The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-08-08
FINED S25
FOR INTERFERING WITH TREES
ON BROAD STREET.

tigatcd. with the Above Result.
The TINES has mentioned the fact
that the city authorities had cut the
wires Of the Virginia Electric Lght
and Power Company on Broad street
where they interfersd with the trees
after due notice had been gwen TO the
Electric Light and Power Company
The wires after being cut were
fastened together again so as not 10
cut off the light, and that day the con
panv was reported. Day before yester-
day the report reached the Police jus
tice in due order of routine. aud the
summons was received. requiring the
VIRGINIA Electric Light and Power
Company TO appear and show cause
why they should not be hned lVr
violating the cts ordinance.
Mr.. Thomas y. Carter appeared Tor
the Light aud Power Company IN the
absence of Mr. Wyndham X. Meredith
the regular counsel of the company
who Is away from the city.
COLONEL cUTsHAw
was the first witness. lie stated that
twice had the company been notified 10
remove the wires and on the 18th OF
Jul, a letter was addressed to them
and the Bell Telephone Company,
stating that an wires which touched
the trees sh0uld bee removed.
Colonel Cuishaw here SAID that ne
would ask for the dismissal OF the case
against the Bell Telephone COMPANY
They had removed their wires ana ne
askcd the dismissal on the ground tha'
they had promised never TO put mem
I'm a place where they would interfere
with the trees
AGAIN referring TO the electric wires
Colonel Cutshaw said that the company
failing 10 rsmove the wires from the
Broad street trees M the neighborhoou
of Fourth street. he had ordered them
cut, which was done.
ASH TAM ENGINEER BOLTON
.aid thai the electric wires were found
bv him Tuesday fastened to trees al lhe
corners of Broad and Ninth. Broad ana
Twentv.frst and Twenty-second. Also
Al the corner o. Main and FIRST .trrets'
Mr.. Carter SAID that the company the
moment they learned that the city au
thoritie. wanted these wires remover
from Tie trees. at once put llneiheh 1"
work and that very night TUESDAY the
wires were removed from every point
in The city. excepting Broad street ana
nlaced so that they could not interfere
with thetrecs. The Broad street wiies'
he said. the company bad let alone be-
cause they had made application TO the
CITY Engineer for PERMISSION 10 eilneI
nut their short poles closer together so
as 10 prevent the swagglug, or 10 De al
lowed To- erect tall poles so 40 TO carry
the wires above the tops of The trees
Considerable collOqulal talk mere
took place. Mr. Meredith. representing
the city. saving that the company seem
10 act Just as they pleased.
IL CONTEMPT OF COURT.
The Court remarked. 1t seems to me
that the Virginia Electric Light and
Power COMPANY are in contempt OF :hi'
court. Last year when the company
was before me ON this very charge
fined them the minimum tine ana lhei
aud there gave positive order thal y
ever again thu, company shoula Niola''
the city ordinance, would impose th'
maximum iiue.
Captain Andrew Pizzini. the secre
tary aud treasurer. who had been hi'
ti,r ON a bench some distance oil listen
ing. appeared before the bench sn'
said he would like 90 explain the ac,lol
taken i'm reference To tie order OF tn
Cont. IL said that the Court mad sal'
order he had employed Mr.. thompson
brother of Superintendent Thom1
ron. Of the Fire Alarm Icle
graph. to 90 over the lines. au'
Icarrangc every one so as to meet TIA
order OF the court. Mr.. Thompson wa
at work tw) months. and at the expira
tion of mat time made his report, i
which he said that all the wires hal
been rearrangcd aud that there wOul'
be no trouble or complaint.
The Court Did y0u understand tha
this report meant that all of the wire
bad been removed from the trees?
Captain Plzzlni: | so understood II
MIR. Meledth: Well YOU see the
were not.
Mr. Pizzni: Yes; from the eyidenc
here that Is evident.
CROSS EXAMINATION.
Mr. TrafTord. the superintendent O
the company was put through clos
cross examination. lie had been tn
superintendent only since last October
lie had never heard # the order Of tn
court. aud was astOuishcd TO learn tina
1t was issued about two weeks befor
he succeeded Mr.. Coles.
When questioned about the lineme
on his wires. about the wires bein
fastened TO the trees he expressed gnC
Iance of the fact. He was asked Whe
q 4 al. }.
lines. and he replied that they did. bu
probably skipped the places where the
were fastened to trees.
The Court. How was il that you, tn
superintendent o.! the linemen, found
out so quick last night;
well. the order came and W
hunted them up and removed them
poles.
The Court Would YOU have foun
them had your men not been.out :
"Oh. of course we would.
MIR THOMPSON,
Superintendent Of the Fire Alarm TelC
graph. said that within six months TIA
electric hight people had learned TO Us
the spool porcelain insulaIor to carr
their wires along trees. lie hal use,
the Same in his service for lively
months past, but that his men we're nov
removing them.
Colonel Cutsbaw said that so FAR a
the privilege 20 erect more poles, O
taller poles ON Broad street was con
cerned, IL was a matter in which TN
Western Union Telegraph CompaD,
had to be considered. The origiua
frarchise. by which the present pole
had been erected. was given the Schuy
Ter Electric Light Company. and they
had erected the poles according TO th'
rights in that franchise. The Virgin
Electric Light and Power Company haC
no more rights than those which they
purchased from the Schuyler Company
Mr.. Carter in argument SAID that tn,
company had done ali ii could the mo
ment notified. Ii had failed to act on
Broad street because Of its failure e
receive from the City Engineer per