The times dispatch. [volume], February 01, 1911, Image 1

About The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
FRANCES STARR'S
PLAY CANCELED
TO AVOID CLASH
-.?i , .
Academy Folk Heard
Mayor Was Prepar?
ing to Close It.
r_
WHOLE HOUSE
ALMOST SOLD OUT
tBelasco Agrees With Wells That
L."The Easiest Way" Had'Bet?
ter Seek Other Fields, Even
When Richmond People
Were Buying Every
Seat in Theatre.
liven when the house had been prac?
tically sold out for three performances,
the Academy of Music, by agreement
with David Bclasco. decided yesterday
to cancel tlo engagement of Frances
Starr in "The Knslest Way." which was
(scheduled to begin on Friday night.
This break in the booking came sud?
denly. For the past week there has
been more or less talk that Mayor
Richardson would not allow the pro?
duction to he put on here, though Up
to yesterday he had expressed no
opinion concerning it. Tin- Mayor had
j. conference yesterday with repre?
sentatives of the Academy, at which
h.. stated that while he doubted lr the
law permitted him to prohibit a play
the nature of which he did not know,
lie would ho forced to act on Saturday
if any citizens complained to him that
the first performance on Friday night
was coarse and indecent.
Expected to Clone It.
Whil?. tlu Mayor did not desire or
attempt to shirk any responsibility
vv hlch fell upon his shoulders, he was
lather in the position of the man seek?
ing light.
Before he had been advised that
Bclasc,o and the Academy people had
determined to transfer the engagement
to homo other point, the Mayor said
that he had promised to give the the?
atre a final answer this morning at 1"
o'clock. "As at present advised,'' said
lite- Mayor last night, 1 do not sc? how
1 can permit the play to be put on
here."
But it will not be necessary for
Mayor Richardson to give. any
final answer to-day. ' The Fastest
Way" will pass Uichmond by, The
thousands of dollars which have been
paid In by t li.lr.eni; wil! be returned,'
and if the local folk ar<- still soanxlutis
t? see Miss Starr t|iey must go to some J
other city In Virginia.
Put It t v to MrlnKCO.
When Otto Wells heard tue
rumblings as for away from here as
Norfolk, ho was quick to act. He real?
ized that it would be most Unfortu?
nate tu have a repetition of that "Blue
MoUse" farce, and rather than involve
Hie Acadeirty iu any wrangle or con?
tention with the city authorities, lie
caught David Relasco over the lung-;
distance telephone in New York, ex- j
plained the situation and suggested
that the Richmond engagement be can?
celed. Mr. Belasco was very much
surprised and upset, because no com?
plaint had reached hi in from other
Southern eitle? in which Miss Starr
lias been appearing during the past
two or three weeks, but he told Mr.
Wells to go ahead and cut It out. Then
Air. Wells sat down ami wrote the fol?
lowing telegram to Manager Deo Wise,
which came yes'lerday:
"With a view ?f eliminating any pos?
sibility of contention with city author-'
itles as to censoring of 'The Faslest
Way,' we have agreed with the Belasco j
management to cancel the Bichmond I
dates of this attraction.
Must Refund HIR Money.
Another message instructed Manager
Wise to refund all money paid to the
Academy for tickets- This is quite a
considerable sum, for the sale, which
?went on early Monday, was exceeding?
ly heavy, and there was every indica?
tion that not a single scat for any of
tho three performances would be left
to-night.
D was not explained whether or not
the Mayor had received any urgent
complaint in advance against "The
Basiest Way," though he did secure
dozens of newspaper criticisms from
towns in which the play appeared; it
Is known, however, that other big pro?
ductions were riot Rooked for the Acad?
emy through fear that they would be
driven away.
Miss Starr played last night in Co-'
1 umbin, S. C, and last week she was
In Montgomery. Birmingham and At?
lanta, where her truly wonderful act?
ing lifted her audience above the sordid
lines of the piece.
Some That Did A of Bet By.
