The Ashleys Win

The stockholders, a Lackawanna, íaction quarrelled with the bondholders or Astor-Ashley faction at the Toledo, Ann Arbor & North Michigan railroad meetin g held in Toledo, Ohio, a few days ag o. The Astor faction was waiting for proxies from 2,000 shares which would give them control of the meeting, and accordingly they filibustered for time. Chairman W. R. Burt assisted in the filibustering by recognizing all regular motions in the most approved congressional style. The Astors made two motions to adjourn and ayes and nays were twice called for. The inspectors became weary of calling the long roll, and said that i f the rival interests wished to carry on the fight all night they would withdraw, and accordingly left the room, An effort was made by tho Lackawanna faction to go on with the voting, and Mr. A. Graves moved the appointment of other inspectors. Chairman Wellington R. Burt ruled the motion out of order, and after the secretary refused to put the motion it was put by its author and announced carried. In the same manner George W. Murray was elected chairman, Burt being declared out of office by his ref usal to put a motion. This was more than the Astor people could stand, and General Manager James Ashley, Jr., cried out that bulldozing could not be carried on in his office. Attorney G. K. Pendleton, of the Lackawanna, seized Ashley and attempted to hustle him towards the door. The Astorites, who had rallied about their deposed chairman, formed a flying wedge, and rescued Ashley. Then foliowei a listic battle between Mr. Pendleton and A. W. Scott, of Toledo, attorney for the bondholders. Chaira and tables were overturned, and pandemonium reigned. The Lackawanna peopla fi'ially withdrew and elected the following board of directors: James A. Blair, William Mortons, George W. Murray, George R. Sheldon, Joseph Walker, Jr., T. C. Platt, E. P. Goodwin, S. K. Clarke and George N. Croujse, cf New York; William Green and E. T. Monigal, of Ohio. It now transpires that the pitched fight was altogether a characteristic Ashley movement, one of desperation rather than of shrewdness. It had been clearly demonstrated that the Astors and Ashleys had only about 27,000 shares to vote, while the Liackawanna had 2,000 more. The Ashleys had nothing to lose and by filibustering might gain Jim and Harry Ashley had a large hand in getting Attorneys Pendleton and Scott to fighting. Jim Ashley pushed Pendleton into Seott, witnesses say. This precipitated the scuffle, the object of which was to eject one or the other faction f rom the building. The meeting which was held by the stockholders, at which a set of directors was elected, is believed to be illegal, for the reason that the courts had appointed inspectora to supervise the election, and this meeting named its own inspectors. Had the Lackawanna people managed to name a chairman before they were kicked out this chairman they might have called the special meeting and the proceedings have been legal. With 31,499 ballots, the bondholders of the A. A. Co. the next day ed their direotors. The largest vote of the Walker people was 30,518, which shows a total of 981 in favor of the bondholders. The inspectors delivered a certifícate to the meeting in the afternoon showing that the following namcd had been chosen directors: Amos P. Eno, John Jacob Astor, George W. Quintará, J. Edward Simmons, Robert K. Galloway, Ernest Dichman, H. Livingston Rogers, Alfred De Cordova, Charles E. Quincey, T. W. Childs and S. H. Kissam. It turned out that the Walker erowd voted a large number of proxies that rightly belonged to the bondholders' committee.