Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-14
WIRESUNOERGROUND
Officials of U. s. Electric Company
in the Police Court.
A MUCH DISCUSSED POLE
District Experts Propose Plans
for Buying Gables.

TOT Curylng CaDieS.
TECHNICAL EXAMINATIONS
The sequel to the recent electric light
pole comedy" enacted at the corner Of 18th
street and Pennsylvania avenue a week
ago yesterday was played out this morning
In the Police Court.
The first act of the drama had for it's
Curtain climax" the arrest of the pres.-
dent Of the United States Electric Lighting
Company and two of his linemen for erect
ing pole without permit from the Com
m!ssicners and in direct violation to the
order of Maj. Powell the Engineer Com
missioner. Readers Of The Star will re-
member that force of men in the employ
of the electric light company put up the
poles early in the morning of March G.
Later in the day Policemen Mellen and
Oriahi had two of the linemea "treed up
the pole" and when President Thomas or
dered the two men not to come down until
they Lad finished the work of transferring
the wires from the old and broken pole to
the new one he. too. was put under arrest.
TIE case was once postponed, and when
after 10 o'clock this morning President
Thomas and his men were represented by
Attorneys Jere Wilson and ]. K. Redding-
ten.
Prosecuting Attorney Pugh haG asso-
ciated with him Mr.. Sidney T. Thomas, ,sthe
attorney for the District, and Mr.. a. b.
Duvall.
Commissioners Truesdell and Powell oc-
cupied seats within the railway which
separates the officers of the court from the
general crowd, and We're interested specta-
tors OF the scene.
The Charges.
The informations lodged against Presi-
dent Thomas and Linemen Philip F. Bash
fcrd and Daniel Scanlon charged them
With occupying public space" The presi-
dent OF the company was also charged, in
a separate information, with "defacing
public property
In the case of the men who were arrested
several days ago and charged with string
ing wires in conduit on 14th street, Mr..
Pugh, acting under instructions from the
Commissioners, stated that he desired to
enter nolle pros.
Superintendent Frederick A. Chamberlain
and Lineman w. w. Burnett were also
charged with occupying public space, SO that
altogether there were five defendants in the
case.
Policeman Mellen was the first witness,
for very little time was lost in the preiIn-
Currences on that historic Friday, when he
arrested the men who were up the pole and
also the others, who urged them on to the
work that day. His story was substan-
TALLY the same as told in The Star that day.
Mr.. Wilson said that for the purpose of
saving time and simplifying matters the
defense would admit certain facts.
Defense Admissions.
For instance, the defense admitted that
on the night Of March ), some time after
midnight, force Of men in the employ of
the company did erect new pole at the
northeast corner of 18th street and Penn
sylvania avenue, to take the place of pole
that was put up by the Western Union
company in 1867 or 1868, and was consc-
quently not in condition to do good service
today. They also admitted that the work
was done without specific written permit
from the Commissioners.
Mr.. Pugh then called as witness Thomas
T. Rabbit who was formerly a lneman in
the employ Of the U. S. Electric Lighting
Co.
Empty COndufts.
The witness testified that there are two
underground co1duts on 18th street, one
on the east and one on the west side OF
the street. The one On the east side of
the street Is a siX-way duct. OF the six
ways or ducts n the conduit one is vacant,
dead wire in the conduit. On the west side
there are two ;wo-way conduits, which are
not completely filed. In the opinion of
the witness tie underground conluits could
accommodate all the wires which are now
strung overhead.
Cross-examincd by Mr.. PedJins1on, the
witness said that the empty duct 10 which
he referred ran from to G street lie
was unable 20 say that there was a vacant
duct running all the way from Pcnnsyll
vania avenue TO + street. At one time ia st
fall he did assist in putting in 4 new cdoic,
pulling it through with a dead pressure
Wfre."
In response to direct question from Mr.
Reddingtcn, the witness said that he did
not attempt to put new wire through the
vacant duct under the direction Of Superin-
tendent Chamberlain and fail in the at
tempt.
The defense endeavored to show by Mr.
Rabbit that wires of different character
could not be placed in the same duct, but
the witness said that he did not pretend to
be an electrician, and the court suggested
that anyhow that was matter for an eX-
pert to decide. An effort on the part of the
defense to show that Rabbit had been dis
charged by the company and had threat
ened Ito get even" also fell through.
Condition of Ducts.
Walter c. Allen, a clerk in the office of
the Engineer Commissioner, was next call
GU dS q WllASSS AOE lne prosecution. lie
stated that he made a thorough examina-
ton of the conduits on 18th street on Fri
day, March 6, and also on Saturday and on
the following Monday. He described in
considerable detail the wires in the differ
ent ducts and their condition, from notes
taken at the time. Several Of these wires
are dead" Mr.. Allen agreed with the
preceding witness in the statement that
there is a vacant duct in the east conduit
at the northeast conner of 18th street and
Pennsylvania avenue.
In the manhole at the northeast corner
of 18th and streets there are two empty
drcts North of this each duct has at least
cne wire in 1t, but one of these is dead
wire. Between G street and New York ave-
nue. he found the ends of two dead wires
Mr.. Allen said that in his opinion the
wires in the conduit at 18th and Pennsyl-
vania avenue could be more economically
placed, so as to leave room for a number
of other wires. Still he hardly thought
that all the overhead wires could be ac-
commodated in that one conduit.
All the Wires.
Mr.. Allen started to tell how the wires
between F and G streets could be put un-
derground, but Mr.. Reddington insisted
that this did not have any bearing on the
case, as it did not show how they could