, 1873-02-20
TRAFFIC IN RAILROAD TICKETS.
Tho Source OF Supply Discovorett--
Bennnti0n Among Conductors nl1d

Tho Source OF Supply Discovcred--
sensntion Among Conductors and
Agents. IL
From, tho Cincinnati Gazette, Ft1.17
pooplo That the, purchase and sn1o Of railroad
tiokets by prtyato parties should tllrlvo ut oil In
4 city whore all tho railroads have their own
tiokots on sao. lilo tickets must be bought
originally from. tho railroads. mud, Of courBe, no
man could AFFORD to do that and then ac1l at low.
or ratos than llo bought. It lB nocoasary That
tho tchots sold by private parties should DO ct
lower Fstoa than thoy could DO haa ~ tho rn
buanoas ray, they must DO obtained ut much |
lower ratos. Tho exigonoios OF buainoaa may |
now and then oauso man WHO 1las purchased |
tho ticket useless in Ills possession. 10 him,
a doalcr In tickets who will buy the dead pa4er
eyen ct ha1f price IL uscful but ono can hardly
bclioyo That there aro enough such oascn to war
rant the establishment bf cltot-broAora ofllces
in al tho large cities. Recently, In this city, 1t
will bo remembered, ono Of tho dealers In tlckots
went 80 fur out Of tho regular line as to offer for
sale two passes TINT Ind boon regularly ineuc1
case. Tho great bulk OF telets offered for salo
by private parties are genuine, tic only difficulty
with somo Of them beng tho fact that they have
already boon used. Besides tho rogulnr brokors
IN railroad tickets, thoro aro humorous private
dea1ers tho newspapers overy day adyortieo
tiokets to st. Louis, Chicago, Pittsburgh, md
other plaoos, for sale choapi. In hotels placards
arc 70 20 seen announcing Inat Dy applying AZ
the deBk q tioltot to some point can bo had at d
low ratio. J..
Those facts, 1t would soom ought to DO eut1l-
Gent 70 put railroad men On inquiry to ascertain
The III 70, ot M s IT, s19y I 5s II hst
ductor on tho Pan Handle Road, made throe
ont Of the limo betwoon this city and Columbus,
s9a anssato i ineessson TGegg aa not
make md publish List Of chargoa against thoir
employees. md then call ,them up to defend
SSss esss }ss:Y 70 qosss Ts
| in Ms own way Ho procured tho assistance Of
number Of mon, and bought for them ticketu from
| Cincinnati to Columbus and Pittsburgh. The men
| wero instructed to keep an oyo upon tho con-
duotorB, and especially to noto what booamo Of
their own tickets. Two Of theso mon, who went
upon the samo car, found everything all right
betwoen Cincinnati md Columbus. Tho con-
auctor tore Of tho Colnmbun coupon, punc;hcd
it, and put 1t in his pocket, returning tho Pitts
burgh coupon to tho spies. After leaying Co
lumbus tia conductor took up tho first spya
coupon, looked at it punched it, and put It Ills
had a ticket Of the samo dato, but Of a.highor
| number. This tho conductor put into his pocket
toihout punching at ALL Tho epys, or to call
them by d less hard name, the detectives, saw
the saInc conductor put anothcr ticket in his
pocket IN tho samo way, and they also saw
him take cash fare and put the money in his
pocket without making q memorandum nt tho
| ttm0 OF the amount feoolVcd, ae tno Iu1eB re.
quire. Othor men mado llto disooyories ; sonao
| Of them found that occasionally conductor bo-
tween this city md Columbus would take up tho
whole ticket from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh and
to tho passenger his check, which would DO talzon
up by The conductor betweon Columbus and
Pittsburgh: Horc, then, was found tho Beoret
Of tho source from WHICH outside ticket dealers,
and possibly tho miscellaneous private and hotol
dealers. obtained thoir supply. Out Of twenty
five tickets bought by Detective Hazen md
usod BY his mon, 1t Was found that twenty
ono Of them were not properly punched whom
made certain by inquiring at Pittsburgh. Of tho
passenger agent, whose duty it is to receiyetick-
OTIS from the conductor il tho tickets bearing tho
date and number Of those used by Hazen's mon
was found that twonty~ono out Of twenty-five
Tero sold second time.
It appears that. no less than six conductors,
and eleven other persons, including number Of
ing In tlokets. One arrest was made on satur-
day, and othors will soon bo made, unless tho
Company adopts the moro morclful measure 81
discharging tho dishonest men. Conductor ".
Columbus, .wRs arrested on Saturday, and was
taken to the Hammond Street station House,
whore he gave bail for his appearance.
The officers Of the fond hayo reason 70 sup
been swindled out Of 9100, 900 Ia this way. Bome
Of tho detectives estimated that each conductor
WAS taking In about $40 q day during tho time
they were observing their tranBaotions. That
eeoma like small aum, but It would DO dan.
gerous, perhaps, to talso too much at once,
The discovery Of this system Of fraud will
turn sharp eye on other roads, and will es
peciallY direct scrutiny toward all persons out.
side of rcgular ticket Offices who offer tickets
for sale. It is possible that tho ticket market
will be rather dull, aud it is also likely that nl
conductors will punch coupons with virtuous an6
conspicuous vigor. It mny hlseWise happen thu
every cash fare will bo jottod down on tht
instant Of its reception.
Tho only porsons yet named In tho ring are
, Conductor Russell, whose arrest has been men
toned, and Columbus agent named Hunter
, | The hitter was summoned TO this city on eatur
, day to look after some printing. When ho wa
informed OF tho discovery Of tho fraud Ae quakct
with fear with good causo, for ho had no u ios
than nino tickets in his possession. 1t will b
readily aeon that ring composed OF conductor
; ! and agentB could drive D most profitable buBi
, nase, Tor the agent could roaeu the tickots al
, | full ratcs.
!. Mr. Russell statea that ho received tho ticket
! in a legitimate way. and disclainaB tho idea 0
fraud. He 6aya TINT many passengers gon
, | from New York to Columbus buy through ticket
to Cincinnati. When they reach Cincinnati
> having no further uso for tho coupons, they dlH
( poso OF them at q very low rate. Russell state
{ | that he haa bought number OF these coupon
and sold thom to conductors, who collected fare
and turned the coupons over to the agent at Gin
cinuati. According to hr. r. 3 stntoment be ha
| realized from these transactions only 375 duriu
hiH u yeara' connection with the rond.