IS BELIEVED NEAR Two Syndicates Reported Bidding for Stock Ball Gave Charity. Bj tlie Associated Press. CLEVELAND. April 9.—Financial circles here reported today that ‘Mid nmerica Corp , top holding company of the $3,000,000,000 Van Sweringen railroad empire, may be sold to a New York or Cleveland syndicate within the next 48 hours. Two syndicates were reported bid ding against each other for the pur chase, and if the New York offer is accepted the deal may be closed today or tomorrow. Negotiations with the New York group have been conducted directly by George A. Ball, who yesterday do nated his common stock holdings in Midamerica to charity. Negotiations were carried on through the investment broker firm of Young Kolbe in New York. Ball, it was , reported here, returned to Muncie, I Ind.. last night. Identity of the Cleveland bidders was not disclosed, but John A. Coakley, general traffic manager of the United States steel Corp. subsidiaries, was mentioned as a possible choice for operating head of all Van Sweringen rnterpries if the Cleveland group ac quired control of them. Considerable uncertainty remained, however, concerning yesterday's sur prise announcement from the wealthy glass jar manufacturer whose common stock holdings in Midamerica recently wjere estimated at $10,000,000. GIFT MOTIVE DISCUSSED. Mldamrrioa sale by Foundation Would Bo Taxless. By the Associated Press. MUNCIE. Ind., April 9.—Railroad men and business leaders awaited today a further statement from George A. Ball. 74-vear-old glass jar manu facturer, regarding the startling an nouncement that he had donated'his common stock holding in Mid-Amer Ira Corp., to a newly-created charita ble trust, the George and Frances Ball Foundation. Only a bare announcement of the transfer of the stock in Mid-America, top holding corporation for the big railroad empire, created by the late Van Sweringen brothers of Cleveland, Ohio, was made yesterday by Miss Gertrude Barrett, Ball's secretary here. Efforts to communicate with Ball, variously reported to be in New York and Cleveland, proved fruitless, and Miss Barreto declined to comment further, asserting that any addition to the statement would be "pure con jecture.'' Industrialists fontemplated Ball’s possible motive in transferring his holdings, while opposition to the action developed in at least two quarters. In New York. Wall Street rail men hinted the possible use of the Ball Foundation to sell Midamerica shares and receive the proceeds without tax deduction. Otherwise, they pointed out, the sale of the shares by Ball would involve heavy taxes based on the profits, estimated at 510,000,000 or more. An investigation of the transfer of the stock was promised by Chairman Recovered STABBING LED TO ARREST IN KILLING. FRANCIS FITZGERALD. Who is home from the hospi tal, where Buffalo. N. Y., doctors took a 5-inch ice pick blade from her back. The stabbing led to the arrest of Thomas Smith. 18, in connec tion with the death February 5 of Mary Ellen Babcock. Police Commissioner James Higgins said Smith confessed both the Mary Ellen Babcock killing and the Fitzgerald stabbing. He has been charged, and pleaded innocent, to first degree murder. —A. P. Photo. Wheeler. Demeorat, of Montana, of the Senate Railway Finance Committee, who contended the Interstate Com merce Commission should be con sulted abou„ such transactions. At the same time, J. Paul Thomp son, receiver for the estate of the late O. P. and M. J, Van Sweringen, was expected to begin court litigation in which he announced recently he would demand enforcement of an option given by Ball and G. A. Tomlinson of Cleveland at the time of Midamerica's formation, NEW RAIL GROUP SEEN. Wall Street Outsiders Believed Enter ing Field. NEW YORK, April 9 yfP).—-Wall street rail men appeared convinced yesterday George A. Ball's transfer of his Midamerica Corp. control of the Van Sweringen rail realm to charity was the first step in the entry of a new group into Eastern rail direction. With remarkable unanimity, how ever. those who might have been ex pected to identify any group prepared to trade cash for Alleghany Corp. which Ball had given to his charitable foundation professed ignorance. That this apparent lack of “inside” knowledge of formation of any syndi cate equipped to handle the deal led some to suspect Midwestern interests or other Wall Street "outsiders'1 might be on the point of taking over the stock. Great Old Orange Trees. Seven giant orange trees that bear heavily though more than a century old stand on the Lrguna Seca ranch near Edinburg, Tex. UNCERTAINTY HITS BALL’S RAIL GIFT Exact Purpose Is Unknown, With Talk of Senate Investigation. BJ the Associated Press. CLEVELAND, April 9.