Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-09-23
The Bell Punch CircumVented

ANOTHER PROOF THAT NOTHING CAN MAKE
MEN HONEs ~ THEY AREroT HONEST.
Some months ago the managers OF the Grand
street aud 43d street cross town railrOa ad, sus-
pectiDg their conductors OF retaining fares In
spite OF the bell punch, substituted what is
known As the watch indicator for the punch.
For time this new check worked well aud the
company daily received the gross amount OF
fares collected. The conductors were puzzled.
The new Indicator was for a long time a COM
plete check upon knocking down" operations.
The watch indicator is shaped ike an old
fashioned silver watch, ana L. about twice as
large. Within the ring by means OF whict it is
suspended 70 the cham which passes around the
neck of the wegreT is a spring. This the con-
ductOr presses as he collects a fare, auI a and
in the interior OF the machine records one on a
dial, so that after a days work the receiver can
compare each cOnd uctOr's cash with his indica
tor and tell at glance whether he Is short IN
bis delivery.
But one Conductor, more ingenious than his
comrades, discovered 4 means OF Oatgitting
even this check. After 4 careful examination
Of the indicator. be found ]. able % record 9J9;
having passed that point, the hand on the dial
started At the figure I. Experimenting further,
he made his watch mark gg) IN a very few MIN
utes. His discovery soon became known 20
other conductors, and the result was tue tOrma-
ton of a credit mObllier ring on a small scale.
1t If a rule OF the company that every cOnduc-
tor shall turn tn his receipts at the end OF his
trip. The amount of each delivery H. entered
10 his credit, and on his return after his last
trip be is required 20 deliver his indicator. This
Is opened, and the dial shows the number of
with the aggregate OF cash turned IN.
To get over this regulation aud still retain the
company's money the conductors kept aD exact
account Of the cash they turned in, a. well a. OF
that which they pOcketec, and from This recDrd
they knew on the last triP how their Indicators
stood. Say, for instance, that 3 conductor had
collected five hundred fares, and had pDckete1
fifty OF them. HE indicator wOuld b. tltg fares
ahead OF his cash, and discovery OF the theft
would be inevitable. Bot here Tie discovery
mentioned above was put 70 practical use.
Knowing that the indicator could re- gi-.cr only
gi9 fares. and that the dial alrez ~ marked 500,
be had only 10 Opress tue spring 400 times 20 carry
the dial back % the starting point Beginning
here be could press the spring until the hand on
the dial marked A number COTTesp Jnding wIth
the cash be had turned in.
This fraud was successfully practised for
some weeks by many cOnd factors; bat on Sstur-
day last the indicators we're uneXp sctediy called
in in the middle of the day, and ne arly thirty
conductors were discharged for their shDrtcOn-
inRs. IL is thought that their steaings amOun.-
ed TO - day for each car.
One OF the men said recently, They can't
stop stealing, anyhow. until they pay men de-
cent wages. have a large family 70 support,
and had TO do il on S225 a day, and take the
risk Of not making full time. Some OF the cars
do not make more than five tTiPs day, snt
their conductors get only b cents per rip"
There has also been trouble on the BrOatgay
line, where p6rfOrating punch is used. Within
the past two weeks 6O conductors have been DIS
charged, and in filling their places the company
have refused % appoint men who have been
employed on city railroads. on the Broadway
line the conductors did their stealing msiuly by
emitting 10 record fares taken. An expert With
the punch can make IL ring without recording,
20 that II a spy is IN sight he cannot detect the
fTaud.-N. r. SHH.