The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-04-02
Metropolitan Trust Co.
Seeks to Reopen Case
Now Nearly Closed.
APPLICATION TO
FILE NEW PETITION
Counsel for Gould and Allied
Companies Present Vigorous
Reply, Alleging That
Move Is Dcsignedto
Force Purchase
of Bonds.

Before Judge Waddil In the United
States Circuit Court. yesterday morning
n new move was made In the litigation
concerning the street car lines OF RIch-
! mond--a move which may possibly re-
open the entire controversy and keep the
trolley lines of this city and Petersburg
In the hands Of receivers for many long.
days yet to come.
The latest development In the situation
Is further step on the part of the
metropolitan Trust Company, OF New
York, In the famous case OF the Bowling
Green Trust Company and others against
the Virginia Passengers and Power Com
pany and others. Messrs. Davis & Davis.
of Petersburg. the attorneys Of the Met
ropolitan Trust Company, formally made
application to Judge WaddiIl to be al
lowed to file new petition in the case,
and the judge has set Thursday. April
the 18th, as the timeSto hear the appli-
cation to file. In the meantime repre-
isentatives OF the Virginia Passenger and
Power Company and OF the other street
railway companies that have been consili-
dated with that concern and counsel for
Mr.. Frank j. Gould, the largest stock.
holder. have prepared and placed In the
hands OF the court their answer to the
application of the counsel for the Metro
w. Anderson, Miles NJ. Martin and Frank
w. Christian were the lawyers repre-
senting these interests, who met Messrs.
Davis & Davis In the United States Cir
cult Court yesterday morning.
The result of the action of the trust
company. should its petition finally be
granted. would be to reopen the long
standing case to be gone all over again,
and would throw the affairs of the street
car companies into a new state OF legal
chaos and uncertainty. in which event
it is more than likely that no adult citl-
zen OF Richmond would live long enough
to see the properties involved taken out
of the hands OF receivers.
Lengthy and Historical.
The petition which the Metropolitan
Trust Company seeks to file is a very
lengthy document, arranged in book
form. and covering something over $50
printed pages. 1t rehearses in minute
detail the history of the street rail-
way business and all It's troubles, legal
and otherwise, from the days of Finan-
cier Fisher until the present time. 1t
recounts how the various companies
were organized, how they We're COIL
Quoted, and how the consolidation OF
the lines was Effected under the gem
eral name of the Virginia Passenger
and Power Company; how Mr.. Gould
became interested; how the litigation ]
that led to the appointment OF Messrs.
William Northrup and Henry r. Wick
ham as receivers of the consolidated |
properties was carried on; how the
have managed the lines, and |
how said lines now stand. legally and
Proceeding. the petition goes on to
set up the claims of the Metropolitan
Trust Company, which is the holder
of certain bonds known as debenture /
bonds of the Richmond Passenger and
Power Company and the Richmond
Company, which were secured
by an debenture mortgage on the
properties Of these companies previous
to their being merged with the yir-
ssnia Passenger and Power Company.
the petition alleges that
in the lengthy litigation resulting in
the appointment of AIessrs: Northrop3
and Wickham as receivers. the holders
of the debenture bonds OF the Rich
nond Passenger. and Power Company
and the Richmond Traction Company
lid not get a fair DEAL
What Is Asked.
Therefore the petition which is
sought to be filed concludes with
engthy prayer, of which the following
8 q synopsis:
That after taking the accounts SUBJ
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