New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-27

you mean to say that an accountant mas
been examining books and papers IN
your bank for two days, and you know
nothing about IT."
This WAS so, Mr.. Prosser declared.
"Well, want you to produce those
books right now" demanded Senator
Thompson. I'VE want no more fooling
about IL. feel provoked at the liber-
ties that have been taken with this
committee.
Mr.. Prosser pleaded that that would
be out of the question because the
vaults were locked with time locks and
other devices, which made it impossible
to get them open until this morning.
He promised, however. to let the ac'
countant have the books at o'clock
this morning.
Committee I'm Earnest.
az want those books" said Senator
Thompson firmly, land want them to-
morrow morning. l want you to under
stand that this committee Is not to be
tempered with. II you promise that our
accountant can get them at o'clock to-
morrow morning that will be satisfac-
tory, and | won't press you for them
tonight. All we want is time enough
to look into them"
Mr.. Prosser said he had planned a
shooting trip for this morning and he
asked the Senator to let him go, pro-
vided an officer Of tbs trust company
familiar with reasons for stopping the
examination appeared before the COM
mittee. Senator Thompson gave his con-
sent.
Senator Thompson declined to tell
what the sensation was that 10 promised
for to-day, but IL Is not unlikely that 1t
will have TO do with the ownership Of
the 387 shares of Kings County Light,
Heat and Power Company stock which
Mccall declares he turned over to his
wife when he became chairman of the
Public Service Commission.
Public Service Commissioner Robert
Colgate Wood was another witness who
came in for a vigorous tongue lashlng
from Senator Thompson. He was on the
witness stand most of the day, and his
evasive answers so provoked the chair
man that he threatened to prefer
charges against Wood before morning
If he did not answer in the prescribed
way.
Said He Didn't Believe Witness.
At one stage Of his testimony the
20 WOOD
so reluctantly that Senator Thompson
frankly told the Commissioner that he
did not believe him.
The committee was particularly anx-
ious TO find out about Woods ownership
Of stock in the American Sanitary Sup
ply Company, of which he was vice.
president, and which placed slot ma
chimes with towels in railroad stations.
Woods memory was particularly hazy
about this stock, except in one particu-
lar, and that was that he had paid
$4,000 for it and then sold il for 81 to
John A. Maher, son of the vice-pren-.
dent and general manager Of the Third
Avenue Railroad Company, when he
was appointed to the Public Service
Commission.
At first Wood testified that he had
bought fifty shares Of the preferred
stock in the company and received an
equal amount of the common stock as
a bonus. Later he admitted that he
had bought 500 shares of the preferred
at $40 a share and received the same
amount Of common as a present.
$50 that" said Senator Lawson, you
sold stock which had par value Of
$4,000 for 81? ?"
Woods answer was that the stock
was worthless anyway. but that the
real reason he had sold il to Mr.. Maher,
who was president of the company, was
that the company was negotiating with
a railroad in this city and that he felt
he could not, as Public Service Com
missioner, hold it.
what was the name Of the rail-
road?" asked Senator Thompson.
81 can't remember just now" an