The Washington herald., 1912-12-10
INFLUENC CE ALL
ASKEDOF ARCHIBALD
Thomas Il. Jones Testifes at I'm
peaehment Trial Regarding
Culm Bank Deal.
JUDGE NOT EXPECTED TO
PAY CASH FOR INTEREST
Counsel for Jurist Objects to Intro
duetion of Expert Testimony
on Value of Holdings.

That in the case OF at least one OF the
deals for culm banks. in which Judge
Robert W. Archibald. OF the United States
Commerce Court now on trial before the
Senate in impeachment proceedings, his
supposed ability to obtain concessions
from railroads and their subsidiary coal
companies was the only contribution the
judge was expected TO make in return for
his share in the prospective profits, was
pointedly brought out in the testimony
yesterday.
Thomas II. Jones, of Scranton, one Of
the coal operators whom Archibald sought
TO interest in the Katydid culm bank, ad-
mitted this under questioning by Repre-
sentative Webb of North Carolina, of the
House managers. The witness was being
interrogated on an attempt by Judge
Archibald and ohers, including Jones, to
obtain from the Eberhart estate, OF Phila-
delphia, a lease on a coal property known
as Packer No. 2 Washery. and a part OF
an adjacent property, also belonging to
the Eberhart estate, and known as Pack
er No. I. The men were to operate as the
Jones Coal Company. The part of Packer
No. desired was then under lease to the
Lehigh Valley Coal Company, subsidiary
OF the Lehigh Valley Railroad. but in
letter to Col. r. W. Archibald engineer
Of the estate. and a nephew OF the Judge.
lie. dplllCdllls. lltluNllllk Jhhkt AiNHbdlh
and Jones. stated that an agreement had
virtually been reached with the T-ehiEh
people by which, under certain terms, the
coal company agreed to vacate its lease.
Jones Admits Charge.
is it not true asked Manager Webb.
that Judge Archbald's sole connection
with this company Cthe Jones Coal Com
pany) was for the purpose OF securing
the LehiRh Valleys consent to do some
thing which the Lehigh had not done in
thirty years-release one of their culm
ba Hks to your COMPANY"
I should say so-ycs," responded Jones
reluctantly.
The defense. in cross-eNamininE the
witness. made tentative effort to break
down this part Of the testimony. but de-
sisted when it was seen that Jones would
stand by his statement. The statement
followed a lengthy examination. in which
Manager Webb sought to outline the true
inwardness of the connection OF each
man. 1t developed that none Of the men
who signed the application for the lease
was expected to put up any real money
$4,000 was offered for the lease in the
application-but that Jones was to get
the money from a Mr.. Farrow, Of New
York. Judge Archibald was not expected
10 Uldht any lltdllCIdl 'OllAi A'bAloAr
though he appeared as one Of the pros
pectlve incorporators. The application.
as testimony before the House Judiciary
Committee last summer brought out, was
turned down by the Eberhart estate and
the company never was incorporated.
Jones Unwilling witness.
Jones proved almost as unwilling and
confusing a witness as F. J. Williams,
h,1r
handy man in engineering deals and
near deals. Jones memory was sur
prisingly bad his voice was worse and
his evident friendship for Judge Arch
bald together with his unwiIlingness to
testify. brought from Webb several
pointed questions indicating suspicion
on the part of the House manager that
Jones had been ''tampered" with since
he last appeared in the Archibald case.
This Jones denied emphatically.
Objections by A. s. Worthington, of
counsel for Judge Archibald. to the in
PRODUCTION of expert testimony to show
that the Katydid culm bank was worth
to the Hillside Coal and Iron Company
and its parent corporation. the Erie
Railroad. many times the amount for
which II virtually was decided to lett
Williams and Archibald nave it. enliv-
ened the testimony Of James II. Rit-
tenhouse. the mining engineer employed
by Wrisley Brown. investigator for the
Department OF Justice. Twice Mr.
Worthngton's objections were over
ruled by President Bacon, and the
Archibald attorney indicated that unless
such expert testimony Were excluded.
he would himself produce witnesses
whose testimony and examination would
render the impea Chment hearing AMI
even less terminable affair than it nowl
promises to be.
Bank Fnr CndcrVnIued.
Rittenhouse finally was permitted, un-
der questions by Manager Floyd Of Ark
ansas, to state that in his opinion
the coal in the cuIm bank. for which
Archibald was to pay in the neighbor-
hood Of 5000, was worth nearly 81, 500
at tidewater. This did not take into
consideration the added profit which |
would accrue to the Erie Railroad from
hauling the coal over its own lines.
Of the 5000 which the Katydid cuIm
hank was to cost Archibald and his
associates. only $500 was to 60 to the
Hillside company. tho remainder going
to Robertson and Law for their inter
est in the dump.
Testimony by George F. Snyder. sec |
retary to the Commerce Court. strongly
7"pbOIltu Tue contention OF the prose- |
cution that Archibald. when told that
Vice President W. A. May. of the Hill |
side Coal and Iron Company. had refused
to grant L. J. Williams an option on |
the katydid dump. threatened to bring
the Erie Railroad Company to a realiza- |
ton Of their position as litigants before
the Commerce Court in the lighterage |
cases unless they agreed to the terms of !
the proposed option.
Williams, in his former testimony. had
said that the judge threatened to harm
the Erie unless they consented to the |
option. and he CWiIliams) had fixed the |
fact in his mind because he had not |
known the meaning Of the word. light |
erage. he said. and the judge had ex-
planned ii to him. Asked how the sub |
ject had been brought up IL not in con- !
nection with the alleged threat of Judge |
Archibald, Williams testified before the !
Senate that documents on the judges |
desk had borne the word '1ighterage" |
and that he had asked its meaning. The |
prosecution, through Snyder, yesterday |
introduced in evidence all court docu-
nents bearing upon the lighterage cases |
On none of those submitted did the word |
lighterage" appear on the cover. though !
In the case Of one the words Erie Rail-
road were written in the list of liti-
yants printed on the cover.
Transit MnEnate Rests Easily.
Baltimore, Dec st. F Mitten presi-