The first production at the Academy
on which Mayor Bichardson put down
his foot was "The Blue Mouse." There
was n protest from a few people in the
audience who did not leave the the?
atre until the final curtain went down,
and while the company gave a dress
rehearsal for the police, instead of the
regular matinee, and then eliminated
certain lines to satisfy Major Werner
and members of the Police Commis?
sioners, Mayor Bichardson would not
permit an abbreviated performance
that night. Rut no other cities stopped
"The Blue Mouse."
?'Charlotte Temple.''
Not long after that a real wicked
?how came to tho Bijou and the au?
thorities chopped it In the head after
the llrst performance. And then "The
Girl From Rector's"' was advertised.
Seeking first-hand information. Mayor
Bichardson sent n committee of censors
to Norfolk to sec the play, and on this
committee's unfavorable report tho
Richmond engagement was canceled
Sovernl other cities also shooed "The
Girl" away.
Char Ion M. Covlngloii Dead.
Pensacola, Fin., January 31.?Charles
Manley Covlngton, one of Florida's
?wealthiest, citizens, and for years
prqmlnent in the banking and indus?
trial circles of the Southern States,
died here to-day. He had large hold?
ings In naval stores and banks, and
?was vice-president of the Consolidated
.Grocery Company, of Jacksonville
Thinks Her Play
is Very Wicked
FRANCES STA IUI.
PRESIDENT CAN'T
OPERATE AUTOS
UNLESS HE PAYS
I
Clerk Refuses to Issue Virginia'
Licenses Until State's Palm Is
Crossed With $60.
?.--- ?''
Not oven the President of the United
.States may operate his automobile on
the roads and streets of Virginia
without payment of the lawful license
tax thereon and without exhibiting
the number plate so thai lie may be
Identified in case of necessity There-I
fore. the application ot William
Howard Taft for four auto licenses
and four chauffeur's licenses is being'
held tip pending the arrival ot sundry
1 coin of the t epubllc.
Everybody looks alike to Clerk J. M.
Hayes, Jr., when it comes to issuing
I licenses. He Is charged up with the
plates and must give tin account for
them He is unable to find out why
he should present .Mr. Taft -vith $G0.
Tlie application was mad.- by Secre?
tary Charles l>. Norton. The president
desires licenses and plates for three
Pierce-Arrow*, two of them ,16-horse ?
power and one 48. and one White
Steamer, of horsepower. Three, of
these mat bines come in the jlO class
ami one in the $20 row. Tnertfore,'the
Chief Executive must pay $?t) for au?
tomobile" licenses, and ?10 for the four
j licenses for chauffeurs.
Mr. Norton has been so notltted, and
a reply is being awaited at the office
of the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
FREE AUTO TAGS FOR TAFT
License In Maryland Given ah Act of
Courtesy to President.
Baltimore. Md.. January 31.?Presi?
dent Taft will have Maryland auto?
mobile license without cost as an act
of courtesy, due to the Chief Magis?
trate of the nation. Governor Austin
1. Crothcrs to-day took cognizance of
the action of Slate Motor Vehicle Com?
missioner George in withholding li- ,
! censes for the President's automobiles
pending the receipt of the registra?
tion tax. The. Governor directed Com?
missioner George to send the tags to
the President immediately.
"Regardless of the law, I. have di?
rected that tags be sent to President
Taft for his four automobiles, and
that no charge be made for them,"
said the Governor to-day. "'I think
this is a courtesy due the executive
from a sovereign State that forms a
part of the Commonwealth of the na?
tion, and Mr. George will send the
tags right off."
COL BIDDLE NOMINATED
Ranted by President to Be Commandant
of If. S. Marine Coro?.
Washington. January 31.?President
Taft sent to the Senate the nomination
of Colonel Writ. P. Piddle, to be com?
mandant of the United States Marine
Corps.
Colonel piddle Is the ranking officer
of the Marine Corps, and when con?
firmed by the Senate will nc.uuire the
title and rank of major-general?the
only major-general under the Secretary
of the Navy. He. will succeed. Major
Gonoral George P. Elliott', who retired
on account of age November 30 last.
He will serve until .December 17, 1917,
when he will retire by operation of
law.
