Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-30
INQUIRY As TO COKE.
Further Progress Of the Investigation
Into the Gas. Works Affairs.
Many Witnesses Testify That Both
Coke md Coal Tint should Have
neen Used Was Carried on for the
Negro TOwnes.

! DAY. The special committee OF the Coun-
ell and those officials engaged in making
the inquiry mot at the Lower works at
=. NJ. and heard the testimony of seve-
| raj of the employees of this department
The investigation had special reference
to alleged irregularities with reference
to the handling and sales Of coke. After
holding a session of several hours the
committee rose. 10 meet again at the call
| of Chairman Gunst.
Allen Christian. the first witness called,
said he hauled coke for Ben rownos soon
after the sale OF coke was commenced.
Continuing. he said;
I'VE hired a yard outside OF the works.
and hired men TO roll the ashes out from
the works: the men were hired from the
| day and night shift. The hauling was
| afterwards taken from me and given TO
! Mr.. Walsh's cart. Several others were
/ also stopped from rolling out cinders
after the selling of the coke stopped /
/ was driving for Townes every oay until
I was stopped. and Washs cart was
employed: only when Walsh's
/ driver hauled shells was / again en-
! pOyed. He would always make more
/ loads than | did. because he got all the
short distances. He carried "A load Of coke
and brought back load of shells. !
hauled from October to March last year
ana the year before / would haul about
four or five loads day. The coke was OF
good size and some Of il was fresh. /
got ~ cents for hauling a load Each load
cost 81 Mr.. Walsh wss the boss of the
gas-works. and my brother. Fleming
Christian. war his driver Townes was 10
get the ashes from the holders but there
was good coke in IL. Mr.. Adams saw him
once take ont coke. and drove him away.
but Mr.. Walsh arranged the matter and
Townes was soon back there again.
CARRIED MANY LOADS \ DAY.
Il. Jackson said he hauled for TOwnes.
and had carried as many as seven or
eight loads of coke per day. until the
coke became slack, when Townes said
he had Ia save the coke for Mr.. Walsh 5
cart. The coke was Of pretty good size
some Of II was fresh and some was
burned. Witness did not see the coke
rolled out. He heard one Of the rollers
say that Townes told him not 10 let Mr..
Adams see the coke; NJ need not mind
Mr.. Walsh. The small coke. Jackson said.
was better for selling purposes than
large-siZe coke.
The third witness was Hanson
Clements. who said he worked for
rownes until Mr. Grimes stopped him.
This was after Townes sent out the adj
vertising cards. He shifted like the
al
well as at night. The men would seldom
fork the coke up and sift ii. Some
large size and could have been burned
over. Sometimes, witness continued,
II got the coke from the she'd where /
lOrked IL up from the big pile of ashes
There were some good-sized Jumps In
il. Ben Tow1es would also get out the
coke. | was scared of Mr.. Adams. and
Townes told me 10 watch him; but | was
not afraid Of Nh. Walsh. | did not put
coke on the bottom Of the wheelbarrow
and dirt OH top: It would not have been
any benefit 10 me. i was paid cents for
Ia SAFE per week. There were three more
boys beside me rolling coke and asher,
Superintendent Knowles stated that the
wheelbarrows held about -four bushels Of
DROVE MR.. WALSH'S CART.
Fleming Christian, who has driven Il
cart for Mr.. Walsh for several years
said ne had done hauling for TOwnes
after the sale OF coke was stopped. Townes
gave him she short haus and he made
four or five loads a day. He lost no time
and would haul coke and bring shells
back Towns sold In smaller quantities
about as much as witness hauled for him.
Witness continued: "The biggest amount
I ever hauled for Townes was twelve
loads on Wednesdays. | hauled coke 10
Mr. Burford on Second street, for about
three weeks. and on the average about
three loads a day. We filled shed. and
also put coke In Mr.. Burford's yard,
l
toners and merchants. where | hauled
regularly | haulsd shells from every
where-trOm restaurants or oyster-stands.
| would go on my own account where |
could find shells After | learned the
ropes ! gave tickets for the shells: each
ticket read for twenty-five bushels. As far
as | know. they were sold at the rate
of 3 IL cents for twenty-five bushels. l
teenth street and put in good deal Of
coke there"
Christian said he also hauled western |
coke. but he did not know where TOwnes |
got it from.
THEY WERE REFUSED COKE.
Mr.. ii. Throckmorton. who has been |
at the. gas-works ten years, said Towncs !
used the city's wheelbarrows. and the /
repairing OF the same was paid for by the /.
city. There was another cOlOred man /
by the name of Page who got part of I
the coal. Witness had been refused coke. /
and he thought others had. The coke !
from the generators all went out then; |
now il is all burned over '"Townes." wit |
ness continued. also got fine coal from |
the cOal-shed and coke from the retorts. !
rows wheeled out in a day. | counted |
it with Mr.. Wells. He has carried out !
as much before that day and afterwards. /
HE LOST HIS PLACE.
Mr. Miles jordan. who goes on duty al |
$50 A. NJ. and claims to have given the
ties said he had seen the negroes wheel |
ing out from twenty to forty barrows OF
coke every morning. and had seen Townes
fork out from forty To fifty bushels OF
from $40 to 81 day off the coke. and
when witness heard that Townes gave
out tickets for coke ne Informed Mr. X. |
II Boykin. The men working here could
get a little coke now and then, but very
seldom Witness went before the com
mittee at the first investigation with two
or three others. Mr.. Jordan formerly
filled the place now held by Mr.. Taylor.
because he had seen what the negroes
were doing. and there was fear that he
would expose the condition. OF affairs.
Mr.. W. r. Timberlake said the ashes
wheeled out by Townes contained good
coke; sometimes twenty-five or thirty
bushels from one generator. II would
have been proper 10 use that coke again
This happened four times In twenty-four
coal pile at night on one occasion wit
ness continued. ''and reported to Mr.
Taylor. who said he reported to Mr.
Walsh. but never heard any more about
negro but could not find him. Now we
do not get out five or six bushels Of good
coke. The plant was In very bad condl-
tion for perhaps nine months before MIR
by a great deal of coke and oil was
wasted The plant Is now in frst-class
condition. and there is no more waste
MIR. George Wills testified that Townes
carried out all the fine stun from The
stand from the shed and everything
from the generators. There was a great
heal of good coal In 1t. One day he took
notice that Townes carried out thirty-five
ba arrows There was no trash In it, be-
cause they got 1t from the pile under the
shed where IL was thrown from trestle
On that day Townes got the coal from
he pile. He used shovel. Witness had