The Washington times., 1906-06-06
GRAFT CAME EASY
FOR CHIEF CLERK
OF MOTIVE POWER
Presents of Stock and
Money Piled on
Official.
ADMITS BIG RAKE-OFF
J. R. Boyer Had Good Thing
at Pennsylvania Altoona
Shops.
ADMITS BIG RAKE-OFF

PHILADELPHIA, June 6.-Addltional
evidence OF graft among PENNSYLVANIA
Railroad officials developed al tOday's
Interstate Commerce Commission coal
hearing when Chief Inquisitor William
Glasgow, jr., called J. Z. Boyer, chief
clerk to the general superintendent Of
motive power ct Altoona, and under a
merciless questioning showed that Boy
er was getting money In all directions
from coal companies.
Glasgow showed a marvellous famil-
iarity with the witness operations and
Boyer IN his willingness to admit his ac-
ceptance OF rakes of even produced
memoranda 20 refresh his memory as
TO the companies he had taken money
from.
Held Coal Stock in Plenty.
Boyer was first asked If he held any
coal stocks. He said he had 200 shares
in the Jameson Coal and Coke Com
pany. while he had received a third
share in McClaren Coal Company, which
was the formers predecessor. He had
first acquired his interest IN 1904.
How did you get it?' was asked.
at was given to me-" was the answer
Boyer said the stocks paid per cent
dividends
The witness stated IN answer to ques-
tions that he owned ten shares Of the
Valley Coal Company and fifteen shares
Of the Edri Coal Company. which
brought him an income OF from 500 10
S225 a month. These stocks We're pre-
sented 20 him BY Captain Hicks. he
said. and ne never figured the exact per-
centage Of the dividends he received
Given by Unknown Doner.
Ten shares OF the Preston Coal Com
pany within the past Two years We're CIV
en- 70 Boyer. he said. BY an unknown
donor
The stock certificates arrived in an
envelope" he said. and while I sus-
pected that either Joseph Aiken or II.
A Kuhn had given me the stocks, yet
never knew. On that stock I received
three checks aggregating $500
Boyer's most startling confession was
about the rake-on on tonnage he re-
ceived from operators furnishing the
Pennsylvania with engine fuel coal.
Under a merciless examination by AR
Glasgow. Boyer admitted that TO him.
a minor clerk, had been given S46. 900 in
the past three years by operators fur
nishing the company coal
Paid Him Handsomely.
From the memorandum. Boyer testified
that he had received money from the
Gran Coal Company, CIearheld and
Champion Coal Company. Dunkirk Coal
Company, Smith & Turner Coal Com
pany, and Thomas Blythe Company.
From the Graf Company. beginning
in 1903, Boyer received cents per ton
for coal purchased for company pur-
poses. His total receipts from this com
pany amounted in two years and two
months to Sl5.302.05. With the Clearield
and Champion Coal Company, Boyer
had an arrangement to receive one-third
of the profts-aVeraging almost 4 cents
per ton The Dunkirk Company paid D
cents a ton in 1905, in which year their
sales 10 the Pennsylvania Company
leaped 10 29.304 tons from a total of but
673 tons in 1901 Smith az Turner paid
total of SlS.520, but Boyer said he had
received no check from them since
March.
Investigation Stopped Graft.
How did these payments come TO
stop asked counsel
About that time this Investigation
started" was the answer.
Thomas Blythe's arrangement was
for a payment of 3 cents a ton. and in
year this resulted in Boyer's receiving
8. .3Q- 81.
company records the quantities Of fuel
coal purchased from the various com
panies involved, the computation of
Boyer's income on this basis totaIed
$46, 600. and Boyer admitted he had re-
ceived about that sum.
Boyer said that he had received the
money at first in currency in envelopes,
but receipts soon grew too bulky to
make this plan successful, and he had
checks sent payable to the cashier of
the Second National Bank, in Altoona
Mr. Glasgow evidently knew all about
these checks.
why did you adopt this system?"
was asked.
II didn't want my private affairs
known" was the answer.
Kept it All Himself.
did you divide this money with
anyone?'
''No, sir; kept it all. sir"
The witness said his salary from the
company, by whom he is still employed.
is s., 500 a year. Under rigid question
ing, Boyer stuck doggedly to his as
sertion that he never divided his great
profits and that none of his superiors.
including the chief Of motive power.
Mr. Gibbs, nor General Manager After
bury knew about his operations.
He said he had never solicited the gifts
and denied that he had favored the COM
panies so giving. although the records
showed that the sales of fuel by the
named increased greatly
after the rake-Off commenced, and Mr.
Glasgow tried TO show that one com
pany had ceased TO sell entirely to the
PENNSYLVANIA railroad Boyer denied
that he had solicited and failed to OBJ
tain money from this particular com
pany.
Bower named several persons who had
acted as Intermediates between him and
the companies with whom he dealt He
that ne had turned down offers