Weekly Arizona journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1903-1908, 1907-12-18
FISH HARTMAN FIGHT STATUS.

StuyNtsant flsh dits nafl' Last
week he appeared in court. through his
attorneys, asking Judge Ball, of the
superior bench. in Chicago, to consirue
the restraining order issued October
Is, which inhibited certain shares of
Illinois Central stock from being voted.
but when the defendants in interest,
mainly the Union Pacific Railroad com
pany and the Railroa Securities,
claim was set aside by the modifying
order of October -. Mr.. Fish con.
tends that the original order applies 10
the meeting % December Is, and that
the en- joined stock cannot Ice voted.
unless the court dissolvos the iniunc.
ton. ON the decision of Judge Ball
the fate of the former president Of the
Illinois Central nangs. If the stock is
allowed To be- voted ut the adjourned
meeting of the stockholders, next
Wednesday, his chances to be returned
20 the ircctoratc of the road will have
gone aglimmcring.
II is interesting to recall III, raison
d'etre Of this now celebrated fight he
tween Stuyvesant Fish, the dcposcd
president of the road, and Edward II.
Hartman, its controlling genius. Mr.
Fish alleges that the present manage
ment of the Illinois Central is domi
sated by Union Pacific interests, and
it's Illinois Central stock. on the ground
its Illinois Central took, on the ground
thal, the law of Illinois forbids one
company from voting the stock Of an
otihr. This IL the cruS of his conten-
ton. In rcbuttai. the Hartman fol
lowing points out that Mr.. Fish, while
president of the Illinois Central pur.
chased, for that road, control of the
Yasob and Mississippi River Valley
rosd, and for many years voted its
stock. In the same way, he purchased
the indianapolis Southern road, and
put out siO,OoO,O0O Of its securities.
This purchase has turnel out to be q
financial burden, which the Illinois
Central may have to carry for many
years before II gets any returns. In
connection with these transactions, il
IN asked; "Does what Mr.. Fish
charges To be a crime, when done by r.
II. Hartman, become n virtue when
transacted by Stuyvcsant Fish,"
But that is merely n side issue. Mr..
Fish has complained That he has been
subjected to Islander and vituperation
by his opponents, in their efforts TO
defeat tho side he champions. He does
not specify, but, perhaps, he refers to
the statement Of reasons given by eight
Of the directors, who voted to dcposc
him from the presidency. Briny, these
are, First, that, as the executive head,
he assumed the role of the autocrlt.
ignored the board of directors, acted
in disregard of its Judgment, and in.
dcpeudently Of its authority, to the
'letriment Of the eompany's interests.
More serious in the second charge,
towit, that Mr.. Fish loaned himself
large sums of Illinois Central money,
from time to time, until, in 1908, they
reached n total of 81 100000, and the
collateral originally securing the loans
was charged, and other, and unmar.
Reliable collateral substituted therefor
by Mr.. Fish, without the knowledge or
consent of the board. An invcstiga
ton made by the auditing committee
showed this collateral, il IN asserted. to
be, in large part, unmarketablc, and
inadequate Mr.. George Killcn, the
most accurate, as he IL the most con.
SENTATIVE writer on ralrond matters in
Chicago. asserts, in the Evening Post
of that city, that
"Mr Fish is onargod further with
making other and similar loans to In
tcrcsts with which he was identified
aud Ia his own relatives. On top Of "A
loan of 100000 to the Trust Company
Of the Republic. of which he was di
rector aud nf which his kinsmtN wna