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CREDITORS CONTEST CLAIM. Receiver for Failed Bank of Council Bluffs, Asks Big Sum. Special to Times-Republican Council Bluffs, Jan. 5.-A claim ot $11,200 made by L. F. Murphy, one of the receivers of the Officer & Pusey bank, for services rendered, will be contested by creditors of the same institution. Relative to a claim for $3,000 made by John Beresheim, the other receiver, J. J. Stewart, one of the creditors, who also represents numerous others as attorney, said there would probably be no resistance to its allow ance, although he thought the amount should have been smaller. The funds of the receivership have been kept in the Council Bluffs Savings Bank, of which Mr. Beresheim is president. His services have been chiefly in an advisory capacity to Mr. Murphy. who has attended to most of the details and the actual labor of administration. The renumeration asked by Receiver Murphy is at the rate of $200 per month for four years and $1,600 for 1905. Mr. Murphy says that as bookkeeper for the old Officer & Pusey banking house during a long term of years prior to its failure he had greater knowledge of its business than did any other person. He represents that there has been a vast amount of clerical work in collecting and distributing the money, which he himself has performed. He also shows that he has conducted a great deal of litigation. Receiver Beresheim recites that the collection and disbursement of nearly $400,000 has been involved in winding up the multifarious accounts and transactions of the insolvent bank's affairs, requiring much care and attention. It is declared by Mr. Beresheim that he has advised with the other receiver on most of the matters and has brought to the management of the estate, his knowledge and experience as a banker, which he thinks entitles him to $3,000. The total amount of cash taken in and paid out, up to the time of the 1904 report. is placed by Receiver Murphy at $379.491.75, out of which sum the creditors have received $346,856.74, or 91.4 per cent of all cash disbursed.
