Omaha daily bee., 1914-06-17
Nebraska
RALSTON'S CASE COMES UP
Hearing Before Rail Commission on
Rights at the Yards.
PUT UNDER CRoss-ExAMINATIoN
Company VIII Not Act In Capacity
of Agent for Claim Agents
Who Are Drumming Up
business.
(From a staff correspondent

tFrom STAFF correspondent
LINCOLN Neb., June l6-( -(SpecialD-
An application was made few weeks
ago by r. w Ralston OF Lexington.
claiming to be an agent Of stock ship
pers of the state. to the railway commits
sion against the Union Stock Yards
company of South Omaha that he had
been refused permission to consult the
book kept for the purpose OF determin-
ing stock receipts at the yards and the
time and loss OF stock IL any OF ship
ments.
In the hearing which came off today,
Mr.. Ralston said that both himself and
his agent. J. T. Garrett. had been de-
MED the opportunity which was granted
others to look over the book and see who
had shipped stock. He said that he held
the power OF attorney Of large number
of shippers to prosecute claims against
the railroads for losses sustained by
death or injury to stock and without that
record he could not discover which ship
ments had sustained losses.
Permission Not Asked.
On being cross-questioned by F. T.
Ransom. attorney for the Stock Yards
company, Mr.. Ralston admitted that
when denied access to the books that he
had not told the agents Of the company
that he represented stock shippers nor
had he showed his authority for such
representation, neither had he taken the
matter up with Superintendent Bucking-
ham Of the company when denied access
to the records. When asked by Mr.. Ran
som why he had not done so Mr. Ralston
said he knew it would not do any good
because he had seen Mr. buckingham and
Edison Rich, attorney for the Union Pa
ciflc Railroad company, which shipped in
the stock together several times and he
was positive they had framed Il up to
keep him away from the books
Mr.. Ralston admitted that he received no
other compensation for his work in look
ing up claims except a commission on
claims prosecuted and collected, and that
he only prosecuted claims for those from
whom he held a power OF attorney. by
dence was presented by Mr.. Hancock Of
the claim department Of the Union Pa
cific that they had paid claims prosecuted
by Mr.. Ralston in which the latter held
no power OF attorney. but which had been
brought on his own initiative.
Finding His Business.
II was shown in the hearing that while
Mr.. Ralston said he acted for shippers
he said that none OF them ever notified
him of shipments to be made and that
he had to depend upon what he could
discover on the "schute book" of the
stock yards company TO find out when
shipments had been made, and that even
the commission firms to which shipments
were made knew nothing about who the
shipments came from until after they
had been unlosded and record made to
the firm receiving the consignment
Mr.. Buckingham said at the close OF
| the hearing that the stock yards COM
pany did not propose to act in the ca
pacity Of agent for any claim sharks and
allow their records to be used TO give
these men a chance to work their game.
as the records Of the company showed all
losses and the commission firms TO which
consignments were made we're given rec
ords OF any loss. and the shipper OF the
stock could make his own showing to
the railroad company and II would he
paid without the assistance of anybody
who would get a commission for bringing
the suit.