Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-06-22

enoniries Mr. Johnson said if the es-
tate was settled up the rent would ce
much higher.
Q.-You can't name any person you
talked to? Al believe not
! Q.-Then you don't know that you
got a cheap building Al considered
it cheap; the price and location gov
erned me.
Odd you need as large a building
as that for the stock of goods you had
or expected? Al could have gotten
along with a smaller building.
Q-Isn't it a fact that the goods you
had would not have filled one-half OF
one room? Alt would take more
space than that; the goods could not
have been packed up to the ceiling; the
boxes were TOO heavy and the goods
could not be gotten out if piled in that
way.
Defendant said he worked in the
bniIding a short time on Sunday be-
fore the fire. and also on Monday. No
one was with him. On Sunday he was
working with the goods three hours IN
the morning and about as long i'll the
afternoon. On Monday he worked four
hours or four hours and half, making
ten hours or ten hours and half IN
the two days. He opened cases and ar
ranged goods.
Witness was asked in detail where
! the various sorts of goods came from
and he said everything came from
Huntington but the fly paper.
Witness described Schmidt as hay-
ing a mustache, and in other ways. lie
was handed a photograph Of Schmidt
but witness could not be sure it was
the man. The photo was of convict,
with the number 1894.
Defendant was then asked to write
his name in ink. Defense objected, and
it was sustained.
Defendant said he did not sign an
agreement in writing with King, Gion,
Alexander, and the others, agreeing to
form the Central Trading Company,
las far as l know Of"
Witness was next asked about the
insurance he obtained, from Rodgers,
Rice and Morgan, and his application
to Theodore Roller and Geo. Mathison.
The total insurance applied for was
$4,000, and the amount secured was
$500.
Witness had never been in Pittsburg,
before he leased the Turner building.
He was a stranger thcSe. He left
Wheeling Monday, at 1:25 p. m, on the
Pennsylvania road, and got to Pitts
burg about p. m. He remained in
Pit:sburg until Wednesday morning.
Then he went to Steubenville, leaving
at a. m. on Wednesday, the day before
the fire He got to Steubenville at 9 a.
m. and stayed one hour and a half, go
ing then to Bellaire. He was there an
hour or less and then went TO Benwood,
about a quarter of twelve. He left
| Benwood about a quarter of two. He
sold no goods at any point he visited.
He got dinner in Benwood, being an
hour in the restaurant. Then he went
back to Bellaire.
Q.-What was your business in Ben
wood? Al went over there to look
the town over, and see what chance
there was to sell goods. l did not know
what sized town it was. There was a
good deal of excitement, on account of
the water being up and there was no
chance to sell goods.
Defendant said all he did was to get
| dinner and find out the size OF the
town. He tried to sell goods in Bell
aire. and called at several places-two
or three-but did not find the proprie-
tor in at any place, and could give no
names. In Steubenville he called on
two firms. but could not tell the names.
He said he had samples of fly paper
I and fly plates, in a paper, and in his
! grip. He left the grip in Bellaire and
took the samples in a paper to Ben
wood. He left the grip in a hotel in
Bellaire Just across from the depot, but
did not know the name of the hotel.
He went from Bellaire to Pittsburg by
the B. & O. He was not in Wheeling
that dav at all and Mr. Rice and Albert
Grandson were mistaken when they
testified they saw him.
Defendants proof of loss, claiming
SS.295.75 loss, under oath, signed in
Chicago. was then shown witness, and
he identified his signature. Witness
went to Rodgers agency, the morning
after the fire and made claim of loss
and when he left Wheeling he went to
Chicago and thence mailed letter to
the Fire Association of Philadelphia,
along with proof of loss. The letter
,was dated March is, and stated partial
proof of loss was enclosed, and that
representatives of the insurance COM
nn,,,. had talran nnssessinn of the stock.