Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-06
THE "PENNSY' INQUIRY
Further Probing by the |. c.
Commission
AT PHILADELPHIA TODAY
Into Roads Relations With Coal Min
ing Companies.
SOME REMARKABLE EVIDENCE
Dividend Bearing Stocks Presented
officers of Railroad Company
Startling Revelations.
SOME REMARKABLE EVIDENCE

PHILADELPHIA, June 6-The interstate
commerce commission today continued It's
investigation of the relations of the Penn
sylvania railroad officials and employees to
various mining companies in the bituminous
coal district.
The first witness was Joseph Boyer OF
Altoona, chief clerk in the office of A w.
Gibbs. superintendent of motive power. Mr.
Boyer said he had 200 shares of. stock in
the Jamison Coal Company. given to MIN
for one-third interest in the MacLaren Coal
Company, The MacLaren stock was gwen
10 him by Mr.. Jamison. He also had ten
shares in the Valley Coal Company and
fifteen in the Edri Coal Company, which
were presented to him by Capt. Alfred
Hicks. Ten shares of Preston Coal Com
pany stock were sent to him in an envelope
He was not certain who sent 1t, but
thought it might have come from Joseph
Aiken. railroad man. or H. A Kuhn, an
operator
All of these stocks paid dividends. Mr..
Boyer said also that he holds an interest
amounting to $1,000 In undeveloped coal
lands on the West Penn division. He paid
for this stock.
In its entirety Mr.. Boyer's testimony was
of a startling character. His stock holdings
were only a small portion of the gifts he
admitted receiving from coal mining COM
panies. In his capacity as purchaser of fuel
coal he testified that he had received from
five companies an allowance of from 3 to 8
cents ton on coal used by the railroad for
fuel purposes.
During the pertod from the ta ffar mart of
1903 to date he has received total OF
more than $4,000. The money was first
sent to him In cash, but later cashiers
checks were sent to Cashier Hastings OF
the Second National Bank of Altoona and
placed on deposit for Boyer.
The Companies Were Liberal.
The companies which made him the al
lowance were the Graf Coal Company, the
Ciearfeld and Granton Coal Company. the
Dunkirk Coal Company and Thomas Blythe
& Co The Graf Coal Company allowed
him cents a ton. and the Clearfield and
Granton company gave him share in the
profits which amounted TO not less than /
cents ton. Blythe & Co. gave him 3
cents a ton.
He was asked why ne Disseminated in
favor of Blythe d Co. He replied that he
did not discriminate as the money came
TO him without solicitation or any effort
on his part. He believed that the money
had been paid in the same manner to
his predecessors in office. and he believed
that he was only following the custom OF
the department
What did you do with the money!
asked Attorney Glasgow.
II kept IL all"
did YOU not share II with others in
the employ of the railroad?'
Kept All Given Him.
'No. sir; kept 1t ALL"
How do YOU account for getting it,
before me-"
Answering a question by Mr. Glasgow
Mr.. Boyer said that for the money he re-
ceived from the coal companies he did
what he could for them" Asked to explain
this, he said he distributed the orders OF
fuel coal among these companies to the
best advantage.
What did Mr.. Blythe say, when he came
10 see yOu?" queried Mr. Glasgow
He told me he made the allowance be-
fore and wanted 10 pay II TO me-.
Did you ever refuse any money!"
Yes"
why"
Well I didn't know the people who Of
fered IT,"
Mr. Boyer said his salary was s225 a
month. His stock holdings are worth at
par something more than S11.00O. Mr.
Glasgow read from the records the pur-
chases OF coal made from the companies
which gave the allowance, showing a steady
Increase.
Nearly S5O,OCO in Gifts
Roughly estimated. the money received
by Mr.. Boyer from the companies men
toned. was as follows:
Graf Coal Company. $4,000; Clearfield
and Granton Company, 5000; Dunkirk
Company. s1,s5o; Smith and Turner, Sis, ,520
Thomas Blythe. 5000.
Mr. Glasgow said he understood that
these payments had ceased last March. He
wanted TO know why.
Mr.. Boyer said he had not inquired the
reason. but judged ii was because of the
interstate commerce commissions investi-
gation.
A. w Gibbs, general superintendent of
motive power. Mr.. Boyers superior Of
ncer, testified that he knew nothing of his
chief clerks acceptance OF money from the
coal companies.
Commissioner Clements referring to Mr..
Boyer's statement that he believed he was
acting according to the custom OF the de-
partment. asked the witness II he had ever
heard OF anv other man in the department
accepting money as Boyer had:
Mr.. Gibbs said that he had heard that
former Chief Clerk Rohrer had received
presents but the talk and rumors were not
tangible. and ne had no knowledge on the
subject. Mr.. Gibbs declared Mr.. Boyer $
testimony to be a revelation to him. Had
he been aware of the conditions he would
have taken some action.
Helped All New Companies.
Mr.. Gibbs was asked II he had ever been
instructed 10 ouy coal from the Keystone
Coal and Coke Company.
He replied that whenever a new coal
company was organized II was customary
for the railroad to help 1t by purchasing
fuel coal until such time as it would be-
come well established. This applied not only
TO the Keystone Company, but other new
companies.
Mr.. Glasgow asked the witness If he could
give the commission any information con-
cerning the agreement between the railroad
and the H. c. Frick Coal Company concern
ing car reDairs. Mr.. Gibbs said he under
stood there had been some sort OF an agree
ment but he was not familiar with its
terms. The coal company, he said, claimed
that the railroad should make all repairs,
but the latter made an issue OF 1t, and rem
dered bills to the Fricx company for re-
pairs TO its cars. The Frick company paid
for repairs TO wheels and axles but refused
to pay the full amount OF the charges.
The commission took a recess for lunch
con.