The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-08
GETTING RICH MADE EASY Graft of Pennsylvania
 Employees. THE TESTIMONY OF J. A. sIKoN Salary Ranged from $30 to $I26 a
 Month. Yet He Was Enabled to Purchase Stock in Coal Producing Companies
 Worth Many Thousands
 of noIInrs. v.
THE TESTIMONY OF J. A. SIKoN

Is to chafacterize the investigation of the Interstate Commerce Commission into the relations between the railroads and the soft coal and oil industries. Att torrey Glasgow for the Commission stated today that owing to the large number of witnesses still to be heard the session of the present hearing will continue all of this week and probably | portion of next week. A. w. Gibbs, General Superintendent of motive power of the Pennsylvania Railroad. stationed at Altoona, was re- | called snd asked by Mir. Glasgow if it | was not a fact that the most of the fuel coal purchased by the Pennsylva- mia Railroad Company came from the Keystone Coal and Coke Companys op- erations and those of Col. Alfred Hicks. Mir Gibbs said that was SO. MT GIas- gow wanted to know if it was merely coincidence that company coal was l furnished by the concerns fin which railroad officials were interested or whether he had been instructed by any higher official as to what companies were to furnish fuel coal
 MT. Gibbs explained as he did whe, previously on the stand. that 1t was the custom for the railroad to assist new operations by purchasing fuel coal | from them. l His Authority Limited. | MT. Gibbs further said that he had
 
 | from a particular company The companies were designated by orders from Broa1 street station were l they not?" queried Mr. Glasgow. The orders came from the General Manager" replied the witness | Mir Gibbs said tl.at he exercised his prerogative of reducing the supply of fuel coal furnished by a a particular operation if he thought conditions war. ranted it. The records showed that 1 the supply furnished by tho Lucesco Company had been cut down four lthousand tons in 1904.
 MrqGtbhs was asked if he knew that ". A. Patton. assistant to Prasldent Cessatt, was interested h that com I pany
 He had heard SO He reduced the supply, however. because the quality of the coal was not as good as that furnished by other companies. Joseph K. Aiken. who has been chief Clerk in the Superintendents oface O. the Monongahela division of the Penn. sylvania Railroad. gavs some inter. esting testimony. At the outset ne showed disposition to spar with At. | torney Glasgow He told of large coal had purchased with his own money. | When Mir, Glasgow wanted to know how he got the money, he answered "by tudicious investment of my sala. ry."
 What is your sa1aryY' asked Mir. Glasgow.
 What Is my salary3 Oh 1t has va ried from sso to SIPS a month"
 It's $l2s now 'Yes, it's s12s now"
 Well, will you tell the commission how you could save enough money out of that salary to make such large purchases of stock2" | Made s2o.OOO in One Deal. | ,'T don't care about giving my pri- vate history to the public Still turned .s3o,ooo out of coal deal in 1900"
 How was thatY'
 How was that? We'll I had some options on coal lands which I sold to | the PittsburE and Buffalo Coal Com- l pany."
 And they gave you s2o.ooo."
 And they gave me $2o.oo0." 'In stock or cash7" l Tn cash" | Joseph B Boyer chief clerk in Mir. | Gibbs office" said MT. Glasgow. "tes. titled yesterday that you sent him money"
 Well, did" l How much"
 How much7 I gave him five cents ton for fuel coal which the Dunkirh Coal Company furnished the railroad"
 Why did you give him the five cents ton?'
 "oh. thought we would like some of the companys business and I paid Boyer five cents a ton commission for | getting the business. That I believe was the recognized commission" | You would not have paid Mir Boyer l that commission if he did not hold the position he occupies with the railroad. would your
 certainly not. would not pay him five cents for nothing"
 Asked if he ever got any money from l coal companies. Mir. Aiken said Cap- | tain Hicks had at various times sent | him checks for $50. He received about | s250 In that way.
 If Hicks had not had an operation on your divfsion you would not have l got that money. would your" That's self explanatory" interJect- ed Commissioner CockrelL Yes, self explanatory" repeated the witness.
 Asked as to his stock holdings. MT. Aiken said he had 500 shares in the Braznel1 Coal Company for which he paid $25,OOO cash.
 That is $50 share?" said Mir dlas- gow.
 No. it's s10O a share"
 You only paid $50 a share"
 No. l paid $lO0 share"
 How do you figure it?' T am on the books for Si00 share. oh, it's plain enough what you paid for It," said Commissioner Clements; what is the use of qulbbling?