The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-11-22
AN EITORTIOSATE OFFICKR.
SWIndlIng OF Refugees BY Citizen.
Conductors.
A Nice Game Suddenly Blocked.
rom the Chattanooga Gazette, 10Th.

! From the Chattanooga Gazette, 10th.
Some men are born mean. Others,
from a wrong bringing up and disre-
gard in their childhood of the Scrip
tural injunction to spare the rod and
spoil the child" become rascals in their
later years When you find man,
who to the inherent meanness in him
adds the rascality acquired by years of
practice, you find the finished scoun .
] drel. ANY man who will take advant-
age of the distresses and necessities of
of others, deserve to be branded as q
heartless wretch, but when he adds the
capability of defrauding those who em~
ploy him, and threatening those who
are in his power, he has arrived at the
acme of rascality. In consequence Of
Gen. Shernan's late order, sending all
citizens out of Atlanta, much trouble
and distress has unaVoidably been
created, in some Instances Quarter
masters in the Z. s. Army and Citizen
Conductors on U. S. Military Railroads,
have been found capable of taking ad-
vantage of the refugees and extort
money from them for transportation
over the railroad, Notwithstanding that
they had proper passes and orders for
transportation. Some Of these gentle
men will find themselves in tight
place before long One has already re-
oeived his deserts
Stephen S. Bradley, Citizen Conduc-
tor, on Chattanooga and Atlanta rail
road, was charged before Major CrOwell,
Provost Marshal District of the Etowah,
with having fraudulently collected
money for transportation of refugee
family from Atlanta, Ga, to Chatts-
noOga.
The name Of this family is Ficken
Mr. Ficken testified that he went to
the depot in Atlanta, after he had re-
ceived his orders for transportation,
and endeaVored to find some train on
which he could load his household
stuff Seeing a crowd of conductors
he asked them if he could get on any
of their trains, and some Of them
replied no one could 90 on
their trains, without first paying
one hundred dollars. Bradley being
one of the parties who spoke, and
promising to take him through to Nash
Vile, after some time, Mr. Ficken agreed
to give him the required amount, when
he was told TO bring his furniture and
put it into the caboOse car, which he
did. all but one box and bureau which
could not be got into the car, and
which be tried to put on top of the CO.
boose, but before he was allowed to do
so, the brakeman, Chopper, by name)
made him pay him twenty-five dollars.
After the train had been started some
captain came around and entering the
car in which Mr. Ficken and family
were, he said that they had too much
furniture along and part Of it must
20 out The conductor took the captain
to one side and talked to him a while,
and then coming back to Mr.. Ficken
he told him that be had better give
the Captain twenty FIVE dollars. Sooner
than have any Of his things put out,
Mr.. Ficken gave Bradley twenty-five
dollars to give to the Captain After
arriving in Chattanooga the brakeman
came to the car and told Mr.. Ficken
that he could make thirty dollars out
of the car that night and that they
must move, or if they would give him
twenty five dollars more they might
stay. This amount the refugee could
not give for they did not have it, and
then Hopper said they might at least
give him five dollars, but Mr.. Ficken
had no money at all. The brakeman,
falling in this attempt at extortion then
went of and the family stayed there
till morning
These are the main points in the case
as sworn to by Mr. FIcken and his wife.
The conductor plead not guilty, but ON
the hearing Major Crowell ordered him
to be confined in the Military Prison
of the District, to await the approval
of his sentence, which has been sent
to Headquarters, for that purpose.