Colonel Piddle Is a native of Penn
ftylvanla. and entered the Marine
Corps June 1f>. 1875. He reached the
rank of colonel nearly six years ago.
and has seen a total sea service of
seventeen years.
SEVERAL LIVES LOST
I'nlnl Accident on Bridge Over P??nnlc
River.
Newark. N. J.. January 31.?Police
headquarters was notified here late to?
night that several men. probably
twelve, had lost their lives In the Pas
si Ic River, between this city and Har?
rison. There was ait accident of some
sort on the Centre Street Rridge. a.
Pennsylvania Railroad structure, re?
cently acquired by the McAdoo Tunnel
I svstem.
WINS IN HOUSE
Republicans Support
Exposition Claims of
San Francisco.
DEMOCRATS VOTE
FOR NEW ORLEANS
j Great Crowd Hears Impassioned
Speeches by Supporters of
Rival Places, and Result
Causes Wild Demonstra?
tion?Dramatic Tribute
to People of South.
j Washington. January 31.?The House
to-day, by a vote of IS* to 1 .=>*.<. voted
j in favor of San Francisco and against
New Orleans as the city in which an
exposition to celebrate the opening of
th<- Panama Canal in 1015 .shall be
held. This vote was taken on a roll
,cal| to determine \< hcthcr the San
Francisco resolution or the New in
I leans bill titould have consideration
! in the House. On a linal vote, the San
Francisco resolution was passed by a
I vote of 259 to 4?..
The advocates of San Francisco are
! claiming to-night that their tight is
I won. and that the Senate will ratify
the action of the House.
San Francisco won by capturing the
Republican vote in the House. New
Orleans support came from the Demo?
crats. Only thirty Republicans voted
for New Oilcans. Thirty-six Demo?
crats voted for San Francisco.
The San Francisco resolution does
not ask for government aid In any
form. It simply asks the President ot
the United States to invite foreign
nations to participate in the fair.
No IJrrnt NnvnI I'nrndc.
An effort to amend the resolution
to include provisions for an Interna?
tional naval parade from Hampton
Roads through the Panama Canal and
up the west coast to San Francisco
was defeated on a parliamentary point
of order.
The New OrP-ans bill called for an
appropriation of $1,000,000 for govern?
ment exhibit and the creation of a
government commission. The proceed?
ings in the House, marking the cul?
mination of the exposition light, were
unique. The vtalleries held the great?
est throngs of the present session, and
there was no attempt to restrain the
applause that came from the specta?
tors as the light progressed.
The rival claims of the two cities
recently were put up to the Pub-:
Committee of me House. That com?
mittee would not undertake to say
which exposition measure should have
the riKht of way. but rendered a sol?
emn-like decision that there should be
a call of the House, and cadi member
was to rise In his place and vote "San
Francisco" or "New Orleans" instead
of "aye" or "no." as usual on roll-calls.
This course was followed to-day.
and during the taking of the ballot
excitement ran high. The race be?
tween the two cities was exactly a
tie when eighty-seven votes hud been
cast on each side. It remained up to
the 100 mark, and then San Francisco
began to forge to the front.
When the decision in favor of the
California city was announced there
was a demonstration, both on the tloot
and In the galleries. Members clapped
their hands, bunged their desks and
veiled at the top of their voices. Some
"of them, unable to contain their en?
thusiasm, stood up in their seats or
beat their colleagues on the back or
jumped up and down, waving their
arms at their friends In the crowded
gallery. , , ?
Mr. Carey, of Wisconsin. evoked
laughter by responding ??Milwaukee"
when his name was called. Mr. Moore,
of Pennsylvania, voted for Washing?
ton.
How Parties Divided.
