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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Herald, 1909-07-09, Page 3PURCHASES:OF... tl�^ANK STOCK. Further "Evidence IS Given by • Charles McGill. Makes Further Statements as to Transfers. .Putting Former Manager on List of Contributories. Toronto despatch: For two hours yes- sterday morning in the office of the Royal `.frust Company,. Chas. McGill gave evi- dence before Official Referee Kappele regarding the 1,713 shares of stock which appear in his name on the list of con- tributories having looked through ledgers .and stock transfer books of the Ontario Bank, of which he was general man- ager. Having familiarized himself and refreshed his memory upon some facts that were not clear to him, McGill was on hand, at IeLr. Eappele's office at 11 o'clock. Mr. James -]Bicknell, K. C., who appears on behalf of, the liquidators of the bank, resumed his cross-examina- tion of McGill. DIRECTORS • LOOK OVER TRANSFERS. r"With reference to these transfers made twice a year to various parties, what part, if any, did the directors take In having those transfers made?" began Mr: ,Bicknell "I cannot connect the transfers with any particular event. Certain directors took • them over for that purpose, knowing the purpose for 'which they tools them over," "On Dec. 1, 1903, 400 shares were taken over by Charles McGill and R. Hall, as trustees. What authority did you have for this transaction?" "None officially, but it was discussed with the directors." "Who is Mr. Hall?" "He belongs to Peterboro." "Who were you two men acting for?" "For the Ontario Bank. Before I came to Toronto we were joint trustees in a dozen different trusts. We had fre- quent conferences, but they practically ceased after I came to Toronto." "How did you come to use his name without his permission?" LARGE DEBTORS OF THE BANK. "His firm were large debtors to the bank." "Who gave you authority to transfer twenty-five shares to Mr. J. B. Miller on Dec. 31, 1903? Had you any author- ity from the board?" "If the directo were About I: would tell them what las doin''gr'. • "You have .told us that powers of at- torney were given to you by Messrs. Perry, Mackay and, Irving, directors of the bank." "That part.of the business was looked after by Mr. J. G. Langton." "In 1903 there was a buying wave on the Ontario Banlc stock4" "There were some of the directors who were annoyed at the rapid selling of the stock." MR. COCKBURN WAS ANNOYED. "Who were annoyed?" "Annoyance for the most part was expressed by Mr. G. R. R. Cockburn. He would discuss the matter after the meeting of directors." "Can you give specific instances of where directors were annoyed because the public were buying the stock?" "The directors were afraid that Sen- ator Cox andother banking institutions were trying to get control of the stock." "What about the stock carried by Ames ?" "I could not understand why he was buying so freely at the time. Prior to the. failure of the Ames company, the .Weeetors asked me how much stock he held, but I told him it was very hard to find out because the stock was :distributed between various financial in- stitutions through Canada, which had .advanced money to Ames upon the secur- ity of the shares." MIGHT FORCE STOCK ON MARKET "112y impression was that he was . oarrying about $300,000 worth of stock, .and I told the board that, it had better crake some arrangement for the carry- ilug of the stook, because it might .be rorced upon the market at anmo- ment."y "What about the subscription to the new issue of stock on Oct. 1st, 1900, when the officers' guarantee fund by Charles McGill subscribed for fifty .shares of the issue, which was then be- ing offered to shareholders?" "1 cannot just recall what happened, 'because I was not permitted to make . a record In the minutes of the conversa- tion " that took place at these meet- ings." "Here Mr, Bicknell made some inquir- ies regarding the new issue of stook in-' .'January 15th, 1902, to the extent of $250,000. "What authority had you to buy . $125,000 of this issue?" Looking over the transfer books, I117r.. McGill replied: "Of course, the di- rectors knew that Lord Strathcona and Sir William Macdonald, to whom the ]steak had aparently been transferred, had never bought it, at the same time 'knowing that it was purchased by me." "Did .you return these subscriptions •to-the'•Government as part of the paid-. ,up capital ^of the bank and issue bank notes •of them?" "The directors knew of that" DIRECTORS .