Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1906-10-25
FIGHT TO CONTROL
The Illinois Central, a Bone Of Con-
tentiOn Between 3. y. Harri-
man and StuYvesant Fish.
ATSTOCEHOLDERS MEETING
President Of Southern PaeiAc HAD
. Rice Little scheme bat 1t
Failed to Work-CF0mwell
and Fish Clash,

|
Chicago, Oct. 18.--The fight for the
control Of the Illinois Central Railroad
company waxed hot Wednesday. Stuy.
sesant Fish, president Of the road. and
William Nelson Cromwell, represent
ing %. H. Hartman, president Of the
Southern Pacific, FLASHED openly be-
fore $50 stockholders who had come
from various parts Of the country 10
attend the meeting. On the face OF the
record Mr.. Fish appears to have been
the victor, but that the victory is not
a final one, is insinuated by Mr.. Crom-
well. The representative of Mr.. Har-
riman said to the Associated Press:
"Of a directory Of thirteen people
there are still seven members who
have placed themselves on record In
opposition to Mr.. Fish In this contest.
There will be meeting OF the board,
probably In November. This board
will elect the officers Of the railroad.
You can draw your own conclusions"
The clash between Messrs. Harri'
man and Fish was waged over an
agreement dated July n, 1906, and
signed by Stuyvesant Fish, Charles A.
Peabody and E. H. Hartman In June
Mr.. Fish had begun the collection OF
proxies for use at the meeting he'd
Wednesday. He states that an effort
was also made by Hartman to get
proxies through Kuhn, Loeb & Co. On
July 1S, Mr.. Peabody introduced a
resolution at meeting of the board
Of directors that a committee Of the
directory be appointed to collect prox-
les. However, on July 81, Messrs.
Fish, Peabody and Hartman entered
into an agreeemtn as follows:
Three outgoing directors to be re
elected. Mr.. Grinnell's successor to
be selected by a majority of the sew
eral directors acting; Mr.. Peabody's
resolution Of July 10 to be withdrawn
and not to be revived this year; Mr..
Hartman will ask that the Hartman
Kuhn, Loeb proxies be given to Mr..
Fish"
G. w. Morton Grinnell, a member
Of the board Of directors had died
during the year. Mr.. Fish claims that
the Hartman faction agreed that Mr..
Grinnell's successor should be a man
whose presence in the directory wou d
not be inimical to the independence
Of the Illinois Central and would be
acceptable to Mr.. Fish. Henry De-
Forest, director Of the Southern Pa
cific, Of which Mr.. Hartman is pres
ident, and one Of counsel for Mr.. Har
riman was named in a petition signed
by Mr.. Hartman and six other direct
ors. to succeed Mr.. Grinnell BY rea'
son Of his Southern Pacific affilia-
lions Mr.. DeForest was not acceptable
to Mr.. Fish. Mr.. Cromwell declares
that under the agreement Mr.. Fish
was bound to accept Mr.. DeForest and
to cast both his own and the Hartman
proxies for him.
At Wednesdays meeting Mr.. Fish
after formally being called upon by
Mr.. Cromwell to cast the proxies In
favor of DeForest, arose and declared
with great emphasis:
81 will never under any circum-
stances vote for Mr.. DeForest."
Mr.. Fish thereupon placed James
Dewitt Cutting Of New York, In nomin-
alton. He then cast a total Of 613,7OS
shares for Cutting. Mr.. Cromwell, as
a matter of record voted 2,1O0 shares
against Cutting and later cast them
for DeForest, whom he had placed in
nomination. Mr.. Cutting was there
upon declared formally elected to fill
out the unexpired time of Mr.. Grinnell
which is two years. Charles M. Beach
J. T. Harahan and Cornelius Wander
bilt, whose terms had expired, were
reelected without opposition. Mr..
Fish gave his proxies to Mr.. Harahan
despite the fact that the latter had
signed the Hartman petition in favor
Of DeForest Just before the meeting.
The issue thus being squarely drawn
whether Mr.. Fish was still bound
by the agreement or whether 1t had
been previously nullified by the &C
ton Of Mr.. Hartman and Mr.. Peabody
Mr.. Fish looked squarely at Mr.
Cromwell and again said, with empha-
sis:
Il will never cast single vote for
Mr.. DeForest."
II did not know" rejoined Mr.. Crom-
well, "but you had changed your mind
as you did on the outgoing directors.
You said when I talked with you this
morning that you did not know wheth
or you would vote for them or not"
Il am going to correct you. MI.
Cromwell" answered Mr.. Fish. rising.
Il never said any such thing. What
I did say was that I refused to discuss
the matter with you In any way"
A. this polni Henry Leman. q stoeP
holder who had seconded most Of the
routine motions during the meeting,
precipltated a sharp exchange between
himself and Mr.. Cromwell b. referring
70 the latter - nothing but q paid
attorney."
-And who are your retorted Mr..
Cromwell, facing Mr. Lsnaan. -Arena
yOu en- Attorney what capacity are
you hsre inr