These are the Democrats who voted
in favor of San Francisco:
Ashbrook. Ohio; Rarnard, Indiana;
Bartlctt. Nevada; Coney, New York;
Cox, Ohio; Finley. South Carolina:
Fitzgerald, New York; Fornes, New
York; Gallagher. Illinois; Goldfogle,
New York: Goulden. New York; Ham?
mond. Minnesota: Havens, New York;
Hitchcock, Nebraska: Hughes. New
Jersey; Jamieson, Iowa; Kollher, Mas?
sachusetts; McDermott. Illinois; Mar?
tin. Colorado: Maynard, Virginia;
Mitchell. Massachusetts: Morrison, In?
diana: Nicholls. Pennsylvania; O'Con
tiell, Massachusetts; Peters, Massachu?
setts; Ralney, Illinois; Rauch, Indiana;
ltlordon, New York; Ruckcr. Colorado;
Sabatb, Illinois; Sherwood, Ohio; Sul
zer. New York; Taylor. Colorado;
Touvelle. Ohio; Weisse, Wisconsin, and
Wilson, Pennsylvania.
The Republicans who voted in favor
of New Orleans;
Austin. Tennessee: Barchlleld. Penn?
sylvania; Bartholdt. Missouri; Bennett,
Kentucky; Campbell, Kansas; Chap?
man, Illinois; Davidson, Wisconsin; i
Douglass, Ohio; Elvlns, Missouri;
James, West Virginia; Gode. Iowa;
Graff, Illinois; Graham, Pennsylvania;
Hangen, Iowa; Hughes, West Virginia;
Langley, Kentucky; Pongworth, Ohio;
Uundln, Illinois; McKiney, Illinois:
Madden, Illinois; Malby, New York;
Morgan. Oklahoma; Moxley, Illinois;
Murphy, Missouri; Olmsted, Pennsyl?
vania; Pickett, Iowa; Rodenberg, Illi?
nois; Thlstlewood, Illinois; Wilson.
Illinois, and Woods, Illinois.
The presentation of San Francisco's
claim in the preliminary debate was
in the hands of Representative Gard?
ner, of Massachusetts. Representative
Rodenberg, of Ilinols. handled the case
for Now Orleans. He Is chairman f !
the exposition commission, which re
ported In favor of New Orleans.
"Hebel Veil" Henri],
When Mr. Rodenberg arose to pre?
sent the claims of New Orleans he was
greeted with wild applause on the
Democratic side, and scattering
plaudits from among his fellow-Re?
publicans. The "rebel yell" frequently
was heard during the New Orleans
demonstrat ion.
Mr. Rodenberg declared that "all the
nations of the earth, yea, even the Jap?
anese," would be welcome to Now
Orleans.
Mr. Rodenberg closed with a dra?
matic tribute to the people of the
South, which called out applause and
congratulations from both sides of'the
chamber. Fifty or more members
crowded about him to shake hands,
while the galleries applauded.
Mr. Rodenberg declared that no peo?
ple In the United States* wore more
loyal to the Mag to-day than the peo?
ple of the South; that 1915 would bo
the fiftieth anniversary of the close of
the Civil War, and it was proposed
(Continued on Fifth PagoT) '
Republicans in Legisla?
ture May Take Hand
in Democratic Fight.
AN INDEPENDENT
FOR iHE SENATE
Schurman, Prendergast or John
Purroy Mitchell Suggested as
Candidates on Which Minor?
ity and Insurgents Could
Unite to Defeat
Sheehan.
[Special to The Times-Dispatch.]
Albany, X. y., ./arm .y 31.?A now
move n i oe senatorial game was
sprung to-day, when it was learned
that there will be a conference of Re?
publican r.embers of the Lr3g*slattir*
to-morrow for the purpose of taking a
hand in e Democratic light. The
conference may drop into a caucus,
which would t'opose Chaunce.. M. Do?
pe ty as t.i.- senatorial Choice C-v the |
Republicans and substitute I a cob Ol
Schurman, president of Cornell uni?
versity; Comptroller VVilllam A. Pren?
dergast, o; 1 resident of tin; Board of
Aldermen mim Purroy Mitchell. Thus
two Republicans of high class and an
independent Democrat are under con
Bidera; i on;
Should rh? of these three min oe
chosen it will be dope with the sole
idea of oreuklng the deadlock over
Sheehan, and attracting the "Insur?
gents.'' wilt) new block him. Wh'ie the
scheme has not been worked cute, it
has been pushed by Assembly nun
Sweet, and it has the backing of sev?
eral prom'vnt Republican Senators
Senator Depo w's highest cote was
SI. This id<itbcr, wit!: twenty e.f th?.
twenty-nine insurgents, con id olect a
Senator. It is probable that the two
Independence League men? Assembly?
man O'Connor and Senator Duhamel?
would j )in --ich a Republican manoeu?
vre.
