The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-26
A FIGHT FOR LIFE.
Independent Telephone Men Are
Making Ready.
Feel the Force of the Bell
Monopoly.
ON NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Claimed Bell Is Preparing to
Buy Up Rivals.
Attention of Officers Called to
Proposed Merger.

st. Louis, Nov. ga determined ef-
fort on the part of minority stockhold-
ers of the United States Telephone
company and similar concerns in To-
ledo. Indianapolis and Cleveland to pre-
vent what they believe to be an at
tempt by the American Telegraph and
Telephone company to gain control of
these so-called independent lines,
was presaged by an announcement
made here by Sam B. Jeffries, an at
torney.
According to Mr.. Jeffries the Ameri-
can Telegraph and Telephone company
probably has obtained control of a ma
jority of the shares of the otner cor
porations. But under voting trust
agreement. he says, the Independent
companies are prohibited from merging
with any other corporation. unless 80
per cent OF the holders of trust certifi-
Gates vote to the contrary. The certifi-
Gates are held by trust companies of
st. Louis and Cleveland. and these lat
ter concerns have been Joined as de-
PENDANTS in Injunction suits instituted
by the minority stockholders in the two
cities. The object of these suits is to
prevent the dissolution of the trust
agreement.
Would Show Up Control.
NIL JCllIlGS dIUOullCSu IIdL ne Will
apply to the ST. Louis circuit court for
the appointment of a commissioner to
take the testimony of George w. Per-
kins, a member of the banking house of
J. Pierpont Morgan.
Theodore Vail president of the Amer
lean Telegraph and Telephone COM
pany; w. r. Day, Edward Hall. Uni
ted States Senator Murray Crane of
Massachusetts, representatives of the
New York banking firm of Harvey Fisk
& Sons, and others identified with the
new telephone and telegraph merger,
also may be summoned.
The testimony of these men, according
to Mr.. Jeffries, is expected to show that
company has obtained control of the four
Independent companies which operate
chiefly in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, and
connect at Indianapolis with the long
distance service of the Kinloch Telephone
company at ST. Louis.
Mr.. Jeffries Is preparing communica-
ton to the attorney general of Ohio, call
ing attention to the alleged merger and
asking that proceedings be filed against
The American Telephone and Telegraph
company under the laws of that state.
Bell Got Trust Stock
I'VE have already aseertained that Wall
street brokers have been Quietly buying
the voting certificatesgof the independent
sippi valley trust c6fa 4l5aa of St Louis
tees for the stockholders, and they have
been joined as defendants in the injunc-
ton proceedings"
Mr.. Jeffries referred to dispositions of Pc
ter Doerr, cashier of the Lafayette bank
A. II. Bauer. a st. Louis broker, and J.
Vierling. of the trust department of the
Mississippi Valley Trust company. regard
ing the sale of voting certificates of the
United States Telephone company.
This testimony, taken before Special
Commissioner Bates, showed. that certifi-
Gates representing 1,090 shares of the stock
of the United states Telephone company
!, i 20 d O.
of New York, representatives of the
American Telegraph and Telephone COM
pany, and that another lot of 1.375 shares
held by Doerr was delivered to James
Bradley in New York.
Doerr declares that he could not remem-
Der at which office in New York he de-
livered the stock to Bradley.