Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-09
How Some Charming, but Willy
Feminine Passengers Attempt to
Dupe Railroad Conductors.
A TYPICAL CASE UNDER INQUIRY.
Some Fine Grown Children Whose Parents
Try to Pass Them as Below the Age,
TRAVELLERS WHO LIE FOR A FEW CENTS
By Checking TO One Station on Mileage Tickets and
Going on to the Next

local off cials are inquiring into charge
brought against a conductor by woman
who alleges that she was roughly treated
and improperly addressed by the officer.
The woman attempted to leave the train
without paying her fare, and the conductor,
as in duty bound, restrained her, as he de-
clares, without any violence.
There are many ways OF travelling BY rail
without paying ones way. The tramp
Jumps a freight train. steals rides on the
front end of the baggage car, or swings un-
der the car He does this of necessity, as he
generally has not the wherewithal to pay his
way. He is frequently discovered and put
of, but, not burdened with any pressing
business, by the aid Of little patience and
passing trains be reaches his destination in
the end.
But there is another class. not confined to
any grade of society, which endeavors to
travel without the formality OF paying for
the accommodation. This class is known
in the railroad service as 'dead beats.
They spring from all ranks of life; rom the
girl stranded in a strange town, who may be
without the means of paying her way home,
to the wealthy trader who tries to get ahead
of the railroad COM pany on the same prin-
ciple that he does Of everyone else.
WOMEN NO BETTER THAN MEN.
It would seem that women try to heat
their wsv more frequently than men. They
seem to think it smart to ride 10 or 20 miles
farther than their tickets call for. They are
much given to Understanding the age of
their children, and it is surprising what
particularly well-developed children of
years and II years conductors meet with on
their trips. Men travelling on mileage
tickets are often inclined to ride two or
three stations further than they have noti-
fed the condutor they purposed doing.
In fact, the easy time which the con-
ductor of any ordinary train would seem to
have, is not so in reality. Not alone must
he remember the faces or general appear
ance Of his passengers, but he must be con-
stantly on the oui vive that they do not out
travel the limits of their tickets. He re-
uuires to have his wits constantly about
him, for the public is touchy on the score of
any hint that imposition is intended, such
as, for instance, should conductor wrongly
accuse man of travelling beyond his limit;
and, on the other hand, he, in turn, must
not be caught mapping, else he find himself
reported some day for dereliction of duty,
BY one of the company's spoilers.
The investigation in hand by the Pennsyl-
vanis Railroad officials into cert lin charges
brought by the passenger against the con-
ductor, shows to what extent the ''beat" sys-
tenn may be carried. At a certain station
two women boarded the train. They had
tickets for a way station. These the con-
ductcr collected. The station was reached
and passed, and still the women retained
their seats The conductor was instantly
alive to the fact, and after time approached
them, desiring to know how lar they in
tended travelling. They said they were
going to Pittsburg The conductor ex-
planned that the tickets he had received
from them called for transportation only as
far as a station passed. They were sure that
they called ;or conveyance to Pittsburg.
Finally, on being told that if they did not
pay their fare he would be Obliged to put
them of, they paid up to the next station. I
HELPED INTO THE CAR.
Several stations had in the meantime been
passed, and at one of these one of the
women tried to descend without paying for
the extra distance travelled. The conductor
stopped her as she was walking away, and
assisted her back into the car again. The
woman burst into tears, and generally made
things very unpleasant for every one in the
She now charges the conductor
with using threatening language, and using
her violently, which, OF course, he ana those
who witnessed the scene deny. This is an
isolated instance, but it goes to show that
the railroad conductor, like other mortals,
has his little troubles.
A Pittsburg and Western conductor of
over 20 years experience was asked vester-
day what were his impressions concerning
theihabit of deadbesting on railroads.
81 find" he said, women more given to
attempting beat than men. Their schemes
are many. They try, in turn, the sympathy
racket, the dead-broke racket, and I'm-the-
wi e-or-sister-o -an-employe racket. On the
sympathy plan they seek to talk the con-
ductor into a free ride on the plea that their
father, mother or some other relative is
dead and they haven't money to buy
ticket Another plan tried is forgetting the
purse, and. having to reach their destina-
tion at certain time, could not wait for
another train. Quite number of women
think they are entitled to a rec ride because
they are related to an employe OF the road.
Frequently they are, but that does not en-
title them to free transportation. A plan
very commonly tried is when a party of two
or three women buy q round ticket and then
divide 1t among them. They pretend they
have lost the other parts; but the plan never
deceives-
"And it is not alone women who ere
straitened in means who try these lodges.
l have noticed ladies who had no excuse in
the world for such petty lsrcenies, just as
eager to find them succeed. 1t is a common
thing to evade paying for children. They
hide them under their skirts as the con-
ductor passes, and when ne subsequently
observes them and asks for the ticket, he is
told he has already got it.
SCHEMES OF SOME MEN.
"Men are just as anxious to get free ride
as the women are. j have a curious eIperi-
ence, frequently, at Leavittsburg, which
causes us a heap of trouble. 1t demonstrates
what a heap of bother men will go to tor a
few cents. The round trip from Newton
Falls to Warren is b cents. Leavittsburg
is station between. The round trip fare
between this place aud Newton Falls is 35
ce Is, while the fare from Leavittsburg to
Warren is 10 cents. Numbers o. men buy
round trip tickets to Leavittsbure. and then
buy the Warren ticket there, just to save
the cents difference in fare''
Here is what a Pennsylvania Railroad
through conductor had to say about it:
Running between this city and Altoona I
do not find much attempt at deadbeating,
but instances occur. For example, men
travelling on mileage books frequently travel
some miles ahead OF the station they say