Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-06-07
Coal Buyer for Railroad Gets Commission
on All Purchases
AMOUNTS TO $4,000 IN THREE YEARS
He Says He Thought He W" Doing
Nothing Unusual.
SUPERIOR OENlts KNOWLEDGE OF AFFAIR
Coal OmcisIs who Paid the Bonus
Told Boyer Tbey Had Been
DoinE II for Years and
wished TO Continue.

ccpted Gifts of stock amounting TO w.
900 and money aggregstnE more thah
$4,000 from coal mining companies our
ing q period Of about three years was ad-
mltted today by Joseph Boyer, chief clerk
in the once of A. w. Gibbs, superintend-
ent Of motive power OF the Pennsylvania
railroad Mr Boyer purchased the fuel
coal used in the locomotives OF the com
pony and the donors Of the gifts we're
the coal companies which furnish the fuel
TO the railroad. Mr.. Boyer named seven
companies which allowed him from 70
3 cents on each ton sold to the railroad
company. He declared that he never
asked for the allowances, but accepted IL
because he believed he was following a
custom OF the department; in fact one
OF the coal company officials told him he
had paid II before and wanted to con-
tinue paying it to the witness. Mr..
Boyer denied that he divided the money
with any other official or employe of
the railroad. He said he kept it all.
SUPERIOR Denies knowledge.
A. w Gibbs. Mr. Boyer's superior on
eer. on the stand. said he was unaware
that such considerations existed in his
department.
Mr.. Boyer said ne was at hrst disin-
clined 10 accept the money, but after
thinking Il over decided that he was doing
nothing unusual,
How long did you wrestie with your
conscieneeT' aueried Commissioner Glenn
eut.
The witness did not know.
NJ X Reeves. assistant to Vice Presi-
dent Push. admitted that he had ac-
ceptsd stock from. Colonel George s. Hun
and David f. williams Colonel Hum. he
said. purchased some OF his holdings in
the Keystone Coal and Coke company.
paying him 10000 for It, Mr.. Reeves
stated that he has known Colonel Hun
since, boyhood and declared the latter
knew he was not in a position to favor
him when the stock was presented.
A number of employees OF the Baltimore
& Ohio railroad We're examined during the
afternuon session ana the commission en-
deavored to learn through j. E. Muhl-
feldt, general superintendent OF motive
power. something Of the arrangement be-
tween the railroad and the II. c. Frick
Coal company concerning the repairing Of
cars.
Mr.. Muhlfeldt admitted that the Frick
company had an advantage over other
companies. but was unable TO tell why.
He said It had been the prctice for the
last ten years. but he did not know the
terms Of the agreement il one existed.
Boyer's Testimony I'm Detail.
The Interstate Commerce commission to-
day continued it's Investigations Of the re-
lations OF Pennsylvania railroad ofneers
and employees to various mining compa-
nles In the bituminous coal district The
FIRST witness was Joseph Boyer of Altoona
chief clerk In the ONCE OF A. ". Gibbs
superintendent OF motive power.
Mr.. Boyer SAID he had 200 shares of stock
In ka IaR him
for his one-third interest in the MacLareT
Coal company. The MacLaren stock wal
given to him by Mr.. Jamison. He also hac
ten shares In the Valley Coal company and
nfteen in the EdrI Coal company, which
were presented TO him by Captain Alfred
Hicks. Ten shares OF Preston Coal com
pany stock were sent to him in an envelope
He was not certain who sent It, but though
II must have come from Joseph Aiken.
railroad man, or II. A. Kuhn. an operator
All OF these stocks paid dividends. Mr.
Boyer said also that he holds an interes
amounting to 5000 in undeveloped Goa
lands on the West Penn division. He palC
for this stock,
In its entirety Mr.. Boyer's testimony
was OF a startling character. His stocl
holdings were only a small portion Of tn,
gifts ne admitted receiving from Goa
mining companies,
Rsbaas sn Coal Bought.
In his capacity as purchaser OF fue
coal he testified that he had received
from ive companies an allowance of from
to cents a ton on coab used by tn
railroad for fuel purposes. During III
period from the latter part of lsOs 4
date he has received total of more thai
$4,000. The money was nrst sent y
him In cash. but later cashiers check
were sent to Cashier Hastings of the Sc,
ond National bank of Altoona and places
on deposit for Boyer The companie
which made him the allowance were IN
Gran Coal company, the Clearheld an
Granton Coal company, the Dunkirk Goa
company, Smith q Turner and Thoma
Blythe Co. The Graf Coal company al
lowed him cents ton and the Cleariel
and Granton company gave him a share 4
the prOnts, which amounted to not les
than cents a ton. Thomas Blythe 4 CO
gave him cents n ton.
He was asked why he Disseminated n
favor Of Thomas Blythe & Co and reptile
that he did not discriminate, a. the none
came TO him without solicitation or an
enort on his part. He believed that tn
money had been paid In the same mAnns
to his predecessors In once and believe
that he was only following the custom q
the department.