The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-16

itors in the suits against the railroad companies.
 E Of Wide Interst
 The concensus of opinion here yester- day on the part of attorneys was that the case would be watched with interest not only in American legal circles, but in other parts of the world. The wide at tention directed to the sensational failure of the cotton firm in Decatur has placed that incident in the south among the most widely discussed affairs that ever occurred in the country.
 While the complaint filed in the suits leaves no loophole for doubt as to the meaning of the charges and allegations. the general opinion among railr2ad men and others who watched the hearing of creditors here last summer is that the agents of the railroads at Decatur knew little or nothing of the alleged fraudu- lent bills of lading.
 It Is recalled that the agents of the Southern and Louisville and Nashville swore before Referee Jere Murphy that their names were forged to the bills of lading shown them, and that the hand writing was not like the chirography of any of their authorized clerks or em- ployes.
 Notwithstanding this the eminence of the firm of lawyers bringing the suits leaves the weighty impression that some trace must have been followed to the rail- road companies through some obscure source, else they would never have pre- cipitated such @ legal battle.
 Col. John P. Tillman, who, with his firm, Tillman, Bradley & Morrow, rep resent the Louisville and Nashville, said he did not think the local agent at De- catur knew of the forgerles, but added:
 MT. TiIIman Talks
 T cannot give a complete or concise opinion of the complaint until I have an- alyzed it thoroughly. I do not believe Percy Benners & Burr would bring such an unusual suit without having some grounds believed by them to be pretty safe and sound. I was present, however, at the examination of the railroad agents at the hearing. before Referee Murphy and no one can doubt the truthfulness of their evidence before that court. The Louisville and Nashville agent was shown bills of lading which were reputed to bear his signature. He unhesitatingly de- nounced them as forgeries, and swore he aid not know how his name came upon them. It would have been comparatively an easy matter for our agent at Decatur to have Known absolutely nothing about the forged bills, and I do not believe he did.
 My opinion Is that no authorized re- ceiving agent at Decatur knew of the alleged wrongful methods being pursued by Knight. Yancey & Go. However, there are some good grounds for the suits else Percy, Benners & Burr would not have started the Allegations. Further than this I do not care to make any comment at this time.
 "The suits were filed out of the jurisdic- ton of our firm, so we are not engaged in defending them. Judge Eyster of De- catur is the Louisville and Nashville at- torney in that jurisdiction."
 Railroads Interested
 The defendant railroads have been in- terested in the case since the failure of Knight, Yancey X Go. Their special agents have been busy for several months gathering information and data on the cases. Since the hearing here before Referee Murphy wherein small hints were made toward the common carriers, special agents have been trailing every clue looking to the solution of the case for the railroad interests.
 The action of the government in indict- ing John w. Knight of Decatur and oth- CT features of the case place the Knight Yancey failure in an unusual aspect in this country.
 ? The government action was taken by Postoffice Inspectors Dilts and Keys after they investigated the sensational failure for over four months. They traced every possible clue, 1t is stated, and finally presented their evidence to the department of justice in November. Thereupon the grand jury at Huntsville returned an indictment against John w. Knight, and he was subsequently, arr rested.
 The firm of Knight Yancey & Go. was composed of John w. Knight. w. D. Nes- bitt of Birmingham, w. J. Yancey of Memphis and others They had been in the cotton business at Decatur for sev- eraI years, and in the complaints it is charged that fake bills were issued over Q ner1od cf Ava veara