The Newtown bee., 1903-02-20
Ten Pages.
TOWN TOPICS.

HEARING ON THE sKlDMORE Es- TATE
 BEFORE THE COMMISSIONERS RESUMED AT BRIDGEPORT ONTHURsDAY.
 The hearing on the estate of the late Philo H. Skidmore, as regards the claims of Auctioneer Walters and others, was resumed in Bridgeport on Thursday last, before Commissioners Charles H. Northrop and M. J. Houli- han. Julius w. Skidmore once more took the stand. MT Skidmore said in substance: There were the inSides of several pieces of machinery unavail- able, intricate parts broken, carriages, etc., missing. Walters caused six ma chimes to be brought over here. The parts are still on the floor at the fac tory. All were received and duty had been paid on it at 45 per cent. They were of no practical value to manufac- ture lace as landed here. They were secondhand machines, about 20 years old. Parts were worn badly and great many parts were missing and broken. Parts that were brought over could.not be used. We had to have new parts made in England. was fa- miliar with these machines for year. Father was nearly 85 when he died. He retired from active business en- tirely in 1884. He had not done any thing in the Pacific Iron Works for some time. There was quite change in him in the last few years of his life. His memory was treacherous. l was not informed of the starting of this project. The first intimation I had that he had gone into this was in Jan uary, 1901, when was shooting in Vir- ginia. l came right home and father came down to see me. Hurd knew nothing of it till told him. should have interposed had I known it. Hurd said we ought to put conservator over him. He had property in New Orleans which was look after by MT Bridges. Speaking of the lace busi- ness in which MT Skidmore had em- parked, Julius said: It was a forlorn hope from the start. They spent $7,OOO in England for carriages and other machinery, and between $6,O00 and S7, 900 for labor.
 John Dodson was the next witness to take the stand. He said: reside in Philadelphia. Am familiar with lace machines and have been for 40 years One machine at the factory in Strat- ford was set up. The second machine was ready with the exception of jac- quard. That was not on the prem ises. It required six more jacquards to complete the machines. The ma- chinery set up was adapted to the manufacture of lace. There are many thousand parts to to a lace machine. Paid sl75 each for the jacquards in the market. It is almost an impossibility to state how many parts were missing in the other machines. One machine had no fly wheel. Another had no geering. He considered such ma chine set up and ready to work worth l a year and half ago in Nottingham. Jardine's last catalogue price for 36O inch sX-pOint machine was G1020. Small machines will last longer than large ones. Julius Skidmore had told me he did not want Walters around there. tend lace machine for the Lehigh Manufacturing Co.,, and work 5 hours week. Earned last week $24.93. About TO men and appren- tices are employed in the factory where 1 work. came up here because was sent for by MT Walters. Did not hire anyone to take my place. | Walters wrote me to come up and see if I could be of service to him. I in timated I could not get off. I do not know of any machines in this country of 114 inches in width. never bought or sold a machine like the No. 1. My knowledge of values is formed entirely on the catalogue price. The large
 machines are used in all modern fac
 tories. None of the machines in the
 factory at Stratford were complete to
 work. MT Dodson's testimony as to the value of the machines.was stricken out, as it was shown the witness knew
 nothing of their value except the cata-
 logue price.
 D. J. Walters: saw machines of
 the character we purchased in Not
 tingham in two or three shops. I saw
 no evidence in MT Skidmore of imbe.
 cility or loss of memory.
 Mrs w. A. Leonard is passing a foW