Mli.for.vty Favor Plan.
Some Rop'il'.Jcarts, including 1-hlwln
A. Merrltt, ieadc in tli ? Assembly, end
Senator Seth Hoaeoek. chairman of the
caucus ciiinmnlee, <!?? not favor the
plan, but the majority thlul: very well
?. f It.
"We have talked over auch a thing,"
said Senator Hoacock?"that Is. we |
have talked over a prj lOSltlon ot re?
convening the caucu g,lve us liberty
to compliment a few will-known Re?
publicans. There, for Instance, are
Jacob C.i Schurman. William A. Pren?
dergast. Nicholas Murray Butler and
Seth Low, but I dph't believe we should
enter the Democratic light. Let them
take care of their own contest."
The absence of Senator Brackettj
created some comment. Shrewd poli?
ticians suggested that he may be at
work on some deep scheme, by which
Sheehan would profit. They said that
were there to be a mix-up, by which
Republicans and Insurgents would
combine upon an Independent (or Dem?
ocrat), a number of the Old Guard Re?
publicans would at once run to the
support of Sheehan. He can be elected
with llftcen votes more than he now
tics'. Well-informed politicians at the
capital believe that at least tlfteen
Republicans would (luck to him. were
they to get this kind of an excuse.
Dix AVoiild Not See Murphy.
Governor Dix refused to-day, accord?
ing to his own statement, to see Charles
P. Murphy. While some persons were
inclined to think this action was a
snub, others passed off the incident
lightly.
"Have you seen Mr. Murphy this
morning?" the Governor was asked.
"No," was the reply. ?'He called, but
I sent word to him that 1 would be
unable to see him."
That was about 11:23. For ten min?
utes, Phil Donohue, who had gone to
the Capitol with Murphy, paced the
corridor outside the chamber. Mur?
phy was within one of the executive
offices for at least ten minutes. If
the Governor did not see him, he must
have waded that long in an ante-room,
trying to see the Governor.
When tho Executive told the story
tot tho newspaper men, after Mr. Mur?
phy had gone, he wore his heavy over?
coat :.nd was in a hurry to catch a
train for New York.
There was very little change to-day.
The only shifts were made by Senator
; White and Assemblyman Martin, both
of Schenectady county,' who changed
from Van Santvood to Kernen.
When Charles Murphy was asked
if there was anything in the talk of
a possible compromise candidate, he
replied: "Wo have one candidate now,
and there is no use talking of any one
? else as long as he is the choice of the
! majority of the party."
DINNER TO SUPREME COURT
l?Mtlngnlnhcd (incuts Attend Annual
White House Kvent.
Washington, January 31.?Chief Jus?
tice White and the Associate Justices
of the Supreme Court of the United
States, accompanied by their wives,
were the guests of honor to-night at
the annual dinner given by President
and Mrs. Taft to members of that tri?
bunal at the While House.
Besides the members of the Su?
preme Court the guests included Af
torneyrtlonera 1 and Mrs. Wickershnm,
several Senators and Representatives
lend their wives, the Chancellor of the
i Supreme Court of Delaware ami Mrs.
Curtis, Chief Justice of the Supreme
[Court of Pennsylvania and Mrs. Fell;
(.lames Keith, the president of the Sih
preinc Court of Appeals of Virginia:
I Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals
of Maryland and Mrs. Boyd; the pres?
ident of the Supreme Court of Appeals
of West Virginia and Mrs. Williams;
former Senator and Mrs. J. B./Forukor
and others.
Former"nnnk Provident Sentenced.
Now Orleans. La.,- January 31.?Af?
ter overruling a motion for a new
trial. Judge Grubb. in the United States
Court, to-dav sentenced William Adler,
former president of the defunct State
National Rank, to serve six years In
the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary. Ad?
ler was recently convicted on eighty
counts of three Indictmonta charging
misappropriation of tho bank's funds.
