The Washington herald., 1914-05-07

time when II was supposed to have no
connection with the system or any OF
the officers or directors.
| A representative OF the Department OF
Justice was present at the hearing today
and II is understood was there Tor the
purpose of learning something OF the
/ elimination of competition with New
| Haven lines by the failure OF the Metro
politan Steamship Company and It's subse-
1uent reorganization as the metropolitan
Steamship Company Of New Jersey. IL
was in connection with this reorganization
that Walter c. Reed testiiled on satur
day. that Charles S. Mellen was elimi-
mated at the direction of ]. Pierpont
Morgan. ST.
Billiard TO Testify.
John l.. Billiard takes the stand today.
and 1t Is expected that there VIII oe
some decidedly interesting developments
as to the many and varied activities OF
the company that he organized ana
which has figured in so many OF the
New Haven systems transactions during
the Mellen regime, but which was sup
| posed to be an Independent company.
Grover Cleveland Richards said that he
was an electrical contractor, and resided
| in Portland Me. He was asked ny Mr..
Folk il he had drawn checks aggregatlhg
| So eco in March. 1913. He SAID ne
, signed checks in the Bank OF Manhattan
which were presented to him by warren
ID. Chase who seemed to have charge OF
the proceedings. He did not know whether
the checks were ever paid. Present at
tho time he said were Mr.. Chase. Ed
ward u Robbins, general counsel of the
New Haven system. and Samuel Hem
,nrway. president OF the Billiard Com
rany One of the checks he said was for
81. so GO. and the other for N,So.c"
Did you take the checks to the rcceiN
ing teller's window?
III did," replied the witness. Il did
not go alone" Then he added that Mr.
Chase accompanied him.
Millionaire for Minute.
You were a millionaire. then, for a
minute" said Mr.. Folk.
Yes" replied the young man. laughing
DO you know that these checks were
used for the purchase OF the Metropoii-
tan Steamship Company. of New Jersey,
or its stock"
No"
Richards also testified that he had
oeen called to New York to indOrse over
check for 5000,
Did YOU see Mr.. Robbins or Mr. Hem
inEway on that-trip?
No"
whose signature appeared on that
cheCk?'
1T was signed by Samuel Hemingway
replied the witness.
Samuel Hemingway. who was the
treasurer and secretary of the Billiard
Company from the time OF its organlza-
ton in 1879 until last October. testified
that so far as he knew the Billiard
Company never distributed any pronts.
and il it made any they were taken
by John l.. Billiard. Mr.. Hemingway
10
the check for 5000 which young Rich
ards testified that he was called TO New
York from Portland to indorse over TO
Mr.. Chase. and which was signed by
Mr.. Hemingway. Mr.. Hemingway said
that he had no recollection of this check.
In fact. he said. he had no recollection
of the other two checks, one for ST.
$4,000 and the other for a.SSO.coo
Doesn't Recall Name.
Mr.. Hemingway said that at one time
the Billiard Company had acquired from
former Gov. John +. Hill bonds OF the
Eastern Steamship Company. Mr.. Hem
ingway said that these bonds were paid
for by an obligation" which the Bill
lard Company owned. The Eastern
Steamship Company is subsidiary of
the New Haven system.
Whose obligation was this" asked
Solicitor Folk.
Il cannot tell you the name Of the
company" replied the witness. but il
was a note which we took from this !
company and paid sI.JN.GD in cash for"
When pressed by MIR. Folk. Mr.. Hem
ingway insisted that he could not re-
call the name of the company, although |
he had received IL and disbursed it as |
treasurer of the Billiard Company. He !
could not recall whether it was a note |
of a railroad. a steamship company or |
a person. but expressed the opinion that !
il was the note of some holding COM |
pany. This transaction he said took |
place during 1911, in Boston, and that |
he was of the impression that Mr.. Bill /
lard and Mr.. Robbins were with him |
when the exchange took place. He re- !
fcrred to Mr.. Robbins as Mr.. Billiards |
counsel.
DO you know anything about a loan |
of s375,0oO to Charles s. Mellen by the |
New England Navigation Company. a !
subsidiary of the New Haven
Il have heard that Mr.. Mellen Dor
rowed $4,000 from the navigation
company"
Paid McIIrn's Loan.
Il will ask you if you did not sign !
two checks of the Billiard Company to
pay the note of the navigation COM
pany?"
Il think in liquidating the Billiard
Company" replied Mr.. Hemingway.
that the Billiard Company bought of :
Mr.. Billiard the shares of the stock /.
which Mr.. Mellen had pledged as col |,
lateral for the loan of the navigatiOnl
company, and in order to get that |
stock il Is my impression that the
Billiard Company advanced $4,000 to /
get the stock and cancel it."
Mr.. Hemingway admitted that the I
effect of this transaction was that
John l. Billiard paid back Mr.. Mellen's
loan.
who paid the 100000 that con.
stituted the capital stock of the Billiard
Company" asked Mr.. Folk.
1T was apid into the treasury by
John l.. Billiard. As / testified last
do not recall whether it was New
Haven check, or a navigation company
check. or some other check"
What do you know of the 14,2500OO
of bonds of the Billiard Company being
in the treasury of the New Haven Com
pany?"
They were given to the Navigation
Company. and the entries concerning
them were so intricate that i cannot !
give any satisfactory explanation. Mr..
Robbins arranged all the entries
Doesn't Remember Deal.
Mr. Hemingway claimed to have had
no recollection whatever of the meeting
in the Bank of Manhattan, when the
METROPOLITAN Steamship Co., was trans
ferred. or of signing the two checks ag