The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-02-03
Curtis Says Bradley Told
Him It Referred to
Unused Part.
FOLKES HEARD
FROM WATKINS.
Chesterfield Senator Asked Rich.
rnonder to Support Bill-Wit,
nesses Testify City Would
Be Hurt if Dock Were
closed-Hearing Again
To-Day.
Raising the question Of persona,

Raising the question OF personal,
veracity between himself and A. 5.
Bradley. Captain John A. Curtis, on
the witness stand yesterday in the
dock case. emphatically denied that Mr..
Bradley. who Is engaged in working
up the case for contingent fee, had
explained to him the true purport or
the bill before the Legislature which &
authorized the present proceedings.
Captain Curtis said that MI. Bradley
represented to him that the intention
was to close only the unused portion
OF the city dock between thirteenth
and Seventeenth Streets, willie the
promoter testified on Tuesday that he
had fully explained the intent Of the
meas sure to Captain Curtis. and that he
had never suggested to any one that
only the disused part was affected.
For his part Senator L. c. tolkes
asserted that Senator ]. B. Watkins OF IS
Chesterfield mad told him it was in
tended By this bill TO close the section
between "the Southern Railway Sta
ton and Davenport & Morrls'a.'' which +
is the unusued portion.
st. Pnul's Remark.
Senator F'olkes added merriment 20
the proceedings by crediting St Paul
with using crossword once upon
time. He was asked for the Biblical
reference on this. but he did not give
It. The Richmond legislator said he
never suspected SO "guilelcss lay
man" as, Mr.. Bradley OF pushing
through bill with such meaning.
The Impressions of G. w rhrock-&
morton, another member OF the House,
were rather indistinct but he testi-
fled that he had never thought or the
Richmond dock In connection with the
bill. q y
Other members of the General AS
scmbly who had been summoned We're
not put on the stand, and Speaker
Byrd, of counsel for the petitioners I.
said he was willing to admit that ali
the legislators had voted for the mea-
sure under a nisa pprehension, adding
that the bill speaks for itself
Apparently tho trend OF testimony
was to put the entire credit for every 4
thing accomplished on Mr.. bradley.
During the morning session, while arr
guing a motion to dismiss the petition,
Judge b. 7. Crump attorney for the
respondents. referred to the ''amiabe,
discreet far-seeing Mr.. Bradley, who
has conferred this power oil tile State
Corporation Commission"
Asked for Dismissal.
This motion formed the feature OF
the early session. The application to
dismiss was made by Henry Taylor,
Ohio Railway Company The Corpora
ton Commission. after listening TO arr
gument for nearly TWO hours, decided
to proceed with the hearing
Adjournment was taken at 80 to
II o'clock this morning, the commits
sion announcing that 1t would sit unti!
o'clock, then adjourn for the day
II is not regarded as probable that al!
the remaining evidence Tor the defense
can be concluded within these two
hours.
The meeting III the Chamber or
Commerce to adopt resolutions con-
demning the proposed closing OF the
dock, at which 1t was said not moro
than fifteen members were present,
was shown to have been a meeting or
the directors. certain committees ana
city officials.
would Violate Contracts.
At the beginning OF the proceedings
yesterday. Mr.. Taylor, for the Chesa -
peake and Ohio. asked that the whoie
proceeding be dismissed, on the ground
that the closing OF the Richmond dock
would interfere with Il contractual ob -.3
legation between private parties. The
owners OF the dock, it would appear
from the deed from the railroad 10
the William L. Trigg Company are 10
maintain flow Of water into the ba.
sin. II the dock is filed up, argued
HT. Taylor, II Woulu be manlieStiy I'M -Ht
possible to maintain this contract. &
similar contention was touched
upon By Mr.. Taylor during the pros
cccdings "Wednesday morning as stated
IN The Dispatch yesterday.
Mr.. Taylor said that il was money
in the pocket Of his road to haul soft
coal for the manufacturing interests
OF Richmond. which would be built up
by the maintenance OF competitive
water transportation. Commissioner
Rhea inquired as 10 the interest OF tile
Chesapeake and Ohio in the matter,
which Mr.. Taylor said was that OF a
prise or Richmond. Commissioners
Prentis pushed the same inquiry a lit
tie farther, confessing his curiosity.
and Mr., Taylor said that TO the men
higher M" there might be reasons OF
which nc did not know-perchance
some matter regarding the viaduct
along the dock banks.
Stould He Kept Open.
For the city Of Richmond, Henry r. n
Pollard Joined in the motion. lie CALI
ed attention to the provision OF the II
original charter. granted ninety years
ago, which provided that the dock was
TO be kept up forever as a public high
way. fIc also referred to the obliga
tions OF the railroad C;on,m!ssl oner 81
Prentis asking II the discharge OF
the public easement would not also he
discharge OF the duties OF t.cS road
Judge Beverly T. Crump. FOR the a,i-s
jaccnt business houses. Joined in the