob Astor-S.
A report in circulation that John
Jacob Aston had not returned from
Europe and would not De able to at
tend h meeting is incorrect, accord
ing to Mr.. Harahan, who stated tina;
Mr.. Aston was in New York last We'd
nesday. Mr.. Astor signed the call for
Wednesday meeting and this act
aligned him with the Hartman forces
Mr.. Fish went over the entire situa-
ton with Governor Deneen and talked
enthusiastically. He said that he thought
ne would win-that he would have
enough votes-so 1t is assumed that hs
may have transferred some of the di'
rectors supported to be identified Will
the Hartman interests to his own col
umn. Governor Deneen told him tina
he would attend the directors meeting
in New York and that he would vote
for him to the last. At the same tim'
he expressed the belief that Mr.. FISH
would suffer defeat-that the Hartman
crowd was too much for him.
Then came the dramatic event. Mr.
Fish alone, and with a great load or hi
mind, went to the Office of the seconC
vice president of the Illinois Contra
on the sixth floor of the general Officer
CT the railroad IN Park row.
What 0ccurre at. that final conferenc.
only can be conjectured, for neither o
the men would discuss it later, but it &
easy to imagine. That it was stormy
al times there is no doubt.
Everything that IS said or writer
about that momentous conference be.
hind closed doors must be conjectural
one thing is certain. Mr. Fish and Mr.
Harahan did not waste any time il
nleasantries or talk about the weather
They got down to business without los
Of time The conference lasted a littl,
more than haH an hou The faces o
both men at its close Indicated that the,
had been subjected to severe menta
Mr.. Fish met AR Din and told hin
) that Harahan had made up his mint