Untitled - Clpdigital.org

248 BETWEEN THE OCEAN AND THE LAKES
reconstruction and foreclosure and all expenses nee- London, charging him with mismanagement, corrup
essary in carrying out the scheme were to be paid tion, and duplicity. Going further, he sought once
out of the moneys to be raised by the scheme, or as more the aid of Gen. Daniel E. Sickles, and a plan
the Trustees might determine.
to oust the existing management and turn the Erie
Reconstruction Trustees for the firstconsolidated Railway Company once more over to the control of
mortgage and 6 per cent, sterling bonds were O. G. McHenry was formed. Originally this was intended
Miller, H. Rawson ; for the second consolidated to be a coup similar to the one of 1872, but there was
mortgage and convertible gold bonds, J. R. Cross, different materia! in the Board of Directors, and that
M.P., J. Westlake, Q.C. ; for the shareholders, P. line of action was abandoned. Early in September
McLogan, M.P., B. Whitworth, M.P. Independent rumors were abroad that General Sickles was to suc-
Trustees, not representing any special interest, were ceed Jewett as Receiver of the Erie Railway Corn-
Sir Edward Watkin, M.P., with a casting vote, and pany, and it was noticed that ex-Auditor Dunan was
Z. W. Powell. The scheme was subject to modifica- again in evidence as an expert in the best way to put
tion in the judgment of the Reconstruction Trustees, Erie on its feet.
and was signed as follows:
According to the story of Joseph W. Guppy,
E. XV. Watkins, M.P., Chairman, Cecil Beadon, before the Legislative Investigating Committee of
K.C.S. ; J. R. Cross, M.P. ; Philip Rose, O. G. Miller, 1879, General Sickles, October I, 1877, sent one
T. W. Powell, B. Whitworth, M.P.; J. Westlake, Charles O'Day to him with a request that Guppy
Q.C; Henry Rawson, P. McLogan, M.P.; Robert should call on the General. Guppy calied, and Gen-
Fleming, Lawrence Hayworth, J. M. Douglas, W. eral Sickles brought up the subject of the proposed
Leeming, W. Weir, J. C. Conybeare, A. H. Moncur. movement against the Jewett management, and en-
Signed in London, August 28, 1876; in New York, deavored to enlist Guppy in it. He declined to
January 15, 1877, for the Farmers' Loan and Trust have anything to do with it. Sickles said to Guppy
Company, agents of the London Reconstruction thatif he would join them " and they were success-
Trustees, by R. G. Rolston, President.
ful, they would divide the swag with him"; that
Before any substantial movement had been made " the parties in power had not quite stolen everytoward
the formulating of a plan, September 10, thing there, and there was something left, probably
1875, S. L. M. Barlow offered his resignation as a enough for all." Guppy persisted in his refusal to
Director, and Mr. Jewett advised its acceptance, join the Sickles party.
Mr. Barlow, owing to his relations with McHenry, Subsequently he told H. D. V. Pratt what Sickles
although they had then ceased, was not acceptable had solicited him to do. Pratt, in a conversation
to the existing foreign sentiment in regard to Erie with Gould later on, repeated the information to
management. Marshall O. Roberts resigned at the him. On the morning of the day after Christmas,
same time. John P. Brown, of Portland, Me., and 1877, Gould sent Giovani Morosini, his private sec-
J. Lowber Welsh, of Philadelphia, were elected to retary, to Guppy, requesting the latter to call at his
the vacancies. Mr. Brown represented the interests office. Guppy did so.
of the Grand Trunk Railway Company.
" Guppy," said Gould, "if you will appear in
behalf of the Jewett interest against the Sickles
In the spring of 1877 James McHenry, becoming raiders, and testify as to what they have offered you
convinced that Receiver Jewett was determined to to come in and aid them, Mr. Jewett will take that
push the proceedings against the London Bank- $10,000 in National Stock Yard stock and pay you
ing Association, Bischoffscheim & Goldschmidt, and par for it. With your testimony we can defeat the
himself, came forward and began an aggressive Sickles party and send them to State prison."
counter campaign against the Receiver. As early as Guppy held $10,000 in National Stock Yard stock,
May 10th he made a fierceattack on him at a meet- which, in 1877, had little intrinsic value. It had
ing of his adherents at Guildhall Coffee House, been given him on the formation of that company