CITY DOCK CASE WORKED UP BY
BRADLEY FOR CONTINGENT FEE
A. J. II RA I) LEY.
G?ERRANT HOTEL
GOES INTO COURT
Lawyer Will Ask Judge Waddill
to Appoint Receiver in
Norfolk To-Day.
DINING-ROOM IS CLOSED
Property Turned Over to Cred?
itors in Bankruptcy
Proceedings.
Counsel for M'ss C. S. Left wich, pro?
prietor of the Gucrrant Hotel, at Third
and .Main Streets, will file a petition
in bankruptcy in the United States
District Court in Norfolk to-day. and
will ask Judge Waddill, who 's holding
court in thai city, to name a receiver
to take charge of the property. No?
tice signed by Attorney J. Kent Raw
ley was p >st"d on the dining room door
ai 1 o'clock yesterday stating that
Miss Lef*wich had turned the hotel
over to hjr creditors, and thnt no din- j
her would he served at fi o'clock.
Tnke* Papers to Norfolk.
Mr. RawSey had expected to tile the
court proceedings during the after?
noon until he learned that Judge Wail
dill was ,but of the city, and as it was
necessary to have somebody In charge,
he went to Nsrfolk by boat last night
to formally present, his petition. Inas?
much as no papers have been tiled as
yet, the e:;r>.ct situation financially
could not he learned.
There are about forty-five regular,
hoarders at tbe Guerrant, many of
whom were thrown into confusion by
the lawyer's notice on the dining room
door an! the uncertainty as to the fu?
ture conduct of the house Cut all the
boarder.* took the Situation In 50 >d
piace. They went out to dinner, and
they are going out to b.'et:kfast thta
morning. :'cr <>n Cue advice of counsel ?
Miss iLe.Hvlth ?vi 11 only keep the hotel
cren an 1 properly heated until tho
court cPrects ,:ust what shall be 6 one.
The general nnderstnndJus ,; ti.tt. the
ii coive. will o'thor lei as manager ^r j
employ a mannger at once.
Worked Hard for Hotel.
Miss Left wich opened the Gucrrant1
four years ago and since that time she
lias worked faithfully and hard to keep
it up to the right standard. The prop?
erty is owned by J. M. Kourqurenit,
who Is now in Florida. It rented for
$l,S00 a year. There are about sixty
live rooms, and the business would
have been much more profitable except
that some of the rooms ate so small
that It was difficult to find occupants j
for them.
Some of the boarders arranged last
night for quarters elsewhere, and. us
the house has been turned over to
creditors.' there will be a general mov?
ing out unless Mr. Rnwley returns from
Norfolk to-day and puts a manager In
charge. Much sympathy was ex?
pressed for Miss Left wich, es
clally by hotel people. some of
whom said that she had undertaken
a big thing for a woman, and that situ
deserved praise for having kept the
Gucrrant open in the face of many
obstacles for nearly four years.
SCHENKS THREATENED
A nony 111011H Leiter* Turned Over lo
Po.Hl-oiliec liepnrl me ill.
Wheeling, ? W. Va., January ::i.?
Since Mrs. John t>- Schenk was re?
leased, after n setisiii ional trial, tin
the charge of littetnptlug to poison
her husband, and Ihn announcement
was made that eleven Jurors favored
her acquittal, members of the Schenk
family have been in receipt of many
anonymous letters which, it is alleged,
come under the law. These letters
threaten them with all sorts of e:Ham
itlos if the prosecution of Mrs. Schenk
Is continued. It was stated lb-day
that the letters have been given to
the Post-Ofllcc Department, and an ef?
fort will be made t.O find the writers
John o. Schenk Albert Schenk and
their sister, Mrs. Mary Dbopklri, have
received such letters, It la stated.
Finance Committee Indorses
Award for Concrete Work on
River Project.
LEDGES ARE TO BE REMOVED
i -
Engineer Estimates Cost of Pre?
liminary Work to lie
?5>45i.
