The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-21
RAILWAY SECRET SERVICE.
How Sleeping-Car Spoilers Bring IN
wary Conductors to Sudden Grief.
The Painstaking and Astute Work Required
Dangers Of Detection to Which the De-
tectiyes Are Constantly Exposed.
New York Herald.

Not a hundred yards from Grand Central
Depot is saloon largely frequented by railroad
employees. and especially by sleeping-car conduct
ors, who, as q rule, indulge in fancy drinks OF
first quality and display very fastidious taste.
A reporter happened the other night to stroll
into this resort and ran across an acquaintance
whose occupation consists In shadowing sus-
pected conductors.
"You desire, then. to learn about the secret
service on railroads. commenced the detective,
after conversation in the course of which such
desire had been expressed. ''Well those
sleeping car conductors we saw just now in the
saloon afford excellent specimens for observa-
ton. The temptation to knock down fares is
great. yet it is altogether different now from
what it used to be in the olden times. Some ff-
teen or twenty years ago conductors berth
was worth quite as much as a seat in the Stock
Exchange or a sherif's appointment, but those
flush times have had their day, and it takes a
great amount of sharp practice to beat the vigi-
lance of q spotter. However to present a COR
rect idea of the clever detective work carried osa
in this unique line, it would be as well to give
you thorough insight into the business.
Now, then, the Pullman Palace-car Com
pany, on several occasions, found it necessary to
engage the services of detectives to watch some
conductor on whom suspicion had crystallized,
and. in most instances, conclusive proof, show
ing systematic robbery, was furnished. The
dishonest employees received, of course, the
grand bounce new men were selected to fill the
vacancies and still it was apparent that heavy
depredatioDs continued to be carried on. The
case could only be explained in way exceed
ingly disparaging to human nature, but de-
Sectlve, who had been assigned on the work for
some length of time, and thus gained consdera
BILE experience, based on close observation, ven
tured to make q bold assertion impeachng the
honesty of nearly all conductors. He suggested,
consequently, to organize an elite corps or rail-
way detectives, especially picked to meet the
requirements OF that particular service, and sub
ject the men to an incessant and rigid vigilance
Headquarters were established in this city, and
although the extra running expenses incurred
by the service are quite heavy, there is no doubt
but many thousand dollars have been saved for
many employees encounter severe restraint by
the constant fear of detection and disgrace
''You think that long servicehas hardened my
judgment and l am wrong in considering the
majority of conductors more or less inclined to
dishonesty Allow me. then, to offer expla-
nation. l am sincerely convinced that great
many Of these fellows would be trustworthy in
any other position but somehow the wrong
doing appears trivial or even pardonable be-
cause it is a corporation of millionaires which
has to suffer, and the employees claim as an ex-
tenuating circumstance that the bad example OF
greedy directors helps to destroy their feeling OF
moral responsibility
''But, to draw an illustration, let US imagine
a case like this: An elderly gentleman, who in
vain has endeavored to adjust himself into
comfortably recumbent position on the rigid
seats of an ordinary passenger car resolves to
spend few dollars in order to secure good
nights rest Well, he is courteously shown an
inviting berth in the sleeper, while dusky por-
ter eagerly grabs the passengers satchel and
grins complacently at the prospective tip. The
features of the conductor, on the other hand,
assume strictly bussiness-like expression, al
though there might be reason to question his
integrity of purpose il one could only catch his
stealthy glance. The fact is, our friend has
cleared the way for Touchdown fare by over
looking the slight formalty of issuing berth
check to the new passenger, and he is now medi-
tating the probability whether everything is all
right-a phrase which in his vocabulary figures
as synonym for 'spotter' being in sight How
ever. the clever fellow has unfortunately failed
to observe the piercing eyes of detective who
is watching the whole transaction through a
small opening in the curtain of an upper BERTH
and you bet he will get him on the list.
you must understand the checking of a
sleeper is a very complicated affair, and the de-
tective who ESCAPES making some sort of blum
der on a long run has to be pretty well trained.
Taking coach with fourteen Sections making
double the number of berths, 1t may however,
accommodate a considerably larger number of
passengers as each berth is often occupied by
two persons. But the thing most likely to con-
fuse novice in the service is whenever the
same berth is sold twice during single night
A passenger for instance, leaves the train shortly
after midnight, and another is directly afterward
turned into the vacant berth, merely allowing
the porter sufficient time for changing sheets.
etc. In eventualities of this kind it depends
largely upon a detectives faculty of familiariz-
ing himself with the features of each passenger,
and thus at glance observe any change or aug
mentation Of tho total number.
"The life of a railway detective is not very
enviable one, can assure you He is hired on
the express condition that instructions, however
repulsive to his character, must be strictly COM
piled with. Furthermore, he has no abiding
place whatever. The interest of the service
quires a continuous shifting around with the
men from one road to another in order to reduce
as much as possible the chances of attracting
suspicion by the conductors and railway en-
ployes In general. It is thus usual thing for q
spotter to travel through every State in the
Union in the course of a few months, and his
work is really harder than most people would
imagine. Naturally, he must assume different
roles to meet any emergency and throw off sus-
picion. You find him posing as land speculator,
insurance agent, merchant. missionary gambler,
newspaper man or politician, all according to
the particular job on hand and the character of
the sec ion through which he travels.
1.-THE general course is to assign one agent to
each car, thus checking every passenger, but the
entire registration must be done mentally The
art consists in evincing the least possible con-
Germ, and the spotter should always have
straight story to tell when he engages in CONVEX
sation with other passengers or pals of the con-
ductor. At the end of each trip the detective
makes out an elaborate report covering a GER
tain and sends it to headquarters. where it is
compared with the conductors balance sheet
The spotter is frequently instructed to pay cash
fares himself. and the most conclusive proof is
derived by holding out the tempting bait in such
a manner as TO entrap the conductor. When the
evidence is found TO be of very damaging char
acter all formalities are dispensed with and his
walking papers served at once. Nevertheless,
there are some shrewd conductors who manage
to elude detection in spite of all vigilance. They
possess sort of intuitive tact through which the
presence of so-called Hawkshaw is revealed.
The conductors, without exception, entertain
bitter hatred to the detective service and in this
age of dynamite as an agent OF redress for sup