The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1923-11-21
Continued From Last Week.
"FishOoks'' in Contract

"FishOOkS" in Contract
Meanwhile E. P. Farley, Mr.. Las
ker's present chairman of the board,
and Commissioner Plummer, of the
board, had been delegated to handle
the New York Ship Construction &
Trading Company's bid-but Freund
now succeeded Commissioner Plum
mer in the negotiations.
During the interim two wealthy
Jews of San Francisco, the Messers.
Fleischhacker, of The Anglo-London-
Paris Bank and the Anglo-C California
Trust Company-about whom more
will later be related-began to want
those wooden ships. Evidently their
private advices did not agree with
Lasker's much-heralded declarations
that the wooden ships "are absolutely
worthless
So the New York Ship Construction
& Trading Company found Mr.. Far
ley and Mr.. Freund "out of town"
whenever they sought to close up
their deal. This condition obtained
for eight or nine days. Then MIR.
Lasker and Elmer Schlesinger,
another Hebrew lawyer of parts
from Chicago, Lasker's personal at
torney for years, apparently consult
ed. 1t was limited, It's said, to M. S
Ortiz, attorney for the bidders, that
Messrs. Fleischacker, of San Fran
cisco, wanted half the ships and that
matters would be greatly expedited
if the New York Ship Construction
& Trading Company would let thu
Fleischhackers have half the wooder
fleet at, say, $2,4OO each for the
ships.
Orth consented, apparently seeing
any other course in the matter futile
-whereupon Mr.. Lasker is said Il
have dictated kilograms to Farley ant
Freund to "come back" because tn
matter had been satisfactorily adjust
ed. They came back "into town
right away.
On August 18 the Shipping Boar
received another bid through Laske
at least he is said to have delivere
it to the board-although the biddin
on the ships had been closed and of
fers opened July 80, and although
bid had been accepted, properly eel
titled, and delivered to the success
full bidder.
When Nh. Lasker and Nh. SchleS
niger started to have the board az
favorably on the new bid, which wa
for $1,000 a ship, and was frol
Fleischhacker agents-Commissione
Plummer and some other member
of the board raised a row. The shiI
e sold and the board had rattle
the sale, said they.
Whereupon Mr.. Lasker and M
S~chlesinger, consistent with go'
business methods" declared, it is sal
that the contract could be filled
full of "fishhooks' the New Yol
Ship Construction & Trading Coz
pany could not carry it out.
A complaint in a later suit alleg
that Mr.. Lasker sent a telegram
San Francisco for certain agents
come on East Immediately.
Several contracts had been preps
ed by Mr.. Freund-each filled WI
~"fishhooks," Orth alleges in his col
plant, and presented the New 70
Ship Construction & Trading Co
pany to sign. These were refus
on the ground they did not even
motley resemble the advertised &C
ditions of sale and the bid accept
by the Shipping Board. So Oh
threatened suit.
Suddenly, on August 10, t
board passed another resolution
recting that a contract-hxed up
Lasker, Schlesinger and Freund-
gether with a form of bond, be p
sented the New York Ship Constr
ton & Trading Company to s
without change" and to be return
to the board by 10 o'clock a.