( LASED TO CONTRIBUTE At this juncture the Official Referee :.:asked for some infortnatiott concerning the existence of the officers'„ guarantee 11014 "When did life directors cease to contribute to the active fund of the of - firers' guarantee fund?" asked Mr. Kap t.. "11; was a very active • fund for sev- eral years." answered :McGill. "it was oely a few Tears ago that the directors ceased to contribute towards the fund." The claim of Mrs, Minnie McGill, wife of Charles ;McGill, with reference to some stock in the Sun Life Insurance Company. wee talcett up. Mrs. lfe(aill's claim against . the bank is for 02,900, representing 05 shares in the above insurance company.. CI•OT 'CHEQUES ON DIVIDENDS, .Miss Isabel M. ;'1]':G11l, the first wit- ness, said that she had recollection of letters • being sent from ..the Sun I.ife Insurance Company to her father. The letters contained cheques .in pay- ment of dividends. They were endorsed by her father and cashed by her moth- er. "How much were the cheques for?" asked Mr. Bicknell. "About $150 on each occasion," an- swered Miss McGill. _ McGill. stated that in 1895 Mr. W. H. Hill, general manager of the east- ern district of the Sun Life Iri suranee Company, approached him and told him that he • wanted .to take over some stock in the Sun Life Insurance Company and hold it trust for him. At that. time ;the • stock was held be Junkie Brothers, of Rockville; who were severing their connection with the Sun Life to enter the Manufeaturers' Life Insurance Company. lir. Hill thought that Meath's name • would have some prestige when he (Hill) would be solicit- ing business. • He pressed hmn so. hard that he consented to take over • the stock. McGill said that he held' some money in trust for ,Mrs. McCaul in Pet- erboro', and as the proposition looked so good to her she authorized him to in- vest $2,900 in 05 shares of the stock. "Was- that money 'saved by Mrs. Mc- Gill?" • asked Mr. Bicknell. "Not a cent of it," rejoined afeGiu, GAVE HIS WIFE MONY. • "1 rnade• every cent of it in private speculations in Peterboro-, and I gave her money as a gift to spend as she pleased!' "Had it anything to do with her Housekeeping account?" . "She had two separate accounts in the bank." This concluded the examination of Mr. McGill in this ease. The inquiry was then adjourned'°un- til this morning at 11 o'clock to en- able Mr. Bicknell to look over some of the bank ledgers before going into the claim of Richard Hall, against whom there are 29,000 shares in the list of con- tributories. STEAMER SUNK. Was in Collision During Heavy Fog on Lake Superior. Detroit, Mich., a une 28.— A special from Alpena, (.Mich„ to -night says: In a heavy fog at 9 o'clock this morning the steamer William Livingstone, be- lorging to the Tomlinson Fleet, cif Du- luth, collided with and sank the steam- er W. P. Thew, three miles off Thunder Bay Island. It is said the big steel freighter did not stop after hitting •the entailer boat. The crew of the Thew escaped in life- boats, saving their effects, and were picked up by the steainer Mary Elphicke, southbound. The life-savers responded to the Thew's signals of distress and as- sisted the Elphieke in saving the crew. E. W. Duncan was cpatain of the Thew, and. she was owned by Hugh Haver, of Detroit. The Thew was light. She lies in 18 fathoms of water. Fog and smoke are hanging,heavy over the lake, making navigation dangerous, The Thew was built in 1884 and was 13-2 feet long and 14 feet beam with a capacity of 207 gross. tons. During the early spring she plied. between Detrioit and Rogers City. The steamer William Livingstone, of Detroit, is name defter Williain Living- stone, of Detroit, President of the Lake Carriers' Arsociatign. The Livingstone came out in April, 1908, and is one of the largest steel freighters on the lakes. She was the first boat to pass through the Canadian canal at the "Soo" after the locks were re- paired yesterday. PRODUCER GAS. Important Board Ruling as to Railway Rates. Ottawa, Ont., despatch: A contract has been awarded for the construc- tion of the experiment plant at. Ot- tawa to be used for the Mines branch, under Dr. Raanel, for the purpose of ascertaining the value of peat in making producer gas. It is held that peat can be made use of for smelting and other fuel purposes. The expert., ment station will cost about $13,000, The contract has been given to Doran & Devlin, of Ottawa, the lowest ten- derers. Through railroad rates are not to exceed the .rsum of