The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-17
SENATOR BAILEY
GETS CALL DOWN
Must Be More Respectful of
Representative Cooke
INVESTIGATION PROCEEDS
Auditor of Waters-Pierce oil Company
On stand-A Spat About Wit
ness Not Answering
Questions.
INVESTIGATION PROCEEDS

Bailey at the opening of today's session
reproved the attorneys representing SEN
ator Bailey for what was deemed dis
courteous treatment of Representative
Cooke, who is prosecuting the charges.
and insisted that both the committee and
prosecutors be treated more respectfully
by the legal representatives, as well as
by Senator Bailey. Amends were
promptly made and the investigation pro-
ceeded.
A. J. Hutchinson. auditor of I he
Waters Pierce Oil company, the only wit
ness examined today, testified relative to
certain vouchers and notes noted by the
committee in their investigation of the
books of the company. His testimony
was principally In Identification of vari-
GUS notations and signatures.
Mr.. Hutchinson, referring to several
notes and vouchers charged to the ac-
count of profit and loss on June 80, 1902,
explained that they were charged first to
bills receivable, then to legal expenses
and finally to profit and loss. As to an
item of s2O67O7. charged TO profit and loss
on that day, the record showed 1t had
been paid out in connection with the anti
trust suits at Waco.
Mr.. Cooke asked if the witness could
tell which of It was making up the total
amount charged TO profit and loss on
June 20. 1900, could be traced to expen-
ditures In connection with the anti. trust
suits at Waco. Mr.. Hutchinson was un-
able to say, as his knowledge did not
extend beyond the books.
Mr. Cooke then asked that he be permit
ted to examine the books to ascertain
what items had a bearing upon the
charges under investigation. Judge r. l..
Penn, representing the Waters-P Pierce Oil
company objected to this and it was
ruled by the chairman that the commit
tee had no right to conduct a promiscu-
Gus examination of the books
Mr.. Cooke, replying to certain objections
by opposing counsel today spoke of their
tender solicitude for the Waters-Pierce
Oil company" and later he protested to
the chairman because of what he termed
the apparent unwillingness of the witness
to answer questions without first look
ing toward counsel for Senator Bailey,
and waiting to see If they would object to
the question.
This brought forth protest from Sem
ator Bailey, who said that 'if the commit
there must be no further suggestion Of
tender soicitude for the Waters Pierce
company, by me or my attorneys. or sug
gestions that witness is guided by any in
telligence received by looking at these at
torneys"
Acting Chairman McGregor instructed
Mr.. Cooke that such remarks were entire
" unnecessary and that all he had to
do was to ask for questions in tho proper
manner.
for distance of 100 yards One woman
was impaled on a huge splinter from a
railroad tie. Although the scene of the
wreck was in the heart of a thickly
populated section, it was some time before
nearby residents reached the scene. For
a time only one physician could be Sc
cured, but later aid came without stint.
Passengers Story.
Edwin c. Vanderhost of White Plains
was one of the passengers in one of the
four derailed cars who escaped with
slight injuries He said:
"The train was going at q very rapid
rate, so that II probably jumped the
track from its own speed. The four cars
back of the smoker went over on their
sides and the persons sitting on the right
hand side OF the cars were thrown against
along on what 1 think was the third
rail. Those on the other side Of the cars
did not suffer so badly. There was a
binding flash of electric flame from the
third rail when the cars lay over on it,
and l though the cars were going TO
burn, but they did not. 1 was thrown
about and bruised. but Joined the other
uninjured passengers in my car in tax
ing out the dead and injured.
eIInpri pndpOf Of the
Harlem division, who was in charge of the
clearing of the wreckage, and who per-
sonally superintended the removing of the
derailed cars, said that he was unable
TO determine the cause of the wreck,
The tracks, he said. were badly torn up,
and there had not been time to investi-
gate. Mr.. Bronson added:
ut was said that tire was thrown
off from one of the rear trailing wheels
of the electric locomotives, and that this
tire dropped in such a manner as to cut
off the heads of the bolts 'holdlng the
ends Of the rails together. This would
weaken the track so as to allow the rails
to spread and throw the train off,
Mr.. Bronson said that this had not been
confirmed.
Cause Not Determined.
Superintendent Bronson of the Harlem
division stated at II clock tonight that
the cars had been cleared, and that no
more bodies had been found. The police
entimate the deaths at sixteen.
The cause of the wreck was not nf-
ficially determined tonight. At the Grand
Central station there was inclination TO
blame the accident to spreading rails. but
later 1t was said that it was believed that
the axle of the first passenger coach
broke, throwing the cars from the track
The rear car containing more women than
the others suffered the greatest. as ii
overturned and before the breaking of the
coupling released it from the cars ahead,
1t was literally torn to pieces, and scat
tered for a hundred feet across Wood
lawn avenue.
When the ambulances arrived those des-
perataly haart were hurried to hospitals.