The Washington herald., 1907-10-18

Se'eO' OSts 4fs-EAcepL IOr the slight
diversion caused by the calling and the
adjournment Of two meetings Of the stock
holders Of the Illinois Central today.
there has been no action in the Fish
Hartman fight But It mas been estab-
hshed. because Of a leak from the proxy
committee room, that the number o1 reyo-
cations Of proxies originally made to the
Hartman side and later changed 10 the
Fish side, has astonished even the stanch-
est supporters Of Mr. Fish
The proxies OF persons whose names
begin with A. B. and c, were canvassed
up 10 3 O'Clock this afternoon. In these
lists about go revocatons from Hartman
10 Fish were discovered. one OF them
was for $500 shares, and many were for
considerable blocks Of stock.
The Hartman attorneys to-day were
very busy and somewhat irritable. fudI-
eating az entire change from their man
ners and customs for the earlier part Of
the week. Mr.. Fish and his counsel. on
the other hand, continued to smile most
villainously. and TO say cheerfuIly that
they weren't making any predictions
about nothing"
Proxies for Mr. Fish.
II is known that block Of proxies
came TO Dir. Fish to-day from abroad.
amounting to something less than 5000
shares.
As soon as this news reached Mr.. Will
lam Nelson Cromwell he became very
much agilGted.
de went over 10 the reporters table
and made an announcement TO this gen
eral effect:
This whole proxy counting business
is a farce. 1t is causing great and
unnecessary delay. It is creating a
scandal about an honored and respected
property. IL is tedious; it Is costing a
great many people tiTae and money Il
should be abbreviated. My honored and
! learned friend. Judge Farrar, should take
the Harahan LIST OF proxies and I should
take the Fish list Of proxies and we
should, by stipulation, let in about 80 per
cent Of the existing proxies Then BIZ
slow analysis We should work out the
other 10 per cent, and thus finish this
whole uresomeness within an hour or
so"
To which, Judge Farrar, OF Mr. Fish's
legal force, answered:
"A unanimous stockholders vote de-
eided that the count OF proxies should
be made as II is now being done. There
can be no other method authorized by
a unanimous stockholders vote OF by
any vote Of stockholders. unless the dis
puted 2S6.0o0 shares are voted, and that
would violate the terms Of Judge Balls
Injunction"
Count Makes Slow Progress.
So the slow count is likely TO 90 on
until the end of the week. and. despite
the protests of Mr.. Cromwell and the
other Of Mr.. Harriman's counsel, that
delay is criminal, for such proxies keep
on coming in.
There was a directors meeting this
morning. Somebody awoke to the fact
that the transfer books Of the Illinois
Central Railroad were ordered by reso.
luton passed some weeks ago TO be
opened to-day.
It has been understood that these books
should open a day after the annual meet
ing. which was supposed 20 last only
a few hours
II was brought TO the attention OF the
board Of directors that under the ruling
the transfer books were oponed to-day.
and trading in Illinois Central stock was
already free in London and New York
exchanges Il was announced that il was
impractcable TO stop this trading, and on
advice Of counsel for both Mr.. Harri-
man and Mr.. Fish it was decided that
the books should be allowed TO remain
open from 10 O'Clock this morning until
o'clock this afternoon.
viii Ignore Transfers.
Tt was agreed that both sides should
ignore for the purpose of this election
any transfers registered to-day As a
matter Of fact. there have been very few.
transactions involving Illinois Central
since the books closed September "A, and
any sales Of the stock to-day would not
become effective on the transfer books
until the next day, when the books are
opeEeG.
James A. Patton, the fierce fighter OF
the Chicago wheat pit, who chased the
eminent William Nelson Cromwell I'D a
tree at yesterdays meeting got into ac-
ton again to-day, when he found how
slowly the proxy committee was working.
He moved for an adjournment until
O'Clock tomorrow morning, saying that
he and lot OF other people who were at
tending TO their own business (unlike Mr..
CROMWELL wanted to be at their offices
instead Of sitting around gossiping all day
until an adjournment was declared.
Mr.. Cromwell was busy az the moment
/ consulting Mr.. Farrar so that Mr. Hara-
han was obliged to make reply in his own
person. He said he thought that there
would be a final report from the proxy
committee at 3 o'clock this afternoon.
The fact that nobody else thought so was
| slgnifed by loud laughter. The meet
ing. nevertheless, was adjourned until
3 o'clock.
Hartman Is AfFabIe,
One OF the features of the morning ses-
sion was a marked advance by Mr.. Har-
/ rinan on the susceptibilities Of the as
Continued on Page 3, Column @.