local rates be- tween two points. This policy of the Railway Commission was announced this xnorning . by Commissioner Mc- Lean, who has beep dealing with complaints that in a. number of cases the through rate has been higher than the charge "would have been by the combination of 'number of local rates. Mr. McLean Roints out that the In- terstate Comnmeree Commission gave a similar decision; and while he does net consider it necessary to make an order, it is understood that the rail- ways will respect the policy anneune- DISASTER IM COAL MINE. Fears That Many Men Have Perished in Explosion. Ten Terribly. Injured • Men Brought to the Surface. Pittsburg, June 28. --An explosion oc- curred to -day in the nine of the Lacka- wanna. Coal & Coke Co., at •Wehrum, Indiana county. Over 100 men were in the mine, A number are reported in- jure . n- jul'ed: At 10.15 three bodies, terribly mutilat- ed, had,been recovered front the arsine. At that hour ten injured men, :some of them fatally, had also been taken to the sur- face. As to the extent of the accident, noth- ing definite can be eseertained at pres- ent, but it is apparently serious. Between 100• and 150 miners were in the mine. The few melt who escaped from the mine were ;burned endbleckened, iudicat- ing that the Joyce of the explosion was heavy. None ee the men are in condition to give details, but from one it was learned ; that the ,explosion seemed to strike every portion of the mine sinful- taneously. - Resetting parties. are tanking - little headway, owing to the great confusion at the mine. Work is also seriously re- tarded by smoke front the pit mouth and traces of the deadly after damp. As soon as it v{as known that an -ac- cident had occurred at the mine, the greatest excitement prevailed both at the mine and in the little hamlet, a short distance away. Wives, mothers, sisters and brothers rushed to the mouth of the mine tearfully imploring some news as to the fate of their loved ones. 'A number of the foreign women scream- ing and crying, tried to rush into the dark pit of death. The company officials immediately en- gaged the services of all the men they could find and the work of restraining the hysterical relatives was undertaken. In the meantime calls for help were quickly sent broadcast throughout the surrounding country and the task of reaching the unfortunate men in the mine was rapidly pushed forward. A -A THROUGH A BRIDGE, Runaway Horse Takes a Great, Tumble at Guelph. A Guelph despatch: :jnly a collision with a telegraphs pr'rvented . W. H. Beattie, druggist of this 'city, from be- ing hurled by a runaway horse over the C. P. R. trestle bridge near the depot into the river below. Freed from the buggy in the collision, the frightened animal, owned by Mr. La Fontaine„ bolted on the bridge. Its hoofs became lodged in the trestle work, and it roll- ed over into the river about twenty- five feet below. Mr. Beattie, who was thrown out unhurt, waded into the wat- er, about four feet deep, but the ani- mal could not be made to budge. Thinking that its back•or'neck was broken, it was finally decided to let the animal drown, but no sooner did it get its head under water than it revived and struggled out, little worse for the exper- ience. Mr. Beattie was unhurt, and only the buggy suffered damage. ®. of BEES ON BABY, Fifteen -Months' Olci.Child Terribly Stung by Swarm. Detroit, June 2S. ---•A Holland, Mich., special to -night says: "The fifteen - months -old child of Mr, and Mrs. Cor- nelius Van Deewen, of this ,place, is ly- ing at the point of death, swelled out of all semblance to a human being as the result of being stung by hundreds of bees. The child was playing in the yard of•her borne, where the bees are kept; when! they swarmed on. her. When dee covered by her meteor the little one was completely covered by bees. Her father ani] a farm hand, summoned by the mother's screams, managed todrivs the bees away, but not before the child had been terribly stung. la'liysi- teens say the child cannot recover. FISH SUICIDE. Lure of Niagara Has Got on the Sturgeons' Nerves. Niagara Falls, Ont., June 28.