The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-05-24
PEllNS u vVAlNIA RAIL ROAD OFFICIAL
GIVES STAR ling TESTIMONY

Big Sensation
ID Railway Case
PHHADELPHIA. May 24.-"when
we are through. Mr- Patton. you VIII
be IN exactly the position you make
for yourself was the answer made
: Lawyer William a. Glasgow to VII
liam a. Patton, Philadelphia assistant
tosPresident Cassatt, OF the Pennsyl-
pania railroad. when. at the hearing
of the Interstate Commerce Comm!s.
sion IN this city yesterday the railroad
Ioffctal protested against being placed
In an unfair position
The significance OF this answer is
that at the conclusion OF his testimony
: Mr. Patton had by his own admissions
placed himself in the following posi-
tion
81 Without the expenditure Of one pen
my he is to-day in possession Of s3o1.-
900 worth OF mining stock gained
while he was an officer Of the Penn
syirania railroad and received by him
: without the expenditure of any ener-
gy In lieu of cash
Two other high officials OF the rail-
road. First Vice President John P.
Green and Third Vice President Sam
fuel Rea, were important witnesses
How Rea Acquired Stock.
Vice President Rea read a statement
to the commission in which he. ex-
planned all his stock transactions. stat
: ing that he did NOT believe he was de-
barred from such ownership because
ssof his connection with the railroad
company. Mr.. Rea said tha. most of
his stock was acquired through his
association with land purchasing syn-
dictates which took up the coal prop
erdes for Development
Vice President Green said thassS2o
or so years ago 1t was not considered
improperfor an Official Of the railro
{ to own coal comI any stock, but that
conditions had changed and such hol1
fncs miShtsno now be regarded in thu
same light as formerly. Ie informed
the commission that the board Of d.
rectors OF the PENNSYLVANIA railroad.
acting upon tie information that hed
been brought out at the hearings. hcd
today appointed committee of five
directors to makeSan investigation into
the connection OF It's officials with coal
companies. Mr. Green said he did not
own a dollars worth Of coal company
stock
Cassstt Aware Of Deals
Patton's testimony was the big Sen
ssaton Of the hearing and in compa-i-
son with it all the graft exposed anocg
the officials of the Pennsylvania ra:!-
road at previous hearings fades into
insiSnifcance. Although he had IN
ingenious explanation of his manner
OF acquiring these huge blocks OF
stock and did no profess to know how
he got it theSexplaaation was more il:-
senious than ingenious for under the
persistent questioning of Lawyer Ola. :
gov he was finally forced to make tn !.
admission that he had the stock ana
that II had NOT cost him one cent
That President A. J. Cassa1r wes
fully aware OF his holdings in coal
companies he reluctantly admitted
and said that no secret was made OF
either his possession Of it or how
he came by it. declaration somewhat
out of harmony with Captain Green's
assumption of surprise at the large
holdings of certain officers of the
Pennsylvania railroad in coal com
panies.
No attempt to discourage the syS
tenn was made by the management
of the Pennsylvania railroad until TIE
startling disclosures made pubIic
through the present hearings of the
Interstate Commerce Commission was
the statement made by this witness
after lengthy wransle with counsel
: for tie government