The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-31
HARTMAN SETS RUMORS AT REST Urged By Newspaper Men the Magnate Issues Statement HIS ILLNESS NOT SERIOUS MT. Hartman States Matters Frankly and Says He Is Not in Danger
 and Financial World
 Is Relieved.
HIS ILLNESS NOT SERIOUS

Arden N. Y, August So.-Edward H.
 Hartman, urged by weary representa-
 tives of the press who have camped
 about his mountain home since Wednes-
 day last, came out today with state
 ment that he was all right. Though
 brief. the statement is straigh I'd
 and explicit, with perhaps touch of
 patient resentment at the surveillance
 to which he has been subjected and a
 request that reporters withdraw, not so
 much for his sake. but for his friends,
 who have been intercepted daily com ing to and from his residence by zeal
 ous interviewers eager for the latest bit of information. It concludes thus fankly:
 "If there should be anything serious, I will let the press know, and as
 have never deceived them, l ask tn at
 the press now withdrew it's representa-
 tives and rely on me-
 The message was so characteristic of
 Mr. Harriman's affable attitude to
 newspaper representatives, an attitude
 which was marked when he under
 went the strain of a lengthy interview
 on the day of his return, that most of
 the men who have been here during
 the scare over his illness, returned to New York tonight, relying on his word.
 The general opinion is that Mr. liar
 riman would have broken his silence
 long ere now had he realized how his continued silence, and that of his fam fly and associates bred wild and sen sational rumors.
 It was by impressing this upon Mir. Hartman that the statement was ob- tained today. The newspaper repre- sentatives held a conference, drew up a
 letter and sent it to the Arden house by special delivery this morning. It | read as follows:
 Newspaper Mems Note. Owing to the sensational stories from irresponsible sources, we ask that you issue an authoritative statement in regard to your physical condition. Nothing but that can refute these alarmist reports.
 "One story says that an operation was performed on you on Friday, and
 that today is the first day you have been outside since Friday" MT. Hartman evidently decided to act soon after the receipt of the let ter for at o'clock this afternoon Su- perintendent Ford of the estate brought his employers answer down from the | house.
 The statement which had been made public in New York earlier in the aft | ernoon, was written on a sheet of Arden House stationery. Miss Mary Hartman, the railroad mans daughter, wrote it at his dictation, but across the top of the first page MT. Hartman had written 1 this message with his own hand: "Gentlemen: Thanks for your letter of today. The statement below was made ,, by me over the telephone today and pub lished. You see it covers the whole sub 1 ject. Believe me. yours sincerely, ''E. H. HARTMAN" In the statement MT. Hartman ad- mitted that there was a consultation be- tween specialists at his house, but they decided that there was nothing serious the matter with him. He did not men, tion the possibility of an operation With
 
 York stock market settled itself and
 advances were general. The general eff feet on the Hartman stocks was, of course, most apparent, and there was a buoyant tendency everywhere manifested. Residents hereabout received the state ment with qualification, for many of
 them, despite private information of a reassuring nature, feared that their
 prominent neighbor was in a critical con- dition.
 Harriman's Statement.
 Following is the statement dictated by MT Hartman:
 "I am pursuing the course laid out be- fore I went abroad and was advised by the physicians. I intended taking a rest as soon as my responsibilities would per nit My treatment abroad reduced my strength and vitality and weakened my digestion.
 "The most expert physicians in Munich advised me to have an examination by surgeons as a matter of precaution. This has been done very carefully by Drs Brewer and Crite in conjunction with Dr. Walton James and Dr. Lyle, and the whole result is that they find nothing serious and renew the advice previously obtained, that l should rest and not see many people at any one time, and this I am trying to do.
 '"This covers the whole case and later on if the representatives of the press desire and If there is any purpose to be accomplished I will see them up here but now ask the surveillance of the operat tions of my home be withdrawn
 not so much on account of my family or
 myself but that the coming and going of any friends may not be interfered with
 "I appreciate the interest shown in my
 welfare by the press and by the friends in all sections and perhaps by some others If there was or should be any thing serious I will let the press know, and as I have never deceived them ask that the press now withdraw it's representatives and rely upon me- Posse Is Chasing Negro. Raleigh, N. C.. August 3o.--An attempt