— Are the fish in the Niagara River becom- ing stricken with a suicidal mania and crushing their brains out on the rocks along the lower river? That is the question that certain of the fol- lowers of Ike Walton are endeavoring to answer. W. J. Lee, an ardent fisherman, claims that he has seen scores of fish rush through the water near the Queenston and Lewiston suspension bridge, only to dashout their brains on the rocks that lino the banks. With characteristic fisherman's deal, Mr. Lee has sot ahbut to discover the cause of this curious ' mania for self- destruction, ivhieh he says is parti- cularly prevalent among: etergeon. "One case in part)eular I will re- member throughout try life. 1 was fishing near the suspension bridge, ''ed by the Board, below Brock's Monutnent, one moxa lug not long ago. I notie,edthe water emitting, apart a short distance imp the stream. Then I discerned a sturgeon, and it was no little minnow. It came head-on toward the baukc 'and, much to my surprise, dashed its ' brains out almost at my feet. Since that I have seen this performance repeated a number of times, Before I saw the big sturgeon commit suicide, I had found many dead sturgeon Tong the river bank and wondered how they were being _]killed- In almost every instance I noticed' that the heads were crushed," said Mr. Lee to your corre- spondent. The attention of numbers of fisher- men has been called to the strange actions of the sturgeon by Mr, Lee, and it is likely that the Anglers' As- sociation will conduct an interesting en- quiry into the phenomena. o+a. FATAL ACCIDENT. Harry Davis Struck on Head bythe Cage in Mine. A Cobalt, Ont., despatch: While try- ing to help in work that he was un- acquainted with, Harry Davis, a team- ster., at the Badger Mine, . was struck on the head by the cage and killed.. He was waiting this 'morning at the shaft head to receive a load of rock, and volunteered to go up and put the hood en the eage at the shaft. After he had, put it on ' he was asked by the deckman if he were clear of the cage,^and on his answering that he was the latter gave the signal for the cage to be raised. 11 struck Davis on the dead, and hurt hilt so badly that death was almost instantaneous. He was a widower, with four children, and came to the camp from Mount Eagle. An inquest will be held to- morrow, at half -past nine. A • 6 ALASKA FAIR. Keen Competition of Railways For Passenger Traffic. "Chicago, June 28. --Competition be- tween western railroads for the bulk of in Seattle has reached another notch in the announcement of one that all its limited trains will be supplied with pho- nographs for the entertainbent of pas- sengers. On the dozen new trains put on recently by the railroad other unique bids for patronage were made.• One was a table d'hote meal for $1, beginning with a cocktail and ending with a costly perfecto cigar. Another road the nannounced the pro- vision of women stenographers and a clothes pressing attachment free of charge. ALMOST STARVED. Family Imprisoned For Two Weeks in a Storm Cellar. Galveston, Texas, June 28. In remov- ing e. cyclone -wrecked house on the farm of C"hae. Dilsan, en Brown county, the wreckers discovered a storm celiac in whieh were Dilson and his wife and 12 - year -old daughter, more dead than alive. For two weeks they had been prisoners in the cellar, with ]barely a morsel to eat for a week and nothing to drink for two days, Raw potatoes had been their subsist- ence for six days. 'fluty will survive. After. the storm whielt wrecked their home, the three 1)ilsons were missed, 'and searchers believil that they had de- serted their place and proved away. The house ,had been blown over and covered the storm cellar, which was about twen- tyeyards from the .home, and searchers knew nothing about it. The trio of prisoners tried to dig their way to. the surface with their hands, and succeeded only in, cutting a tunnel which afforded them air. GIRL DROWNED. ,She Gave Her Life in Trying to Rescue a Boy. • Ottawa despatch: While making an heroic attempt to save from drowning the elevetf-year-old son of Mr. :Michael McCrank, of Low, Wright county, Nellie Daly, aged seventeen, was drowned on Sunday last, along with the boy. The latter fell into deep water in Pike Lake,. and Miss Daly immediately plunged in to rescue him. Both were drowned be- fore their horror-stricken parents on the bank could come to their assistance. TORONTO MAN Under Arrest in Milwaukee Accus ed of 'Euirglary, Chicago, June 28.—A Milwaukee report says: Robert 'Wilson, alias James Brown, anative of Toronto and late of Chicago, oecupies a cell in Central Police Station, while his elaborate kit of burglar tools is serving to educate and entertain mem- bers of the police department. Wilson, who is a quadroon, was discovered on Sunday afternoon by Frank Ellenbecker, when he chanced to make•a vialt to his grocery store. The'men fled to the base- ment, but was found with bis tools and a loaded 38 -calibre revolver under a piano box. IT WAS CRUEL. Clerk's Mistake Led Prisoner to Think fie Was Free. Laughed Until Ile Found It Was e. Life Sentence. Chicago, June 28.