Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1912-08-14
Second Days Session of the Commission Brings No
 Material Changes.
ONLY 5l DUPLICATES
Majority for Free Bridge Not AfSpctpn Ky Inquiry Witnesses
 oii stand.

At tie Seeolid day session of the Jefferon County Free Bridge Commits sion, held yesterday at the Chamber of Commerce rooms, the comparisons being made by the attorneys and off cers of the Taxpayers Protective As SOclatlon were finished and before the commission adjourned for the day, to reconvene this morning at g o'clock, the attorneys were intero- gatlng witnesses, principally members of the Commission who are large property owners and who signed the Free Bridge petitions.
 Practically no headway was made by the Taxpayers Association in it's anti-bridge fight during the day. Nothing new in the nature of making good previous claims materialized. One hundred and twenty-five alleged "repeaters" have been inspected since the commission convened on Monday morning, signatures on the Free Bridge petitions being compared and closely inspected. Of that number the attorneys for the Taxpayers show ed that fifty-one signatures appeared twice on the Free Bridge petitions about the number that was estimated by the clerks ill the employ of the Commission, who had gone over the petitions previously. It was generally admitted by the Commission that about fifty names were duplicated on petitions in the haste of gathering signatures for the Free Bridge.
 AS there were originally 2,SS6 signers for the Free Bridge the elim- ination of 51 will not materially af- feet the result insofar as the ma jority for the Free Bridge is concern ed. It leaves 2,S29 Free Bridge sign CTS, five more than had been reported by the clerical force who made a sworn statement some months ago as to the number of signers for the Free Bridge-the number given beins 2,S24.
 President T. J. Collier, of the Tax payers Protective Association, was conspicuous for his absence from the session greater part of the time yesterday. The inquiry was conduct ed by Attorneys J. H. Carmichael and Asa c. Oracle, of Little Rock, counsel for the Taxpayers.
 After completing the work of com pairing the signatures the Taxpayers counsel went into the matter of as- certaining whether or not the off cials of various corporations and firms, who signed for the Free Bridge had the legal authority to do so. At torney Carmichael insists that off cials of corporations, who signed fol the Free Bridge, have no legal righl to sign the petitions individually, II the event they own property in theil own names.
 Commissioners A. w. NuEn, F. G Smart, P. P. Byrd and B. B. Bloom were sworn and subjected to a series of stereotyped questions regarding the signatures for various corpora. tions. firms and individuals with whict they are identified. D. w. Phillips was also on the stand during the af- ternoon.
 In practically every instance it was testified to that directors of various concerns held meetings and had di' rected their officials to sign for the Free Bridge. In many instances let ters. from out-of-town residents, own inc property in efferson county, au thorized others to sign the Bridge petitions for them
 A z, Orto, whose signature Was questioned on Monday by counsel fol inc Taxpayers Association and Wht | if was charged, signed the petition twice, appeared before the commls sion early yesterday morning and per sonally convinced the opponents Q the Free Bridge that he had signe' the petition only once and he wal armed with a power of attorney ' show that he had the authority t
 sign a petition for his brother, '. Il IOrto, with whom he is interested in Ipiece of property in this county
 Various exceptions were noted D