, 1865-09-20
PRESENT HQBIZE.
jerome B. Milton. Colonel, commanding.
Daniel j. Eet}cy Na,nr
THE LATEST FINANCIAL EXPLOIT,
Philadelphia City Railroads 1oae $780,
600 In q JeaF-ArreAt Of Oue Hundred
nnd Thirty Conductors and Driyef1-
"a Female Spy Employed to work

"a Female Spy Employed to work
up tho Case.
lFrom the Philadelphia Inquirer, latn."
It Is evident from disclosures that have
been made within the Inst two weeks, Tint a
number Of conductors and drivers on different
roads In tlds city have managed to pocket
| about one hundred thousand dollars of The
money Of other people within ycar past.
Three leading railroads have thus fur suta-
cientiy fixed the guilt upon about one hun
are the Green and Coates, Girard College, and
the Second and Third Streets companies. Tie
affair Was not managed without much trouble,
and, before the different Boards had finished
their inqulsltion, they found that unexpected
parties were implicated, and that many quiet
form were ns deeply concerned in the frauds
rs the conductors. It had been suspected that
| such was the case, but mp to this time there
had been no evidence Of the fact.
The incident which led 10 the general dis
coyery was this: It was the custom of tho
! railroad officers to make an estimate Of the
average number Of fares which each conduc-
tor should receive In day. il a conductor
for many successive days failed to reach the
average, It was regarded a. Indicating ssome-
thing wrong" and the man wns discharged.
But the Presidents Of some Of the roads found
charging come Of their best conductors, men
of whose honesty thero could be no doubt,
and they set their wits to work to ascertain
why 1t was that really honest agents could
not tpko as many fares during the day as
others who were known to be dishonest. It
was curious state Of affairs, and required Pc
cnlinr treatment.
+. On WARM summer afternoon lady hand
somely dressed WIS politely assisted into
cur on certain road By conductor. It was
IN hour when but few people were travelling
n the direction In which tho car was going;
the conductor was idle, the lady was talka-
tive, and before the end Of tho journey WIS
reached tho lady was 60 pleased with the at
tcntion shown her that she determined to ride
again IN the same chr On the succeeding after
noon "ou The road.to see her nothcr.'f Three
OF these travelling. Interviews won the heart OF
The conductor, and when In conversation he
was asked "whether the life Of conductor
was not m improbable one,' he freely ad-
somely."
This was the secret, and the knowledge Of
the railroad officers supplied an explanation.
Numerous drivers received pay from theIr con-
ductors, daily, the amount ranging from flfty
cents to two dollars and half per diem. But
thefa Is reason to believe, that for every one
dollar Of the compony's money which the dis
honest conductors paid to the drivers, they
pocketed three or four for their own use. In
tomc cases the stcaltngs actually reached one
dollar trip, and from ten to thirteen trips
When the conductors On one Of the roads as
certained thnt tho whole saot1us operanN was
known. they held a meeting to see what
coursa to pursue. A party assembled in m
uptown hotel, in a very private room, but It
wns not sufficiently private to prevent lead
ing o1lcer Of the Company from having full
report Of their proceedings on his breakfast
table next morning. Tie parties interested
found this out, and held second meeting un-
der tree In an open field. On this occasion
It NnB decided to prepare a full confession of
guilt, or paper which in reality amounted to
Tho same thing, and this document, which
would be as good certificate Of admission to
tho pcnitentiaEy as any man need want, was
actually signed and handed to some person
connected with the Company, and, Wc Judge,
before this time has found its way to the 1
Board Of Directors.
The receipts Of one road In the city, after |
the deteciio OF the frauds, increased 800 per |
diem. On this same road It was ascertatned |
that not only had some Of the drivers been In |
the habit Of eEtoring money from the coll
ductors, but that eyen some Of the host1ers
and stable boys had been In the daily receipt |
Of regular amounts which they exacted from |
tho drivers before the horses would be brought |
from the stables. The drivers, In many cases, |
bad been IN years past connected with the |
omnibus system of Philadelphia, aud had /
thus graduated In school Of morality which /
taught them that the chief end Of man was |
to make money.
No prosecutions Of the dellnquents have
been commenced {although the most full and /
OF the companics), nor Is It probable that any |
better results would flow from legal indict- |
ment than will follow the precautions which |
have ALREADY hars1 taken hv I he rnannpnrs