Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-04-05


fifteen or twenty minutes before the
alarm of fire was struck.
Andy was down stairs once
while was there. Maxwell went down
a little before the time he left the house:
could hear him talking down below;
Mrs. King and some OF Maxwell,s
daughters were with him. Mccullough
and one or two others were there.
When the alarm of fire struck / was up
stairs. King was down stairs. We
waited for the capitol clock to give the
alarn. 1t did not give. When l came
down stairs Andy said that We would
90 the fire, or rather look for it, when
we went to the office. Did not hear the
Greaves article discussed.
The hearing was adjourned until .
o'clock p. N.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Edmund Booking testifed-Saw the
door OF the gas office open once before
on Sunday afternoon, while Mr.. Wheat
had desk in the Office.
Thomas McNabb i recollect the fire.
| was passing, between 9 and half past;
noticed nothing going down; was told
while coming back, by young man who
was with lady, that the building was
on fire. | went back, saw something
burning and went to the City Building
and gave the alarm. The room appeared
dark when went down. The gas was
burning in the back room and the door
in the partition was open. When went
in the officers were putting out the fire
and helped stamp it out. The books
had been thrown out then. When |
went in the marble counter was satur-
ated with oil and some was on the floor.
The desks were only slightly
scorched on the sides. When L
looked in the window the books
appeared to be standing on end, opened
out. There might have been three or
four books there. Saw no chairs piled
around. The street door, | think, was
not ajar, for the blinds were down and
| must otherwise have seen the light. |
saw no person about but the gentleman
and lady | mentioned before. saw no
one about except man leaning against
the lamp post at the Mcclure House. |
d 4 not see Mr.. King about that night.
Did not 60 back, and cannot say wheth-
er or not the back door was open. /
STAYED until the fire was all ont. Never
had any conversation with Maxwell or
King since, and have only time OF
day" acquaintance with them.
Samuel Whitesides-Never had any
conversation with King or Maxwell on
any subject. King once said in regard
TO the Bellaire fire, "If the books should
ever be burned, the only correct thing
to 90 by would be this book" pointing
to one under his arm. He had his book
and lantern, and seemed to be taking
meters. This occurred in kline's store
in the fall.
Cross-qucstioned-DOn'trecOllectany-
thing else that was said. He was not
talking to me, and heard just that one
sentence. They were talking OF the Bel
lairc gas troubles.
Harry Caldwell-All of Kings collec-
ton books and three section books were
missing after the fire. ] demanded the
books of Mr.. Maxwell. | went through
the office and took what books could
find. Maxwell said | could take what
was there. | called his attention TO
missing books, and he said if he found
any more he would turn them over
The section book missing would cover a
period from Oct, II to Aug, rs. |
asked Mr.. King in regard To collection
books missing, and he replied, They
were destroyed, we never kept them, ,
or words to that effect. | think he said
he burned them. The books injured
by fire were section books and ., cover
ing Aug, rs to Jan, 20. Three Of
the four registers were partially burned.
The oldest register was not burned. Have
examined this book to some extent
and found it substantially correct. The
burned books were incorrect, that is,
they had false footings. THE witness
here gave description OF the burned
books In the keeping of the gas office
a counts, these books are OF the greatest
importance Most of these books were
in the bank vault when turned over TO
me. A few got from the office. Mr..
Arkle brought the bank books, some OF
the section books and the Office collec-
{ on books; So collection books were
brought on the night of February 9th /;
know Of no other demand made OF Mr..
Maxwell for the rest of the books, and
supposed we had them all.
The witness then identified book
shown him as being record OF the pro
ceedings OF the late trustees, and that it
was the only book for this purpose
which was in existence until after the
fire. The prosecution then put this
book in evidence as not containing the
minutes OF a meeting Of the trustees
held Just before the fire, in which they
decided to ask Council for an investiga-
ton.
Mortimer Pollack-The desks are
scorched on the sides. They stand on Il
wooden frame set upon the floor. Mr..
John Maxwell had custody of the build
ing on the night of the fire. under
stood Mr. King and Mr.. JAS. Maxwell
and Mr.. Brown dad keys saw Max
well coming out Of the Office on that
Sunday about noon and he afterwards
told me that he had not been around
there again that day. The trustees had
a meeting few DAYS before the fire and
discussed the articles which had APP
peared in the papers and determined to
demand an investigation. Mr.. John
Maxwell was present as he usually was.
| don't remember whether it was in
formally discussed or whether it was
spread upon the records. Maxwell
seemed perfectly willing to have an in
vestigation saying he knew of nothing
wrong.
James Maxwell testified to the above
statement in regard TO the custody and
keys OF the office. lie rcmem-
bered nothing OF any talk among
the trustees in reference 10 an
investigation before the fire, but
had heard some conversation Ia that
effect the night afterwards lie con-
tinued: ! heard Maxwell say he had
been in the Office on that Sunday, and
had been making out some bills, and he
states he was not there again after
twelve o'clock. noticed the desks and
saw no material damage, the fire having
been on the sfh between. Only the
southern desk was injured. My recol
lection is that Council met oil the Tues
day night next after the fire. / recol-
lect OF a conversation among the trus-
tees relative TO the articles in the papers,
but not OF demanding any investigation