The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-11-08
The Special Committee Still Preb.Ds Into
The Sale OF Shells.
MESSRS. GRIMES AND WALSH TESTIFY
They Explain Their Connection With the
sale of sheIIs-The Former Says lie
Shared Profit. with Mr.. Adams.
Messrs. Montgomery and
Smoot Also Make
Statements.

the CITY Gas-W orks held another session
in the Office OF Superintendent Knowles,
at the city Hall. last evening. The
following members of the committee were
present: Messrs. Gunst chairman. King,
Bioomberg, Allen. cottreii, Snead, and
G. w. Woody.
Mr. T. +. Taylor the night foreman at
the lower Gas-W orks. was the first witness
| called. He said: II have been en-
! ployed there for nineteen years and have
| been there during the past two years
| j received my orders from Mr.. w alsh,
| which | had TO obey. In the evenings
/ when | came tn, 1 saw the employees OF
| the cOlored man Townes roll out coke
! from the generators and from the west
! ern coke pile l did not allow them 10
roll out coke after o'clock. when went
| on duty. l DO not know whether Mr..
| Walsh knew of it, never reported TO
| him. The coke from the generators was
| in good condition and could have been
used again by the city. The negro
! Townes had the privilege 10 take out
what was called ashes. No one else had
a similar privilege. A. present we use
6 o'clock. when | went on duty. did not
! allow the negroes to go under the coal
| shed. but OF course at the generators
| could not interfere with them. do not
! know who gave TOwnes the privilege
Mr.. Hunter Marston was the next wit
! ness. have to answer the telephone. do
errands and be subject 70 the orders OF
| the Superintendent. | have been there
since April. 1891. The tickets for the
| oyster shells were Of yellow paper, marked
| twenty-five bushels" These tickets
would be given TO tho carts from the
| engine room. These tickets were writ
| ton. while Mr.. Montg0mery's carts re-
| ceived printed tickets. The receipts from
| the Auditors office for money deposited
| by Mr. ADAMS were preserved IN the
| latter's office until he died. when they
| were taken up to Mr. Adams house. Mr..
| Meredith. the bookkeeper. had easy access
| 10 the receipts.
| When money was received for coke
I it would be at night handed 10 Mr. Walsh.
| who would turn IT over to Mr.. Adams.
| Sometimes / have received orders Tor
coke TO be delivered by Townes over the
orders 10 Mr.. Walsh. Mr. Meredith put
| on slips of paper the number Of LOADS
| Of oyster shells sold during the day.
| lie handed these slips 70 Mr.. Walsh at
| night. These loads were only delivered
| by Mr. Montgomery. Mr. Townes nad
two carts Shells were hauled by Mr..
Montgomery. Mr. Smoot. and Mr.. Walsh.
| / have never seen as many as four carts
haul shells Mr.. Adams also had cart,
| but / believe he stopped hauling after
Mr. Smoot got the contract on the
tickets which Mr.. Meredith handled only
! the names Of Messrs SmOOt and Mere
! dith appeared. Mr.. Shoots carts got
| printed tickets In the oiiice. while Mr.
| Walsh's cart got written tickets in the
| engne-rOOm.
owNYR or THE CARTS.
Ma r. S. Golding stated that he was
| working i'm the engine-room. and said
| I delivered written tickets for y bushels
of shells to Mr.. Adams cart and Mr.
| Walshs cart Mr. Adams sold MS cart
| after Mr.. Smoot got the contract, but
| do not know whether Mr.. SmOot owned
| any cart al all. They came in Mr.
| Shoots name. / DO not know how the
| distinction in the tickets was made.
] had nothing TO do with the tickets
| given to Shoots carts. the latter were
! given by Mr. Meredith or Mr.. Marston.
| The tickets 4 gave out were all written
| on paper. the others were aste-poard.
Mr. Walsh brought his tickets 70 the
| engine-room and asked us to deliver
| them to his driver All loads seemed 20
contain twenty-five bushels. l had orders
! not TO receive them if they contained
! less.
Mr. Patrick Burke. a laborer at the
| Gas-Works. said: 1 had TO throw the.
| shells on the pile. Last winter ihFte
carts did the hauling. besides Mr.. Mont
| gomerys one OF the carts belonged 10
Mr. Walsh and the other two as ! un-
| derstood. belonged TO Mr.. John X crimes.
| They were put up at Mr. Grimes stabe.
| | heard everybody say that they be
| ionged TO Councilman Grimes, but
whether they were hired by him or be-
| longed to him cannot tell. some oi
! The loads seemed TO be real small, ana
sometimes / got 10 jawing Win the
drivers for bringing such small loads
| Sometimes l would have to measure
| them. The loads We're oitener benlhl
than over. They would De from '. me-
| 10 five bushels short ! am positive thdt
| MIR Walsh owned one OF the carts. pul
| could not swear that the DINERS ne
Ioneed to Mr.. Grimes, / belleNeu CO.
anyhow. ,.f..,
for Mr. Montgomery. he said nave
been in tn. haoit of bringing shells ihtre;
| have seen others haul out they uid
| not always have full loads. Sometimes
they would nave only eighteen or twenty
bushels | never carr ID snort loads be
cause | was told by Mr.. montgomery mol
TO do it. I got my tickets from the once,
| but | DO not know where the others
! got their tickets from. My carts were al
Ways inspected. Towards the last OF the
season | saw some of the loads OF the
| other drivers measured They always
J dumped the loads first. and then sot
! their tickets
Fleming Christian. who had testified al
! a previous meeting. reiterated that ne
| drove for Mr.. Walsh, and that ne nauled
shells. Sometimes he did not bring in a
full load, and then l dumped them Oh
the side untn got enough COR a fulI
load. When ! first started out Wltiess
said | went TO places whore Mr.. " alsn
tolI me 10 go. Two other carts. which
were said to belong TO Mr. Smoot were
put Up AT Mr.. Grimes stable Mr. Nrinles
paid me off on Saturdays Mr. crimes en-
ployed me when ] first ask q for work.
lie paid me five dollars a week.
MIR. AoNrGoMFRY's TESTIMONY.
Mr.. Montgomery was the next witness.
| am dealing in oysters, he SAID, anu
have done 50 for tWenty-tOur years. MI.
Adams came To me in 1892 and asked me
to nut IL d bid to furnish the shells IOr
him, and 1 aid so. The contrast Wa
awarded TO me for IL cents per bushel.
The contract was Tor 5000 bushels, ana
IL run over into the next season, ana tneh
| ordered 300 bushels more tor Mr.
Adams. During the middle OF the season |
one of Mr. ADAMS old drivers came 10 |
me and asked me to let him haul shells |
for me which / did until Mr.. Adams !
complained that the man was haunnS |
shells which his own carts should maui.
| hauled the shells only from my own
place [ had the contract for two Yeas, |
and | hauled also from an Italian at the
corner who had a misunderstanding with |
MIR Adams. ! hauled from these two
places about l6cD or 1900 bushels OF |
Shells a season. 1 would send my tickets |
to the Office make out my bill about the |
time the committee would meet and send |
il TO MIR. Adams who would pay me. only |
during the latter part 1 would get Vouch- |
ers -
Air. Adams came 20 me in 1894 ana asked |
me ii | would bid. and / said would fur |
nish IL for i've cents, and Mr.. Adams |
said 1 should make II five ana quarter |
cents and | would get the contract, but |
| toldl him | would make ii fve cents. |
When the contract was given out round !
ont that 1 was beaten. Mr.. Smith got the |
contract fer four and seven-eisht cents. |
Mr. Adams then came 10 me and said ! |
= l.s I.. a !