New-York tribune., 1918-11-27
Occasionally Sob Aloud in
Court as Colonel Will
Jams Testihes
Widows Of Victims
Keep All-Day Vigil
President Of Company Be-
gins Hearing With Reply
TO Mayor Hylan


ing wells dropping from their hats,
kept vigil all day yesterday near the
chair of Colonel Timothy S. Williams
in the Brooklyn Supreme Court room in
which Mayor Hglan is holding "a John
Doe inquiry. intended to bring to JUS
ticc those responsible for the wreck
OF a Brighton Beach train in the Nal
bone Street tunnel during strike of
B K. T. motormen on November l.
the doiefu pickcts were widows Of
the victims Of the wreck rhsy con-
. fded to the court attaches tha. the
purpose of their surveillance was to
bring home to the presidcn. Of the
b. !, T. partial realization of the
misery engendercd b. the catastrophe.
OCCASIONALLY one of tn, =. sobbed aloud
All were members of an organization
formed on Sunday with the idea of OBJ
tanning the fullest possible measure
Of compensation for the loss of kim
folk or for injuries suffered in the
wreck.
Before District Attorney Lewis
opened his examination Colonel Will
Jams asked and received permission to
read into the record reply to a let
ter sent to the Board of Aldermen by
Mayor Hylan, in which the Mayor
charged that the non-compl ance of the
company with the recommendation of
the National War Labor Board result
ed in the Brighton Beach wreck by
causing The strike, which IN turn ed
to the use OF inexperienced men as
motormen.
Cites Three Facts
Colonel Williams in his statement
said this was disproved by three facts.
First, ne said, the strike ballot was
taken August /. before the National
War Labor Boards Intervention. Sec
ond, he said, the Brotherhood of Loco
motive Engineers controlled the de-
p@rtmentai trustees VINO mad taken up
the question vf reinstatement OF the
twenty-htne men whose DISMISSAL was
the direct cause o. the strike. at the
request OF wee Pres ident DEMPSEY
Colonel Williams said Mr. Dempsey
had pledged himself to be bound by the
decision OF the trustees, and that these
trustees "ers Investigating the as
pute during the TWO days previous TO
the strike.
After the strike, Colonel Williams
said, they notified Mr. Dempsey tnat
they cou.d not act further because they
nad been ordered not to by the brother
hood
The third point, Colonel Williams
SAID, was that on the night OF the
strike when, under the shadow Of a
great disaster" the Public Service
commission was attempting to per-
suade the brotherhood TO call off the
strike and the b. X. L. had conceded
brotherhood refused to terminate the
strike unless the company made still
further concessions.
Co4onel Williams then drew from his
pocket yet ano her statement, DENYING
that the B. r. I. had refused to obev
an order of the Pubic Service Com
mission to substitute steel for wooden
cars. District Attorney Lewis objected
to any further decay.
Why" asked Colonel Williams, "be-
cause you think this is rot germane ?"
Precisely" replied Mr.. Lewis.
B. X. T. Clearing House
Colonel Williams was asked many
questions about the constant loaning
and borrowing of money between the
b. +. I. and its subsidiaries.
He indicated that the D. r. T., as q
holding company, was clearing house
for cash, 40 that ii the New York Nu-
nicipal Railways needed funds the sum
would. be borrowed by the B. R. r
from one of the other subsidiaries
and then the B. r. T. in turn would
lend the money to the needy corpora
ton. Colonel Williams said no one
ever bothered to get his approval Of
loans Of S250.000 or so.
Colonel Williams showed signs of
irritation when question:. about the
overcrowd:ng of B. r. I. trains.
Did MIR. Dempsey ever say any
tning to you about the overcrowding
Of trains running through Flatbush ~
Mayor Hylan inquired.
AS for that" said Colonel Will
iamS, we have had no aid or co0pera-
'ion from the Public Service Commits
sion or the city authorities. The re-
sponsibility for any lack of convenience
and safety to the travelling public is
on the people, who have not given thei,
PERMISSION for changes that would have
enabled us to correct conditions"
The Help Asked For
Mayor Hylan mulled over this for
rearly an hour, during which time Dis
tIict Attorney Lewis continued to ply
the witness with questions.
Finally Mayor Hylan said:
You said, Colonel, that you received
no help from the Public Service Com
mission or the city authorities. Wha,
help have you asked from the city au.
thorities since the first Of the wear
other than for permission to increase
fares % cent? 90
81 think that is ALL" replied Colonel
Williams, doubtfully.
Nicholas Brady. one Of the hcayies,
stockholders in the road and chairman
of the board OF directors, testified that
the directors eft the operation of the
road and questions of policy to tht
executive.
Secretary Bennington, Treasure,
Meneeiey. and President Hallock of the
New York Consolidated, were recalled
70 the stand during the afternoon.
President HalIock was asked IL hi
had ever read that part Of the bylaw,
Of the company that said the presden+
was obligated to exercise genera
supervision over the line.
"f have not, he replied.
"Did you ever make any suggestion
with regard to the road ?"
"Why, yes. One summer I went on
20 Coney Island and saw many small
boys picking up transfers and usin,
them 70 psss through the gate. sug
xested that this be stopped"
kA III l..