Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-06-19

not ne saw Eaton lock the door after
he entered.
William Tallman, the drayman who
hauled the stuff up from the depot
was called. Some of the stuff came
from Huntington. Some of the boxes
were partly open, and witness detalieu
rho transfer of the goods from the de-
not infinitely, and at great length
Witness hauled fourteen loads OF goods
from the depot; Eaton gave him Dilis
of lading: he did not notice the ship
ner's name. Eaton told him Saturday
before the fire he was going to Pitts
burg and would not be back till the
next Saturday, and if any more goods
csme not TO haul them until he return
ed.
On cross-examination witness said he
knew goods came after the fire and
we're shipped away again, but on re-
direct he said he did not mean it was
after the fire, but it was after Eaton
had told him not 10 haul them until his
return. There were eight or nine boxes
at the B. & o. depot he knew OF; this
on Tuesday or Wednesday; they arriv-
ed Monday afternoon or Tuesday, at
the P, c. & st. L. There were some
boxes a little larger than shoe box,
and they came over the Ohio River
road, he supposed from Huntington.
]. D. Gibbons was next called. He is
an employee of the Panhandle freight
depot, where he is platform foreman.
Witness remembered four shipments of
stuff from Huntington, for William
Eaton, a week or so before the fire.
some were marked in full to William
Eaton, and others were not marked at
az; there was quarter or half car in
each shipment; one shipment, not as
large as the others, was not taken from
the depot; this was the last shipment,
and witness thought it was returned
to Huntington Some of the crates
and boxes were open, and it was old
and rather common looking stock"
Witness described the fly paper and
timers stock.
John S. Baxter, of Huntington, was
then called. He was a travelling sales
man for the Central Trading Company,
which made an assignment about
March Sd or 4th. That Company did
business at Huntington about nine
months. on the south side Of Third
avenue. between Tenth and Eleventh
streets. There was a warehouse in the
rear. Men by the name of Shippey,
Baker. Smith, King, Eaton, Alexander,
alias Gion, and others were interest
ed. Baker and King were attorneys.
The latter went by the name of Will
liam Gion until two days before the
business was closed up. He had been
in Huntington eight or nine months or
a little longer Chippey was never
there. but Smith was there nearly all
the time. except when he was off on a
trip. He left before the business
closed Smith claimed he was in
Wheeling prior to February 18th. He
did not come back to Huntington, and
witness had not seen him until yes
terday. when he saw him in Sisters
vile. Eaton was not at the store. The
business was a novelty business.
O.-(By Howard)-I wish you would
look at the objects you see in front of
you? Al don't have to; know what
they are.
Odd you handle that sort of
goods? Ayes.
Q.-Is there any object there you did
not handle? A.-No.'
Q.-Then you include all Of them?
Ayes.
Q-What is in that crate? Ally
paper.
Odd you sell that? A.-No; We
kept it for show. 1t was piled in the
warehouse. A hole was cut through to
the attic, and it was piled up there.
Q.-Was any of it shipped to Wheel
ing? Ayes; to William Eaton.
Q.-How much? A.-Seven hundred
and thirty-five crates.
Q.-Anything else? Ayes; lot
of paper fly plates which were kicked
about on the floor down there, and were
thrown into boxes to fill them up. We
shipped lot of fish lines, old tin scrap,
broken Columbian canes, with the
heads broken off, etc. There were sent