The Kemper herald. (Scooba, Miss.) 1875-1908, 1907-12-19
FISH CUNNING
FOR HARTMAN
Promises to Do Things to Big Rail-
road Boss If He Gets Control.
A MORAL OBLIGATION
Strenuous Contest for Upper Hand In Con-
troll of Illinois Central Will Soon
Reach the Climax.

A0dCn tue NLmaA.
'If l obtain majority of proxies
to be voted at tie annual meeting OF
the Illinois Central Railroad company.
l shall depose Edward H. Hartman
as a director" declared Stuyvesant
Fish in an afidavit filed before the SUI
perior court in Chicago Friday.
Mr.. Fish reiterated the statement
that Hartman is seeking control of
the Illinois Central in the interest Of
the Union Pacific.
Mr.. Fish, in his affidavit, which Is
reply to that filed Thursday In the
name of Mr.. Hartman and other d.
rectors of the Illinois Central, declared
that he has been a benefactor Of j.
T. Harahan, now president of the Illi-
nois Central. He asserts that he
saved Harahan from dismissal several
years ago when Hartman and George
A. Peabody declared that Harahan had
outlived his usefulness to the COM
pany.
Mr.. Fish fCts forth that there was
perfect harmony in the railroad COM
pany until the winter Of 904-05, when
Hartman and Peabody sought estab-
lishment of an executive committee
to which discretionary powers were
to be delegated. He declares in the
affidavit that he incurred additional
enmity when he refused to become a
party to a report whitewashing the Of
ficials OF the Mutual Life Insurance
company.
The assertion is also made that Har-
riman and Peabody broke faith with
Fish in 1906, when they agreed that a
man independent of any faction was to
be elected to the directorate to fill
the vacancy caused by the death of
William Morton Grinnell. Hartman,
he says. attempted to secure the cleo
ton of Henry w. DeForrest. an at
tornsy of Mr. HarIiman's, who was
also a director of the Southern Pa
wife, which is dominated by the I'm.
ion Pacific.
Mr.. Fish declares in his affidavit that
since 1877 it has been the custom of
the railroad to loan its idle funds
to officers of or directors of the rail
road or to firms OF which they are
members, or to corporations of which
they are officers.
Mr. Fish insists in his afidavit that
Hartman and Peabody were among
those who took advantage of the Gus.
tom Of the company in loaning these
funds. He declares that all of his loans
were recorded on the books of the
company and that the collateral was
good and sufficient. Referring to the
loan Of $4,000 to the Trust company
of the Republic, Mr.. Fish asserts that
It was good, but that in the panic OF
1908 the collateral deprecated. OF
the total amount $4,000 has been paid
and that the company will lose moth
ing.
Mr.. Fish charges that the accusa.
tions of mismanagement made against
him are untrue. He admits being a
director OF the Missouri Pacific rail-
road, which is to him competitor OF
the Illinois Central, but says that the
charges that he desires domination
over the affairs of the Illinois Central
far the benent of the Missouri Pacific
are false and slanderous.
In the affidavit made by Mr.. Fish the
following is included:
TT is true that If l obtain a major
ity Of the proxies | propose to put
Hartman off the board of directors
OF the Illinois Central. have pledged
myself to do this, and l deem it my
duty to do so, both in the interests OF
lsnRself as holder of 2,462 shares OF
ye0ck, in the interest of the patrons
OF the road, OF the people of Illinois
and of the United States, and to whom
the removal of such an individual as
Hartman is shown to be by the inter.
state commerce commission report, No
942, would be welcome sign of re.
turning morality in the management oil
the great corporations OF the coun.
try"