The Washington times., 1894-08-15
STRUCK A SUSPICIOUS ITEM
Work of the Investigators Of the Peo-
pies Transportation Company.
MISCELLANEOUS $S,O0O," IS 1T
Secretary Wilson Says It Was Spent in Two
Months on Mutton suet, Brooms, &C.
Investigation Transferred to Baltimore
Attempt to Sell Stock There Alleged.

The special committees TO investigate Presi-
dent Patterson, of the Peoples Transportation
Company, held meetings yesterday and con-
tinued the probing and pumping processes.
Quite an important addition WAS made TO the
committee with which Lawyer Hewlett is
acting, the new member being the Rev. G.. W.
Lee, one of the most influential coIored pastors
In Washington.
The committee from Norfolk, of which
Mr. r J. Page is chairman, returned TO
that city last night Mr.. Page, one Of
the members, was asked what conclu-
sions he had reached He said none, and that
the matter has been very much mixed, and that
Ii will take some time to unrayel the tangled
skein Pege appears TO think that the Hewlett
committee will reach the bottom of the affair in
due time He does not, however, impute any
dishonesty TO Patterson, although he holds that
Patterson should promptly clear up the shady
allegations against him
samuel G. Thompson, who is paying a great
deal OF attention to the figures given out by
the secretary Miss Wilson, in her abstract of the
finances for the two months, on Monday night.
thinks he has struck q snag in suspicious
item" under the head OF expenses, entitled
miscellaneous, 5000" When the secretary
read this item Thompson demanded TO know
what miscellaneous, 5000 was for, and when
the lady secretary said it was for mutton suet,
broons etc, Thompsons eyes glittered as he
said, Good heayeni Do You mean to say that
you spent 5000 on brooms and mutton suet in
two months on one steamer
just here some one rose to point OF order
and the $1,000 item went over unfinished
business, which Thompson said yesterday he in
tended to have further Investigated The latest
move in the investigation is that the scene will
soon be transferred to Baltimore. The steamer
Lady of the Lake, the property of the company,
was bought in that city Tor $4,000. On Monday
night President Patterson made an urgent ap-
peal TO the meeting to raise $4,000. He stated
that the person from whom the steamer had
been purchased had up to this time been very
lenient, but that very soon $4,000 must be forth
coming or he could not tell what the conse-
Quences would be.
Samuel Thompson alleges and Patterson de-
nies that the latter had an agent in Baltimore
some time ago endeayoring to dispose of $50, 900
worth of stock. No one knows except the officers
OF the company, and its fiscal oflicer has not
given bond, whether any of the s30,O0O offers
were taken. Thompson makes the point that
the charter of the company only permits stock
to be issued TO the amount of $4,000.
Mr. Hewlett, who wishes to be known simply
as the attorney for certain stockholders, said
yesterday that DR.. Lee and he would at a time
convenient to DR.. Lee GO over to Baltimore and
begin at the beginning.
Miss Jordan, vce-president Of the company
was asked yesterday what the investigation SO,
far had amounted TO. She said that in her judg-
ment no progress had been made towards at
taching any criminality or even incapacity to
the president. The company, she said, was per-
fectly willing to have full and fair investiCa-
tion, but by responsible people. She said that
the figures given in THE TINES yesterday were
sufficient to show that the company was making
progress, and that the transactions the mar
gins were too small for any one to entertain the
idea that the president could have appropriated
$4,000.
The idea was preposterous. She said that it
was a fact that the president had paid $1,000
cash on the purchase of the steamer; that lie
had accepted $4,000 in stock therefor, and that
IL was really nobody's business where Patterson
got the money. And SO the case now stands,