The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1907-10-12
MAY SUE F|AAXC|ERS
Criminal SuitsMayF o!IowProbe
ofNew York Tract on Merger.
BOUGHT PAPER RAILROAD

Metropolitan Company Paid $965,0oI
For Franchise Of Road That Never
Laid a RaiI-Several Prominent Men
involved.
New York. Oct. 12.-Possibility OF
criminal prosecutions in connectlen
with the investisa lion OF the Inter-
borough Metropolitan Traction mer-
ger DEVELOPED when District Attorney
Jerome had a long conference with
Chairman Wilcox, of the public serV-
ice commission. Mr.. Wilcox refused
to give an idea or express any opln-
ion as to whether or not the district
attorney would take any action in the
matter, and he declined to discuss
either the question as to whether or
not the governor or the attorney gen
eral might be called upon to take
special action in the matter. 1t is
said. however. that Governor Hughes
has followed the investigation very
closely and has studied very carefully
the verbatim reports Of the testimony
given before the commission.
A transcript of the testimony relat-
ing particularly to the transaction In
which A. N. Brady swore that the
Metropolitan Securities company paid
$685., 60719 for the franchise OF the
Wall and Courtlandt Street Ferries
company, which never laid a rail OF
made a report, will be submitted to
Governor Hughes. This will be ac-
,companied by Brady's declaration on
the witness stand that of this sale
price he retained for himself $3.50,
900 and sent his personal checks fol
Sill, 6527S to Thomas F. Ryan. r. A.
B. Widener, and Thomas Dolan, and
check for $134,02393 to the firm OF
Moore & Schley. He also swOre that
he sent checks for $111.652.7S to Will
liam L. Elkins, of Philadelphia, and
William c.. Whitney, of New York.
Elkins and Whitney are dead. SC
that the deal which meant the taking
of nearly a million dollars from the
shareholders of the Metropolitan Sc
curities company affects only the sur
vivors in the combination. who. under
charged with larceny in misappro
priating the funds Of the shareholders
of a corporation without their consent
1t is an extraditable offense.
The explanation by Peter =. B.
Widener and Thomas Dolan, of PEila
delphia. of their part in the transac
ton interested and amazed the finan
cial district and the thousands I
shareholders. who never knew until
they read it in the newspapers that
million of their money had been paid
out for a paper railroad.
Widener said he had loaned 500.
900 to W. c. Whitney in January, 1899
and that the loan had been repaid
with interest, in May, 1902. making
the total $111.6527S. Thomas Dolan
told the same story and gave the
same details and figures. So did B. F.
Bower, accountant of the estate of w
L. Elkins, who, up to the time OF his
death, was the bosom friend as well
as the business associate of Widener
In his testimony before the public
service commission Anthony N. Brady
said he had paid precisely the same
amount to a penny to Thomas F. Ryan
that he paid to Widener. Dolan and
William l.. Elkins, but Mr.. Ryan has
not Joined the Philadelphians in as
sorting that the amount was the re
payment of a loan, nor have Moore &
Schley come forward to say that the
$134,O2393 they received was a return
Of borrowed money.