, 1891-07-29
CAUGHT IN THE TOLLS.
The Scheme Connected by Two
Railroad Station Agents.
Destroying Way Bills and POcketinq
the Proceeds.
An Accidental Discovery Leads to
Two Arrests.

The Union Pacific agents Of Carbon
and Hanna who we're arrested charged
with robbing the railroad company, were
examined at Rawlins Monday They
we're tried on the charge of consprring to
embezzle, and bound over In $1,000 bail
to await trial in the district court. They
furnished bail and were released.
The conspiracy was a good one and If it
had not been for an accident would proba,
bly, have gone on for a long time without
being discovered. A letter which had
passed between the two agents, Mr.. Rus
som of Carbon and Mr.. Crosbie OF Hanna,
fell however into the hands of Mr.. Wur-
tele who at once suspected what was up,
A number of railroad officials bounced
down upon Agent Russom at Carbon,
invited him into his Office and asked him
to explain the letter he had written to
Crosbie. He denied having written a
letter but when it was shown to him he
weakened and confessed all. Mr.. Crosbie
at Hanna was treated in the same way
and he also, it is said, confessed.
The scheme was Matched by Russom
and proposed to Crosbie while the former
was at a dance at Hanna. Crosbie
acquiesed and the scheme was worked on
way freight. The agents when billing
freight are required to make out a way
bill, take a copy IN a little press and give
the way bill to the conductor of the train
who delivers it in turn to the agent at the
station where the freight is received. The
scheme was for each OF the men, on way
freight between their respective stations,
to make u a way bill but not to COPY
it and then when it was received by either
of them to burn it up, pocket the freight
charges and say nothing about the matter.
In that way all traces of their dishonesty
would be DESTROYED as there is no check
other than the way bill.
The following letter was sent to Crosbie
by Russom and returned to the latter.
who lost it. 1t was found by the operator
at Carbon, who forwarded it to Super
iuteuuSul "uiOele anu tuls leu W tue
detection:
G. B. Is.
JIM C.-Yes, VIII 7-1O has been re-
ported. If everything is o. X. with you
We will not report freight w. B. in flu
ture. Will make regular W. B. with No,
but no report. Fire W. B. in stove both
ways. Ans if o. K. X. }. r.
Translated into ordinary English the
note would read:
CARBON. July l3.-J. NJ. Crosbie:
Yes, way bill No. II, dated July 10, has
been reported. If everything is all right
with you we will not report the way bill
in future. Will make regular way bill
with number. Burn both way bills.
Answer if all right. K. j. RUssoM.
The note vas written on brown paper
with a lead pencil, and across its face was
endorsed in ink the words, 20. X. Bust
EN-. c." Crosbie had evidently re-
celved the note. endorsed it as shown, as
an evidence of his agreeing to the ar
rangement, and returned it to Russon.
The officials of the road were very
much surprised to find out the guilty
agents, as they had been considered two
of the best on the road. Crosbie was
especially liked, and was booked for a
promotion mex month.
The agent at Medicine Bow was at
first supposed to have been mixed up in
the conspiracy but no eliminating evil
dence could be found against him.
The investigation OF the above conspir.
acy brought to light another scheme be-
tween the Medicine Bow operator and al
other one. The scheme was to rob the
telegraph company by not making any
record of messages sent between the two
stations. The Medicine Bow operator,
W. d. Stetler, was convicted of larceny
on the above charge and sent to Jail. His
partner in the undertaking is a 20-year-
old youth and as he had not proftcd by
the stealing he was released from custody
but discharged by the company,
The stealing in both cases was compar-
%atively small and hardly seemed worth
running the risk of an exposure.
Russom claimed that they had had
nothing from their scheme but Crosbie
%contradicted him and said they had stolen
a little, but not much. The " offices
are being checked up and it is expected
that some heavier stealing will be I'M
earthed.