New-York tribune., 1869-04-03
HOW RAILROAD CONDUCTORS ARE
"SPOTTED"

THE DETECTIVES METHOD OF RUNNING
.... RAILROAD" ... lam.
perhaDs there is no class Of employees who
have greater inducements better opportunities to PHI
fer with fear of detection than conductors on steam
railroads They receive great deal OF money and must
necessarily be left to render their own account OF IT, ana
the correctness Of their returns consequently depends In
great degree upon their honesty, The wellestablshed
weakness OF human nature requires that sort of sur
veIllanee be exercised upon tlou and this Is done by
.'spotersy detectives who make running railroad
business and extensively employed by tho different
railrOad companies .l...
To "run road" successfully requires the outlay OF con-
siderable capital. the operation consumes from three
weeks TO three months and requires the services OF from
six to dozen men, more, according to the length
OF the road operated upon and the number ofs branches
There must also be taken INTO consideration the number
of trains run daily from and TO certain points, and the
average number in train, each car has to be
covered by u certain number OF operatives.
Upon starting read each operative Is FUR
nshed with written Instructions lprinted blanks which
specify the number Of the rum tho points TO and from,
the time Of departure and arrival Of the train, the car he
is TO enter whether passenger baggage or smokngear
its location In the tram the seat be Is to occupy either
right side or left and rs numbc counting from the for
ward end Of the car, the end nearest tic engine.
Each operative is furnished with an Quilt Of stationery
rnYeopes pens and lsad pecs faps prepared the
detectives leave their quarters for the place agreed upon
ent route so us excite Suspicion Upon arriving at
train each operative enters the and takes the seat
tbe in and finds the seat already occupied he takos
the next nearest unoceupied one aud keeps II TIL ho
reaches ms journeys cud, unless otherwise ordered
The least experienced "spotter placed IN tho Tor
ward part OF the car about the fourth or i seat from
te 'front.' next most experienced placed on the Op
pose side about tho eighth seat while tho most eN
perenced takes his seat IN the extreme end VI the
Neither Of the operatives expected to make notes OF
fares other than those pad by ra%engers occupying
lptu AM l..tl
although IL often occurs that the operative In Tho ioi
ward part Of the win fare paid In the rear end
of il sufficiently plainly TO euRhle him to make cGreet
report Of H. But an operative IN iIying 10 note iaies
aud caution that he does not excite the suspicion
latter may be friends Of the former who would not
hesitate to put HIM on his guard
The operative, when making memoranda Of fares paid,
uses pencil not more than two inches long. aud has TO
write with il la his pocket blank cards. package OF
which he carriesiD - rubber band When he has noted
down fare he draws ont the card ana drops u III ms
pocket putting but oEo fare each card IL Is no easy
matter 10 write wei ~ ones pocket while shaken by
and the specimens OF handwriting executed under such
circumstances are very apt 10 look like Egyptian
hierogyphics than the style OF penmanshp In common
use.
When making memoranda Of fares paid to the conduc.
6 p Stallion NJ s s" S ho ne 2sa @ m Inc sas
wSet6ep % near The aisle or window the denonInaon
character and amount OF money handed to the conduc
ard any conversation overheard between the conductor
and passenger The form Of the Memoranda made by the
operative when taking down fares Is about thus:
"NEwBuRsHfOnsg man % fh seat alone gave eentno o s.
yug Bedford and received postal Currency aud
yellow check which cheek book ahd with
pencil; Went to Bedford"
The other operatives in the who placed 10
see this fare paid will also make note Of IT, although
they may be able TO note ell the PARTICULARS such
the denomination OF the bill or tho exact amount paid.
What they do see, however, and note down, 10
cOrrobOrate the report made by the operative who sat
nearest the passenger and saw the whole transaction.
Upon arriving a the station where the run" ceases.
each operative with vase In hand, will wend his way TO
his hotel which has already been decided upoD and the
annl LEI
All the detectives do not go 10 the same hotel IL would
be apt 10 excite suspicion Two or three, at the most
put up at the house. each one dropping IN sngly
and engaging his room While at tho hotel they must
each other entire strangers and are allowed 10
communicate only when In their private apartments
each and after the operative has reached his
hotel he sits down and writes his report. When the
ports finished the operatives assemble In tho
occupied by the person who has charge OF the operaon
and compare notes, beginning with the first passenger
car In the train IL Is seldom that there ever is any
great variance in the reports Sometimes there may be
dispute regards the amount OF fare paid In parcu
and at decided the amount OF fare paid
settled by reference 10 the schedule Of prices.
often contains description Of the conductor, whether
polite aud attentive to passepgers whether The
crowded or otherwise; whether Ii well ventilated
and the lamps ghted also, IL the conductor cancelled
all tickets presentation TO him, and gave checks for
them; ALSO II there appeared to be any suspicion In his
mind OF being "tested" In short. every thing that
comes under tho observation OF the detectives that is
likely to be OF any interest TO the Company reported.
From three to live tests" are generally sufficient 10
show the honesty dishonesty OF conductor, but they
cannot be made daily II would excite his suspicion to
the faces Ia his aron four or five in
cosslon.
great deal Of judgment and shrewdness required
TO run road" successfully and avoid being dropped
on" by the conductors, who class rather know
ing than otherwise, aud generally the look for
spoers" IL Therefore necessary for the detective
having the operation In charge TO be weltrained aud
ably assisted, OF the chances are that the run" will 20