—A fleeting hope of freedom held out to a, prisoner le Judge Bronto's court yesterday was snatched: from him in a way that caused a sigh of pity to Spread among the spectators when it was found that the clerk of the court should have read the jury's ver- dict guilty instead of' not guilty. The prisoner was Prank O'Donnell, ac- cused of robbing a citizen at the point of a revolver. The jury bad been out but ten minutes. The foreman of 'the jury handed the cle+ak two forms, ane for galley and the other for acquittal. "Not guilty," read the clerk absent- mindedly, failing to note that he was reading the unsigned form. O'Donnell jumped from his seat ex- citedly, laughing, and wrung his law- yer's hand. He started front the room with his bead in the air and his eyes sparkling. Then the mistake was dis- covered, and O'Donnell wee brought back. His head sank on his chest as the real veredict was delivered: "Guilty' and condemned to eery ethe term of his natural life in prison.' SHOOTING AFFRAY® Italian in Toronto Hospital With Two Bullet Wounds. Toronto despatch: With a. bullet wound in his abdomen and another through his left wrist, Joseph Moselino, an Italian, is lying in St. Michatl'e Hos- pital as one result of a shooting affray on Centre avenue, in the Ward, `yester- day afternoon. Joseph Russo, who lives in the same house on Centre avenue with Moselino and who did the shoot ing, is under arrest in the Agnes Street Police Station on a charge of intent to kill, while his wife is held at Court Street Station as a material witness. The woman was sent to the station at her own request, as she was afraid to go back to her home for fear that her hus- band's enemies would injure her. Conflicting stories of the cause of the shooting are told by' the parties mixed up in the affair. Moselina, the wounded man, told the police that Russo owed. him $10, and that he asked lint for it yesterday. Russo, it is said, refused to pay, and when •Moselino struck Tina, "pulleda:-f' rfl ; a s. pceket and fired twice. Theareesigiv- en be Russo and his wife is an entirely- different ntirelydifferent on; The young coaiple heed roams in the rear part of 14 Centre ave- nue, while Moseline occupied the front part. Russo was intending to open a bather shop on the first of the month and had considerable money. Aeccording to his wife, a number of men, of whom Mose- lino was one, and whom she described as "13lack Hand men," went to Russo about a week ago and demanded $100. "My husband told them be had no money to give them and then they said they make his blood into ink," wailed Mrs. Russo. Moselino was found inside the house and was sent in the police ambuiance to St. (Michael's Hospital. His condition is not considered serious. MUST BE OVER 16. No Child Criminals In the State of New York. New York, June 28.—Beginning next fall there will be no child eraminals in this State, in the eye of the law. That is to sa.y, no child who then or thereafter commits what would be a crime in his elders would be dubbed a criminal, and so branded for all hia future. The fact was brought out to -day in the annual report of the children's court, which draws attention to a law of the State of Now York reeeutly passed, which goes into effect on Sept. 1. Under this hew no child in this State under the age of 10 years can be a criminal. When a commitment 1s neeessa•ry the child will be sent to juvenile reforma- tories and eharitable institutions, and not to jail. .lsN a TURKS DEFEATED. Albanians Inflict Loss of 350 Kill- ed illed or Wounded. iVenna, June 28.—The newspapers print on Uskub despatch recording the severd defeat of three regiments of Turkiah infantry under Djavid Pasha by Albanians. Djavid Pasha attacked the Albanians in Petoss Pass, between leek end Jakova, and was repulsed, losing fourteen officers and 350 men killed or wounded. Kiamil Bey, the well known Young Turk leader, was among the killed. Fresh troops have been ordered from ,Mona stir, The Al. barman . insurgents are reported to number 14,000. They deolain that they will continue their resistanoo until they are granted full autonomy and Albanian prisoners are liberated, Mme Tint Office Boy ---De boss' gra dmud- der died last night, Second Ofiieo 13o7 —Gee] I wonder if he's goin''.to do ball go me."