New-York tribune., 1921-03-23
Less Than Half of Board
of Directors Present
When Action Is Taken
ON Offer of President
Hearing ON .Ali1nony
Petition Due To-day
Wife's Father Expected to
Return From France IN
Help Her Fight Charges

James A. Stillman offered his res;o-
nation as president of the National
City Bank to the board of directors
yesterday. The board unanimously re-
fused to accept it,
The news of Mr.. Stillman's intended
resignation was current in Wall Street
early in the day and the fact that the
board had refused to release him from
his post at the head of the great bank.
ing house became known through a
brief statement issued early in the
afternoon after the board had met. The
statement reads:
"At the regular meeting of the board
OF directors of the National City Bank,
held to-day, the resignation of Mr..
Stlllman as president was rendered. to
take effect Immediately, but the board
unanimously declined to accept it,"
Directors of the bank who attended
the meeting, as we'll as other officers
OF the institution, refused to comment
OH the boards action. Mr.. Stillman
did not attend the board meeting.
Despite the formal statement issued
on behalf of the board, which declared
that the rejection of Mr.. Stillman's
resignation had been unanimous, it was
definitely established later that less
than half the twenty-one members of
the body attended the meeting. Those
known to have been. present were
Nicholas F. Brady, president of the
New York Edison Company; Guy Cary,
of the law firm of Shearman g. Sterling:
Cleveland II. Dodge, of the Phelps
Dodge Corporation; John A. Gar
yer, of the law firm of Shearman &
Sterling; Joseph P. Grace, Of w. r.
Grace Co.; James H. Post, of B. H.
Howell Son & Co., and Eric P. Swenson,
of 5. M. Swenson G. Sons.
Members of the board known to have
been out of town or otherwise unable
to attend we're J: Ogden Armour, of
Armour & CO.; Earl D. Bapst, presi-
dent Of the American Sugar Refining
Company; Robert S. Lovett, chairman
OF the executive committee of the I'm
ion Pacific Railroad; Cyrus H. Nc
Cormick, Of the International Har-
vester Company; Edgar Palmer, presi-
dent Of the New Jersey Zinc Company;
William Cooper Proctor, president of
the Proctor & Gamble Company:
Percy A. Rockefeller, William Rookie
feller and Horace S. Wilkinson, chair
man of the Crucible Steel Company.
Gerrish H. Milliken, of Deering, Mill
ken Co., of New York, refused to
make a statement as to whether or not
the National City Bank for informa-
ton.
First open court revelations in the
Stillman divorce matter will be made
to-day before Supreme Court Justice
Morschauser, sitting at White Plains,
provided there is no move made at
the last moment to drop the case or
take action that will permit the hear
ings to be resumed in secret
The matter before Justice Nor
schauses is a hearing on the return, of
his order Of March E directing lawyers
for Mr.. Stlllman to show cause why
the banker should not be examined as
to his income.
According to information made avail
able late yesterday it is still quite pos
sible that the case will be discontinued
by agreement. It is also understood
that Mr.. Stillman's lawyers will not
evade the issue by admitting that Still
man is able to pay any amount of ali-
mony and counsel fees the court sees fit
to allow.
Mrs. Stillman has asked that her ali
mony be increased from $4,000 a month
to $4,000 month, and that she be
granted counsel fees of $4,000 pending
trial of the action before Daniel j. Glea-
son, as referee.
1t is considered likely that if counsel
for Stillman leave the question of
alimony and counsel fees for the court
to determine there will be no presenta-
ton of supporting documents and the
channel of open court publicity will be
blocked.
Letters May Be Produced
Should they oppose the request Of
Mrs. Stillman it will be not only by
argument but by offering affidavits, and
possibly the letter which Mrs. Stillman
is said to have written to her husband
several months before the birth of Guy
Stillman, in November, 1918. In this
she is said to have told of her friend
ship with Fred Beauvais, the CO.
Continued page eIsht)