After discussing the various plans
for erecting a public wharf on .lames
River, the Council Committee on
Finance lust night recommended to the j
Council the approval of the award of
contract made by tin; Committee on
James River improvement to the Ray?
mond Concrete Pile Company for erec?
tion of a. concrete wharf and bulkhead
for $33,780. The concrete piles uro not
to be laid until certain rock ledges
have been taken from the river, at an
estimated cost of $5,451.
The Finance Committee will provide
in tho forthcoming annual budget
funds both for the wharf us specified
In the contract, and for the removal
of*the rock, In accordance with the bid
of the P. Sandford Ross Company: of
Jersey City.
Co?< of Dredging.
I The matter lias been before the
Finance Committee for several weeks.
At a former meeting it was brought
to the attention of the committee that
in front of the proposed location on
the river there was a ledge of solid
rock which might prove expensive to
remove. City Engineer Rolling was
instructed to survey the amount of
rock and loose material and get es?
timates on the cost of its removal. It
had been expected from the beginning
that whatever soft material and loose
rock was in the bed of the river in
i front of the proposed wharf could be
? dredged out by the city tug and its
I equipment.
! Mr. Rolling reported last night that
excavation in front of tlte wharf to
! n uniform depth of eighteen feet below
I low tide, the present depth of the gov
j eminent channel, turning basin and
harbor, would require the removal of
. ",9'iti cubic yards of earth, clay, sand
and loose rock, for which the hid of
ihe Roms Company was T."> cents a yard,
j making $_\0r>!).r>o if the work were put
j out to contract; and 171 cubic yards of
I solid . rock lit $1 1.C0, costing $5,151,
i making a total for oxravat'on of ,5V
j 110.50.
May Cut Channel Deeper.
! Wore the bottom in front of the
[ wharf cut down to what the govern?
ment, proposes as the ultimate depth
for the Richmond harbor, twenty-two
feet at low tide, it would require tho
removal of 15.007 cubic yards of earth,
sand and loose rock, amounting to
$3,l$d2o, and I.7SI cubic yards of solid
rock, at $11.50, amounting to S2U,:? | H.
making a total of $25.606.25. The com?
mittee decided that it was not neces
I sary at liu.s time to excavate to tho
i ultimate depth, since there was no as?
surance when the government would
deepen the channel, and meanwhile,
I were the bottom beside the wharf to
be .-ut below the channel. It would inev ?
itably till up ut the Urs! freshet.
City (Ihiih Wntcr Front.
Tho.__mattcr of building n public
wharf on James River has been before'
the Cltj Council in one form or another
for more than a your in fact, ever
since the oily acquired a tract of prop?
erty" along the water front from Hie
mouth of Gillie's Creek to the foot of
Nicholson Street. Fulton. . On this strip
of land the city dredge has been dump?
ing mud and sand removed from the
harbor, with Iji.e ultimate plan of
building a highway to Pulton above
high water.
The Southern Railway Company has
begun this week the tearing away of an
old trestle which crosses Water and
, (Continued on Third Page.)"
Got Bill Through Legis?
lature as Agent of
Bondholders.
SHOWS CONTRACT
TO COMMISSION
Fact Charged That Only Fifteen
Members of Chamber, Which
Is Opposed to Closing, Voted
for Resolution to Fight Pe?
tition in Courts?End
Not Reached.
Evidence adduced yesterday hefore
the State Corporation Commission in
the hearing: on the petition of tho
bondholders of tite William R. Trigs
Company to bo allowed to close tho
Richmond dock, showed that the casi
has been worked up by Albert .1. Brad?
ley, bf South Richmond, as a promoter.
Mr. Bradley, on cross-examination, said
that according to a contract between
himself and rite bondholders, he is to
pay all the expenses of prosecuting
tho petition, and In case of a success?
ful consummation. Is to receive a 'ash
consideration or else stock In a real
estate company which is to market
the property.
After the attorneys for the city and
the Chamber of Commerce had secured
this Information from Mr. Bradley, tho
contract itself was produce I by Kppa
FI tin ton, counsel for the bondholders:
No objection to Its production and ad?
mission as evidence was mad? by the
lawyers for the petitioners, who ex?
pressed the opinion that it would n t
hurt their care.
Chamber Meeting Slltnlt.
