The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-04
Ey-President Headed Special
Board i'm Charge of the
Westchester Deal. Says
Mr.. Elton.

WhsuINuroS. June 1.-Two OF the !
road. James S. Elton OF Waterbury.
Conn. and william skinner OF Holyoke.
Mass. were heard by the Interstate
Commerce Commission to-day and their
testimony con;radicted that OF Charles
:. Mclien In several particulars.
The appearance of these directors in
the witness chair was the first oppor-
tunity the committee had had to check
up on Mr.. Me.len's statements and to-
days developments tended to deface the
picture Of martyrdom which Mr.. Mel
len had drawn OF himself.
Instead OF complete domination by the
late J. i. Morgan. as Mr.. Mellen as
serted. to-day's testimony showed that
the former president Of the New Haven
road himself was in many instances the
commanding figure.
Mr.. Elton described Mr.. Melien as
the dominating figure In the board OF
directors" He acknowledged too, that
he had placed great dependence upon
! Mr.. Mel!ens statements in the matter
of the purchase OF the Wcstchester, the
responsibility for which Mr.. Meilen had
laid on the shoulders OF the late Mr..
Morgan and William Rockefeller.
| "Mellen was ambitious and lost his
head" was Mr.. Elton's comment on the
/ troubles of the New Haven.
Cromwell After Mellon
william Nelson Cromwell appeared ut
| the hearing as counsel for Mr.. Elton
and Mr.. Skinner and announced that he
would show Mr. Mellen presided at
| meetings of the New Haven boards
special committee. which had charge OF
the acquiring OF the westchester road.
Mr.. Mellen has complained that he could
not obtain the details Of this transaction
| from the late Mr.. Morgan.
Mr.. Elton said he was 10 years old and
had been a director OF the New Haven
since 1905. He was present al the meet
| ing OF the directors when Messrs Morgan,
Rockefeller and Miller were appointed =
committee to look into the westchester
property.
Were you present when this committee
said IL had spent 81 100000 on this West
chester enterprise asked Solicitor Folk.
Yes" replied Mr.. Elton, IL think 80"
| What was your opinion Of exchanging
| sii 100000 OF New Haven money for the
! Westchester?"
1T seemed 10 me at the time II was a
large sum. | would not say II was I'M
necessarily large. II was extravagant."
Mr.. Elton said that he did nothing at
| the meeting to indicate his surprise. that
he had every confidence In Messrs. Nor
, gan, Rockefeller and Miller.
q, You did not think IL was UP TO you
to question the word Of the great Nor
gan"Y A. No.
Melien Ruled Board.
| @. Who was the dominating figure In
the board OF directors? A. Mr.. Mellen.
Q. How about Mr.. Morgan? A. He was
very apt to carry the board.
Q. Usually the board of directors would
acquiesce In any sugg estion made by Mr..
Morsan? A. Yes.
q. Would the directors after Mr. Nor
gan left the meeting raise objections that
they failed to make when he was present.
A oh. yes, among thea selves.
Q. What would they say? a. I could
not undertake to say what they would
say. Some would scold
y. lf you had IL to do over again would
you sit silently by and let a deal like that
be put over? A. don't think would.
Q. Was there any statement made by
Mr.. Morgan as to the value OF these Sc
curiti.s that had been acquired for sI1,-
100000? A. Not that remember. There
may have been.
Mr.. Elton said he was on the board OF
directors in 1906 when the Rhode Island
trolleys were acquired by the New Haven
q. Do YOU recall that about $40. 900. 900
was paid for the Rhode Island trolleys.
valued at about 100000? A. recall
that several OF US thought II was a pretty
big price to pay for the trolleys.
q. What did you do toward expressing
your disapproval? A. We probably ex-
pressed our disapproval and did not vote
against II. II We did vote against II
We did not insist on having our votes
recorded.
Confidence I'm Nellen.
q. Can you say why you expressed
your disapproval and then did not vote
against II? A. / did not know enough
about II to undertake TO have my opinion
carried One time had explicit conf