The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1915-06-29
A BIG CASE UP
IN j. s. COURT
ON ST. SIMON
Judge Speer Hearing J. B. White
& Company Case From
Augusta.
SEVERAL LAWYERS PRESENT
Augusta Store One of the Chain
of Claflin Company, New
York--Hearing for Settlement
Will Be Continued Today.

The United States court for the
southern district of Georgia was again
in session at the dancing pavilion of
the New Hotel St. Simon yesterday
morning. Again the usual scene of
beauty, where gay feet trip the light
reigns supreme, gave way to a battle
royal in the art forensic and able law
yer battle with able lawyer, while the
distinguished Judge held evenly the
scales of balance as between the con-
tending parties in a litigation in which
of ]. B. White & Company Of Augusta,
bankrupts, branch of the famous II.
b. Claflin & Company failure of New
York, which broke all records when it
crashed last year for forty million dol
lars, taking with it some 23 other sub
sidiary concerns in which the Claflin
company was interested.
The feature of the case heard by
Judge Speer at st. Simon yesterday
morning was a motion for compost
tion, the White company agreeing to
pay all creditors 35 per cent of their
claims, twenty cents in cash and the
remainder in notes endorsed by the
Mercantile Stores corporation, new
ly-created company a which has pur-
chased the holdings of H. B. Claflin
and which is to succeed it in the bus
mess world in the future. The hearing
brought quite an array of lawyers, par
ties, etc, to the island Among the
attorneys are p. G.. O'Gorman, Benja-
min Pierce, WI. X. Miller and James
S. Bussey, Jr., all of Augusta, repre-
senting the objecting creditors, the
Augusta Mattress company and the
Hoosier Manufacturing company to
the composition offered; William H.
Fleming of Augusta, and Joseph Hart.
field of White & Case, of New York.,
representing the bankrupt, the interest
of B. B. Claflin & Company, and the
traustee, F. P. Gracey of Augusta, who
also is here.
1t developed that there is quite a
spirited fight on over the question of
the confirmation of the composition
suggested, which in a measure seems
to hinge on the question as to whether
or not the firm of ]. B. White & Com
pany and H. b. Claflin & Company are
one and the same.
1t was shown that the White COM
pany was owned completely by the
Claflin company and that when the lat
ter became involved in financial trou-
bles last summer, notes of the White
company were taken by the Claflin
people to liquidate some of their trou-
bles and were scattered all over the
country.
This it seems forced the White COM
at that time manager for the J. B.
Whitec ompany, was made receiver
and later trustee in bankruptcy by
the referee in bankruptcy at Augusta.
Talks were made yesterday morning
for the composition plan by Messrs.
Fleming and fairfield and against it
by Messrs. O'Gorman, Pierce and Mil
Ter. Judge Speer seems to be deeply
interested in the case and followed the
attorneys very closely. However, the
hearing was not concluded at 1 o'clock,
when Judge Speer recessed the court
until 9 o'clock this morning, when the
hearing will be resumed.
1t is contemplated to reorganize the
Claflin company, the Mercantile Stores
corporation of New York having been
formed for that purpose. The other
% stores involved, it is understood,
have all agreed to similar compositions
and it is believed the plan now on foot
will succeed
Several other cases are to be heard
by Judge Speer during the week,
among them comes up on Friday a
hearing for final decree in the Yaryan
case.
Judge Speer is enjoying his stay at
the island and is in splendid health
and is constantly the center of group
of admiring friends.