In the me^nt Imo Mr. Bradley pre?
served his equanimity, making an .-\
eeilcnt witness. lie ?is???rted trat the
meeting of tno Chamber of Com.bereu
at which resolutions were udopte I con?
demning the proposed closing of the
dock was composed of only fifteen
members, and that jnvltat'ons wert,
sent out. according to 'n* best belief,
only to thos ! t ersorially int. ?rested by
reason of thMr location lilong tho
docksldc. He further sal l that a num?
ber of leading citizens would come up
and testify In favor of musing of the
dock, did It rot look like disloyalty
to the chamber.
Commissioner R. R. Prontls snld that
not much weight would be given ly
him to the opinions of men who would.
not come forward and testify 'fe?'for?
tho commission Thereupon Mr. Hub
ton s.ifd he thought *? tdmlitir degree
of weight misht be giwr. to tho rcsor
lotions of the Chamber of Commerce,
composed of '.'77 m-Jibber::, of whom fif?
teen were present at tho meeting when
action against cluing tho dock was
taken.
?evidence SM Complete.
The hearing was spirited itt times.
A notable array of counsel was pres?
ent throughout tho day, forecasting?
a legal battle of moment when the
time for argument comes. The petl
IInters did not conclude their lestl
rriohy, but have one i>r two ruoro wit?
nesses to put on the statt 1 when the
hearing Is re-ri med a* u o'clock this
morning4. 'I here arc some witnesses
also for the city, the Chamber of Com?
merce and the property owners and
business me i along tho line of 'ho
dock.
Only one side has, of course, so "far
been heard. The evidence 's to the
effect that the business done by tho
dock is very small, and that when the
new city wharves are built the prop?
erty as a nock will be worth nothing.
According to Ferdinand Hbel, former
president of this City Council, the in?
stitution -s a nuisance from the point
of view of the coroner.
Don't Favor Wharves.
However, this view of the matter
was not entirely shared by .lames N".'
Hoyd. the biv.iker and capitalist; th?
last witness of the day. He earnestly
desires that the city buy the dock an 1
"stop all thl3 foolishness below Gil Bo's
Creek"?referring to the proposed
wharves. He thinks nothing at Ml o?
the latter proposition.
Eppa H?nton and Richard Rvplyri
llyrd are tho attorneys for the peti?
tioners, who arc the bondholders' com?
mit tic of the William Trlgg Com?
pany. City Attorney Honrs K. Bollard
appeared for tho city or." Richmond;
Judge George j,. Christian Tor tiw>
Chamber of Commerce; Judge Beverly
T. Crump for the adjacent business
houses, and Henry Taylor. Jr.. for tho'
Chesapeake und Ohio Railway Com?
pany.
The lawyers for the respondents
earnestly contend that the closing of
the dock would injure the shipping
interests of Richmond and that tho
public use of easement is one which
should be maintained for the use of
lite people for all time.
Pro ttt* Are Sum 11.
13. P. Remiss, of the bondholders'
committee, was the first witness. He
submitted tlgures to show that the
revenues from the dock for the year
1010 amounted to only $."...1?,:;. 0-', of
which $142.50 was for the u*e of water,
and the remainder for dockage. The
expense account showed $l.S-19.4S,
[while the taxes wer.- $1,562.06, tnak
I lng a totai expenditure of $11,111:54;
I leaving n surplus of $2,151.1$.
Mr. Remiss was of opinion that tha
closing and filling up of the dock, and
the building of structures tor commer?
cial purposes would result in a largo
tax return to the city :|jnl Stato, as
against the small amount of about $1,
| .'??in nt present.
j As to the position of tho bond
'holders, he said that they have so far
been able to secure only about {~, per
I cent, of the value of the first mort
( gage bonds, which was not equal to
one-fourth of tho accrued taxes on the
j bonds from 1902 date, and und??r
no circumstances, he asserted, can they
receive as much as one-half of tha
accrued Interest.
IPHc.n Not Affected.
As to rate- on Height, Mr. Remiss,
continued, they are not based or?
wharfage, but on the possibility ,>f
competition from water transporta?
tion. The dock, he said, is not a boa