New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-05-29
He Tells How Ship Prop
critics Were Juggled
Into N. H. System.
LAYS MYSTERIOUS
TRADES TO ROBBINS
Yale and Harvard Boats Centre
of Fight-Competition Lost
in Struggle.

New Haven. Conn.,, May 2S.-hoW
the steamship properties of Charles w.
Morse. struggling through the receiV-
erships brought on by the 1901 panic
found their way by devious courses
into the asset lists OF the New Haven
svstem's subsidiary companies whlie
the convicted fnancier was in Atian'a
penitentiary, and how monopoly oi
New England water traffic was ac-
ouired without any actual purchase ol
a connection. we're reluctantly revealed
here to-day by Charles S. Melien' the
deposed president of the railroad en-
pire he built up.
Mellen. soaring no signs of the ordeal
before the Interstate Commerce Com
mission in Washington; at times sndVe
and treating the situation with disnity'
at other times discussing the ways OF
Providence and the inscrutabillty ot
the railroads general counsel. +. ID.
Robbins; sometimes dryly humorous
and again sharply criticising the dila-
tory conduct of lawyers in general
drew a weird picture of the methods
bv which the New Haven's corporate
mazes were constructed.
Mellen Amazed by Details.
While admitting at one time that the
properties which Jennie r. Morse.
Charles w. Morses sister. claims were
unlawfully obtained. finally came un-
der the control of the New Haven, IN
the same breath he described himself
as "paralyzed at the marching ana
countermarching of the countless de-
tails of subsidiaries" and said he he'd
"a kind of curiosity in trying 10 find
out the answer TO the puzzle"
But every time he would try TO fol-
low a line TO its conclusion he ran into
"cul- -de-sac," and even his own subor-
dinates were unable, apparently, to en-
tighten him where the New Haven
millions went or just how they were
used.
Despite his protests at the publicity
he has been getting Mellen seemed TO
enjoy his position in the centre OF at
tention. Around him were arrayed
counsel for various interests. Martin
w. Littleton and Conover English rep
resented Miss Morse in her suit against
the Metropolitan Steamship Company,
of New Jersey. for a receivership and
an accounting. T.. ID. Robbins was
there for the New Haven, Frederick j.
Faulks and Douglas Nicholson for the
steamship company, and Waldron NJ.
Ward, of New Jersey, appeared to pro-
tect the rights of the Pacific Naviga
ton Company, which leased the Yale
and the Harvard, the two flyers IF
the steamship line Morse placed in op-
Grafton to compete against the New
Haven, and which are now on the Pa
cific Coast.
II is around the two college boats"
that the plot of the acquisition Of the
Morse properties revolves.
/ Mellcn, as a matter of form, was ac-
companied by j. w. II. Grim. his per-
sonal counsel. But the former prcsi-
dent disclaimed the need OF personal
counsel, and jokingly referred 10 him
as his criminal counsel"
Another Factor in Case.
And in addition to the interests men
toned there appeared one Warren ID.
Chase. of Hartford, who announced
that nc was in reality owner of all but
100000 Of the stock of the Metropoli-
tan Steamship Company Of New Jer-
sey. But that didn't clear up the mys-
terry, for he added that he got his in
terest through the Chilmark Company,
organized by Douglas Nicholson.
Mr.. Mellen was first taken through
a course Of general denial by Mr..
Faulks. The New Haven company, he
insisted, never was interested 10 the
| extent Of a dollar in the Metropolitan
/ company of New Jersey; that none of
the subsidiaries directly or indirectly
we're so interested; that the various
paper corporations, the New England
Securities Company, the Chilmark
1 Company. the Eastern Securities Com
pany, he had never heard OF until ne
had read OF them in connection with
the present case.
The railroad man then told of the
first negotiations begun by Charles w.
Morse, Just before he went to the
Tombs, to try TO sell the Yale and Har-
ward TO the New Haven. After that he
met one Captain Goodall. of San Fran
cisco. and Thomas b. McGovern. OF the
Pacific Northwest who were anxious
TO get the Yale and Harvard but could
moi afford TO handle the valuable wharf
rights in Boston and the fleet of freight
steamers of the Metropolitan Line and
wished the New Haven to take these
properties.
Melen placed this proposal before
Mr. Robbins and Lewis Cass Ledyard,
who is a director of the road. Both
disapproved ii. feeling that legal COM
plications might ensue, and so, Mr..
Meilen said. he dropped" the matter
from his mind.
IL was when Mr.. Mellen was cross
examined by Mr. Littleton later that
he confessed ignorance of how the
wharf rights and the freight ships Of