New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-08-10
4 RING on THE CIR LINES.
MAKING THE BELLPUNCH USELESS.

MAKING TIE BELL-PUNCH USELESS.
TIE METHODS or STEALING AND THE DISCOVERY.
Punching in the presence of the passen-
GER does not seem be a sufficient protection for the
street-raiway companies. Further inquiry into the
frauds perpetrated the Sec0nd-ayc strletrah"ay'
IN account Of which published IN yesterday"
TRIBUNE dscloses a very ingenious method OF steaihs
which has been prGctised for some months among tue
| conductors Of various roads in this city.
The conductors on all the main up aud downtown lines
| except on Thirdave.. furnished with the wei
known pistol like be!lpunches which ring and register
each indicator within, also punching hoie III
the rit-sp attached to the conductors coat The mum
her nj fares registered on the Indicator expected to cor
,pond with the cash turned ill., ana with the number OF
holes in the tripsp. The punch Is close with com
blnaton lock winch has long been supposed to DEFY
the ingenuity Of dishonest conductors
The instrument is made by the Colt Manufacturing
Company at Hartford. One of the men who had been
employed there time discharged last sum
toer lie is known now Mcpherson. whatever his reai
name may be. This man had learned the secret oil PICK
Ing the combination. The lock stands up from the punch
ike round nut, about hree-quarcrs oI an ino"
high and on four little Of metal are marked the
letters by which the combination is made By means OF
, very, delicate instrument which Mcpherson was able
10 us b. tween these zones, combination could DC
learned change of combination only made necessary
another examination.
,fi,,r on be.,n operations first in Philadelphia dur
|
the conductors on least road running TO the TX
posifion grounds That company found out that
tue were being cheated but how they could not learn
There As on all lines in New-Iork, detectives are en-
ployed 10 watch conductors. But 1t OF no use
Tie only relief the company found was III DIS
charging about twenty Ave conductors whose books
were short" that IS, who turned in less
money than the average Finally, TWO or three
months ago Mcpherson came To NeW-1ork' lie
WAS accompanied by nan, sometimes called
Thornton ami sometimes Barton, VINO conyassed for dis
honest conductors When bad been approached and had
been found disposed avail himself OF McPhefsons
KNOWLEDGE it was impaired to HIM for royalty OF -
week Al that he could steal above that he could keep
4 ring was formed among the conductors OF the
Broadway and University place line. The way they ope-
rated WAS this: Mcpherson picked TIE combination, ami
the conductors were aDlo to open the punch and
To regulate Indicator. The conductor when he re-
ceived fare Immediately pushed the trpslip into the
nuch but not far enough The paper, when it was
.uaVpcd The bell rang each time and the index within
ree tered the fare the conductor kept the money
and when opportunity offered, tne punch bens unlocked
he yy turned the index hand back uut corresponded
with the holes in the trIp-slip.
gsrAe tIick most easily played ON these routes on
which many passengers ride only short distances. 1t
MAS more difficult, then. for the detectives who might be
on the ears keep account Of the number OF passengers
carried. For this reason" TIE TRBUSE informant
.aiI the Broadway and University place Railroad was
nr,t captured. many ladies got on only 10 rIde
hioct that The CONDUCTORS OF lhdl IOdu hiu
or!on managed matters carefully, ana generally
preferred have only ten conductors III each rug Inc
ring ncN successfully formed on tnc 9iN'HiIe NV
hcn on FOurthavc.. aud finally, about july the con
ductOrs the -etOnG-ayenue Railroad were approach
! eff by AcIh, i''h OF iioIhto"' III IN, Joy iri
| The ring went iuto operation ON That hne' ana
| conductors 81 the secondivenue Railroad are some
! of unimpc4chabe integrity, aud these having
Dee II sounded by NcPuersun, agent, the officials OF me
Cnuany the nature of the fraud. Detectives
! Ve,a Gu tie alert aud suspected men were watched
| he IA
there was longer any doubt of their CUNT they were
d charged That was last Monday. 1t stated that
Two OF the rngeaders were found TO be MCGOWAN ana
! Kent men VINO mad been immediately suspected
Tnc Company did not lose much by the sWnde, II was
80 speedily discovered. II asserted mat not more than
$50 was stolen. and since each man, when taking his
position deposits 80 10 be forfeited ia case Oh oiSAoh
! esty. tIc Company can icimbul - ITSELF
! Ii Is not auown where Mciherson is, but Thorn
Aantc-ayeuue street railroad. conductor on that line
! said that several weeks ago he had been ap-
| preached b} man VINO r,iu 10 hlm IIoIUav
TO five dollars out OF YOU When asAed III what
grt AT the combination OF your punch" Tue conductor
replied that he had time just then, and when lie re-
! secretary OF the road, Of tn proposal
W. j. Richardson said that he remembered the circum-
stance Dut thought the only way IN which tie COM
! buati0n was discovered by seeing ~ unlocked
and as there are 10000 different combinations it al
most impossible the one used 10 inc discovered The
,y aiItr v.,y i'm winch the Company can be derauded
| by It's conductors by means OF what is known a.
! dummy puucl, which L. "A small Instrument easily
concealed la The hollow OF the hand, which rings ike
Inquiry was at the other Street Railroad Offices
The Broadway amt University place officials raid they
had knowledge Of any such ring or manner OF cheat
INK. The FOurhaye officers said The same tng Persons
connected with the LlghthaNc line Affirmed that no
of dishonesty among conductors had come 10 their
knowledge for months lt bad been decided, however,
! on account OF rGnors OF MAUI nom IhiadGiPhd 10
change hc fashion OF the combination lock. Tie little
burr alluded VIII he enclosed 10y shield Of metal with
small aperture IN H. through "hlch Ohp one leter can
be seen a time. No instruments, therefore, however
delicate can be inserted clever boy III the employ
Of the Company. had been able 10 pick the combination.
ON strength Of that and the rnors in circulation,
the BcPuuch Company mad ordered all their Insttu-
| mcuts To be altered IN the manner described.
The discharged conductors can be seen sitting in
nappy idencss about saloon at Sccond-aye and One
huudIcd-dnd- twenty -cIghthst Iney mostly young
men, goodOokug and better dressed than their
companions the road They laughed yesterday about
The TRiBJ NE story. aud said they did not know why
| they had been dismissed.