—Consider able uncertainty today settled about the details of yesterday’s surprise announcement that George A. Ball, wealthy glass jar manufacturer of Muncie, Ind., had donated to charity his common stock holdings in Mid america Corp., estimated recently at $10,000,000. Advices from Wall Street indicated leading rail men believed the move was a first step in the entry of a new group into Eastern rail direc tion. Midamerica is top holding cor poration for the vast 28,000-mile, $3,000,000,000 Van Sweringen railway empire. Ball transferred his key Mid america holdings to a newly created charitable trust, the George and Fran cis Ball Foundation. There was possibility of a battle by creditors of the late Van Sweringen brothers to obtain control of the rail system from the Ball Foundation. The issue lay In the hands of Probate Judge Nelson J. Brewer of Cleveland who said he expected to decide next week whether to grant the necessary specific authority to J. Paul Thomp son, receiver of the Van Sweringen estate, to seek to exercise an option to buy voting control of Midamerica Corp. The option was obtained by the brothers from Ball after Ball bought key collateral in New York in 1935 Both brothers have died since. The question , according to Judge Brewer was "whether a receiver may exercise an option obtained by persons now de ceased.” In New York some financial leader.' hinted about possible use of the Bal Foundation to sell Midamerica shares and receive proceeds without tax de duction. In Washington there was talk of an investigation of the transfer of the stock by the Senate Railway Financt Committee. Chairman Wheeler, Dem ocrat, of Montana contended the In terstate Commerce Commission shoulc be consulted in such matters. Lisner (Continued From First Page.) divided equally among Emergencj Hospital. George Washington Univer sity Hospital. Episcopal Eye. Ear anc Throat Hospital and the Prisoners Relief Society, a West Virginia cor poration. None of these will share in the es tate at Mr. Lisner's death, but a num ber of other legacies are to be dis tributed then. Among these an $10,000 to a niece of Mr. Lisner. Mrs Gertrude Luchs; $5,000 to Mrs. Luchs husband. Eugene Luchs; $5,000 t( George W. White, president of thi National Metropolitan Bank, "in ap preciation of his many kindnesses" $3,000 to Mrs. Mary Norwood of Bal tiniore, $5,000 to a niece of Mr. Lisner Millie Toplitz; $3,000 to each of Mrs Lisner's eight grandnieces and grand nephews, $500 to Arthur Waterbury o Van Nuys, Calif., and $5,000 to Mrs Lisner's chauffeur, Horace Key. Besides these bequests contingent oi Mr. Lisner's death, Mrs. Lisner be queathed $25,000 to her nephew, John T. Graham, Chevy Chase, Md., a re tired Washington business man, and $10,000 to a friend, Henrietta Posner, New York City. Mrs. Lisner directed that her jewelry be given to her husband, relatives turd friends. She bequeathed her Summer home at Springfield, N. H., to her hus band, who also received the residue of the estate. Provision Against Contest. Although stating she did not an ticipate any contest of the will, Mrs. Lisner said that if any beneficiary should resist probate or contest the validity of the will, the legacy to that person or institution would be for feited. The executors named in the will are Mr. Lisner, Mr. White, William A. Rodenberg, former member of Con gress, and Leon Tobriner, attorney for ; - Mr. and Mrs. Lisner for more than id years. Trustees named for the $1,000,000 trust fund were Mr. Lisner, Mr. Tobriner and Mr. Rodenberg and the National Metropolitan Bank. Mrs. Lisner provided that establishment of the trust should receive priority over other bequests. The exact value of the estate will not be determined until after filing of the petition for probate of the will. Although she contributed largely to charity during her life, Mrs. Lisner was reticent concerning her philan thropies. In 1908 she and her hus band financed a wing in the George town Hospital which now bears their name. Mr. Lisner sold the Palais Royal department stere to the Kresge in terests in 1924. He is a member of the Washington Board of Trade, the Congressional and Country Clubs and the Monday Evening Club. A Comprehensive Collection of Fine Spring Coats are now being shown at The Lewis & Thos. vSaltz Establishment 1409 G Street, Northwest I DISTINCTIVELY STYLED Spring Topcoats Imported and domestic materials of fine \ Quality provide comfort during the ; Changeable Spring Weather. Shetlands, ! Covert Cloths, West of England Fabrics, Scotch Cheviots, Genuine Hand Woven \ Harris Tweeds are included in our current \ presentation. The Finest Tailoring as sures correct fit and lasting satisfaction. 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