Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-16
CITY AGAINST STOKES
GAs-wORKs SHORTAGE CASE BE-
GINS IN LAW AND EQUITY COURT.
TWO WITNESSES FOR The PLAINTIFF
Messrs. Meredith and walsh Tell OF
Their Connection with the Gas
Piant-Money Went 10. superin"
tendent Adams.

The case Of the city Of Richmond
against Charles p. Stokes. as bondsman
for the late william c. Adams, Superin-
frr,dent of the City Gas-Works. was
called for trial in the Law and Equity
Court yesterday morning at II O'CLOCK
Considerable time was consumed in Sc
curing the jury. which, when completed
from a SPECIAL venire, consisted oil
Messrs. John W. Cringan, John w. Fer
r,,sson. r.. n. Northen. J. T. Gray
Charles II. Spence. Samuel II. Pull
liam. f. 7. Hudgins, James W.
White. d. A. Weisieer. NJ l.
Clarke. r. A. Taylor. Peter MeCurdy,
J. S. Crenshaw, Powhatan Ellis, r. w.
Jones. and Gordon Wallace. The names
OF Messrs. Powhatan Ellis. J. 5. Cren-
shaw. Z. p. Hudgins. and Samuel H..
Pulliam were stricken off.
The city was represented by her at
torney. Mr.. c. V. Meredith, while Messrs
Leake e. Carter were on hand as eour'
sci for the defendant. The defence
submitted demurrer to the plaintiff s
bill, which was promptly overruled with
out argument.
PRESENTATION OF CASE.
Witnesses were called on behalf of the
city as follows; Messrs. John f. Mere
hith. T. ]. Walsh, r. W. Carter, II. c.
Boudar w. j. Gentry, and B. r. August.
II was stated by Sheriff Hughes that all
the witnesses for the defence had been
summoned and they were not called.
Mr. Meredith made a brief presentation
of his case, stating thai he proposed TO
show that during Mr. Adamss terms
of office as Superintendent of the City
Gas-Works there was n shortage of
So. 56474 He would show that Mr.. Adams
received a large amount of cash for sales
from coke. tar. amoniacal liquor. and
Junk, which had never been turned In 10
the City Treasurer. The City Attorney
went into a bnef explanation OF now
Mr.. Adams had defauled. taking up the
coke transactions FIRST and going through
each feature of the sales carried on at
the gas-works He said that unfortu-
nately for the city, during Mr.. Adams's
first term in the office. he stole more
money than the amount Of his bond
s5OO0-and the city could not hope to
recover this excess. During latter terms
Mr. Adams's shortage was less than this
sum, and the city could only get out of
Mr.. Stokes the sum Mr.. Adams de-
faulted for
Mr. Hill Carter replied TO Mr. Meredith.
He said that Mr.. Meredith had stated
that Mr.. Adams knew stealing was
going on and that the Superintendent
participated i'm il. Mr.. Carter held that
the plaintiff had TO bring into this court
proof absolute anc positive that the
dead Superintendent actually got the
stolen money or that he had fraudulent
knowledge that stealing was going on
He said that the city. through the crmi-
nal negligence of it's officers. had lost its
money. and II could not now saddle this
loss upon an innocent surety.
Mr.. Meredith. on behalf of the city,
here filed In the case copy Of the city
charter and certain ordinances bearing
upon the selection and duty of the Su-
perintendent of the Gas-Works.
THE BOOK-KEEPER TESTIFTES.
Ii was / o'clock when the first witness
Mr.. John f. Meredith--was called. Mr.
Meredith, who was book-keeper at the
Lower gas-works during a part of Mr..
Adams's administration, was first ex-
amined as TO his service in this capacity,
and asked TO explain his system for keep
ing the coke accounts of the department.
He showed one of the stub books, and
said that in its original form the book
contained three tickets. One of these was
issued TO the driver, one TO the
man on the coke pile. and the third re-
manned i'm the book as a stub. The re-
ceipts for coke in the Office OF the City
Auditor should correspond with those
stub books. but for their mutilated con-
dtion The totals for a great many Of
the months footed up, the witness went
on TO explain, were footed up by
the late Superintendent. inasmuch as they
were In his handwriting, Mr.. Meredith
asserted that all the funds collected by
him for sales OF coke were properly
turned over TO the foreman Of the works
In a general way he went over pretty
much the same ground covered by him
during his examination before the Com
mit.ee OF Investigation appointed by the
City Council 10 inquire into the gas
works shortage.
THE AFTERNOON SESSION.
Court took a recess OF an hour and a
half and convened again at 1870 O'Clock.
with ex-Book-keeper Meredith on the
stand
Being cross-exanined by Mr. Carter,
the witness said that he did not re-
gard IL as his duty 10 keep an account
OF all the coke transactions. He de-
clared that he had nothing TO do with
the coke issued TO the City Mission. He
had said that by the system employed
at the WORKS the DOCKS would never
balance with those OF the Auditor, but
he kept them as Mr.. Adams directed
him TO. Mr.. Meredith stated that wheR
coke was sold on credit he would ted
tickets for II out of the hack of the
book, and make a note of the transact
tiOn when the coke was paid for, in
the front OF the book. I'm other words,
never made an entry upon my books
which would make me responsible for
coke until / got the money for it,"
Were the balances on your books
properly brought DOWN" asked Mr.. Car
ter OF the witness.
mo. sir; the ammonia account would
not balance. and my books would not
balance. In accordance with the figures
given me by MIR. Adams" 49,
KNEW NOTHING OF 1T.
''You say that there was nothing on
your books which caused you to sup
pose that anything wrong was going on
az the gas-works?'' queried Mr.. Carter
mot thing in the world declared
Book-keeper Meredith, with some yigor.
II saw that there was a difference Of
500 in the tar account. which ! could not
straighten out. but | did not dream OF
any shortage, until after this thing came
out"
Upon further REORGANIZATION by
Nr. Carter. the witness went on 10 fur
Their explain that when coke was sold
In large quantities. Tor future delivery,
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