The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1907-08-29
FISH STRIKES
HARAHAN At A
BOARD SESSION
Officials of the Illinois
Central in Personal
Encounter
ROLL ON THE FLOOR
Criticism of Management
Leads to Passing of
the Lie
DIRECTORS IN PANIC
"Stopl Stop!" Cry Wander
bilt, Goelet and Others
in Vain
DIRECTORS IN PANIC

OPCCidt " LSdSSd w Uc t0-1 ne (du
NEW YORK, Aug. 2s.-After
a meeting of the board of direct
ors of the Illinois Central railroad
had broken up in confusion today
Stuyvesant Fish, former president
of the company, and ]. T. Hara-
han, his successor, engaged in
heated alteration, which terrni-
mated in violent personal en-
counter between them. Wall
street reports circulated late in the
afternoon were to the effect that
Fish struck Harahan with his
fist and that the two men clutched
each other, stumbled over chair
and fell to the floor together before
they could be separated by their COL
leagues of the board. who were horri-
fed at the sensational conclusion.
Stuyvesant Fish is giant physically.
He stands several inches more than six
feet in height, tips the beam probably
at 22o pounds without carrying any
supernuous flesh, and prides himself
upon his physical prowess.
Harahan, who succeeded Fish in the
presidency of the Illinois Central when
the latter had been ousted after an in
cumbency of many years duration. is
somewhat smaller man physically
though he could probably weigh in.
at 100 pounds, and his broad shoulders
suggest plenty OF muscular power and
vitality.
FISH ARRAIGNs MANAGEMENT
1t was the regular monthly meeting
of the directorate of the Illinois Cen
trail that brought together at noon to-
day nine members of the board in the
offices of the company. Those who at
tended were James T. Harahan. Stuy-
vesant Fish, Cornelius Vanderbilt Rob-
ert w. Goelet. Charles A. Peabody.
Alexander e. S. Hackstaff, Charles NJ
Beach, Walter Luttgen and James De-
wolf Cutting.
Certain routine business was sum
marily disposed of and then Fish pro
duced a formidable typewriter docu-
ment and proceeded to read it's severe
criticisms of the present management
of the road. The paper arraigned Hara-
han in rather harsh terms.
Probably thinking to relieve the ten
sion. which was becoming acute, Robert
w. Goelet interrupted Fish's reading to
move an adjournment of the meeting.
Fish protested that the attempt to force
an adjournment was outrageous.
You cannot DO that here" he cried,
shaking his long, bony finger at Hara-
han. This is not Russia and des-
potism Will not be tolerated"
Fish stood gIowering at the presi-
dent of the road, and several directors
who are friendly to the Hartman
Harahan faction took up their hats and
left the room. Pointing to the retreat
ing figures of Peabody and Others Fish
turned full upon Harahan and cried:
They have you in tlreir power and
you know it. You are only their niser
able tool
"LIAR!- CRIES HARAHAN
Harahan turned white with anger,
rose and faced the towering form of
Fish. and retorted:
ANY man who says that I am the
tool of another is a liar"
! Harahan's own account of what fol-
lowed. as he reported It. afterward to
one of his board colleagues who had
been among the first to make an exit
was to the effect that Fish lcaped
across the head of the board table
seized Harahan aggressively by the
neck and shoulders and shook him as a
terrier shakes a rat.
Harahan made what defense he could
and the two men, in clinch. lurched
about the board room until some of the
EOuffDUed an Paue q. Column