Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-05-31
FORGED TICKETS.
They are Turning Up at Kansas City-How
il is Done.

engaged in forging railroad tickets, and
they are no nearer Identification than when
they started.
In a number of instances ticket brokers
throughout the country have been connected
with criminal manipulation of railroad tick
cts, but the forgeries which have proved
the most costly and annoying to the rail
road companies have not ceased. These
forgeries consist of changes in the
tickets and the work is astounding as
piece of art.
To change the destination of ticket has
become common trick, since the use of
acids which will easily remove the ink,
leaving no trace of the change, became
known. But this forgery consists in remov-
ing the printed letters and figures and sub
Stituting others with pen and ink in such
manner as to battle detection and provoke
the admiration of even the railroad officials
most interested.
THE FIST DISCOVERIES.
Some two years ago the railroads discov-
cred an unusually large number of tickets,
the destination of which had been changed,
and the police departmentS of the roads We're
set TO work TO ferret out the guilty ones.
Several minor cases were made, but some
of the passenger agents felt certain that the
right man had not been caught.
The matter was allowed TO drift along,
however. until new discovery was made.
tickets the limits were changed and ex-
tended. So thoroughly was the work done
that detection was impossible until settle
ments with connecting roads were made,
when reports conf1icted and demand for
an investigation was made.
Probably the first road to discover the
new forgeries was the Kansas City. Fort
Scott and Memphis, and the general passen-
ger agent of that line at the present time
has number of souvenirs in the shape of
forged tickets. The discovery was made
when q connecting line returned a coupon
which it claimed had been sold by the
Memphis and not reported. The ticket was
looked up and no record OF such sale
could be found. Further investigation de-
veloped the fact that no ticket with such a
limit had been sold. 1t was mystery that
remained unsolved until two more tickets,
one of which read over the Memphis and
Fort Scott, Wichita and Western, were re-
ceived under the same circumstances. Then
it was that the forgery was discovered.
The tickets used were expired tickets,
those which had not been used before the
date limiting the life of the ticket and
which were worthless in consequence.
THE TICKETS FORGED.
Limited tickets or coupon tickets, are
made up of considerable printed matter.
First comes the name of the road, then thas
instructions and contract, followed by the
coupons, on which appears the origin and
destination of the ticket Alongside of the
instructions and contract at the edge of the
ticket, is printed the first or last six
months of the year, the days Of the month
and the years in rotation. When the ticket
is sold the agent punches out the year,
month and day on which the ticket expires.
This it was thought was an absolute pro-
lection against changing the limit. Clumsy
attempts at filling up the holes punched
an b-r+ oaSily- dpfaStpf
orally. 1t remained for the king of forgers,
who is wanted so much by the detectives
Just now, to belittle the precaution taken.
Instead of filling up the holes he used acids
TO remove the printing and then with pen
and ink deity printed new years and new
months on the margin. If the last year
originally was 1889 he removed it ahead to
1891 or 1892, printing the portion of the fig
ures around the punched hole and then re-
stored the value of the ticket for two years
longer than was intended by its first own
ers. In some instances the months only
were changed and it was one of these
changes that was detected. So well was
the type initiated by the expert that detec-
ton could result only from an error as in
the case Of the Wichita coupon. In using
the acid the ticket had either been burned
or the glaze softened and in one letter the
ink had run or spread Just the least bit.
Where 'mar'' was printed in, the IN" was
slightly blurred and a rigid examination
revealed the forgery and exposed the trick.
The Memphis company at once took steps
to cause the arrest of the forger, but all
efforts At his apprehension were futile. 4
Three or four other tickets came ~
without a record and then the work on that
road stopped Other roads, however, be-
gan to experience the same trouble with un-
recorded tickets and one after another Sc
cured specimens of the focger's handiwork.
The slauths could report no arrests and Of
his own accord the forger stopped his work
on the roads into Kansas City.
IN THE SOUTH AND NORTH.
The next heard of him was in the South
and recently he returned West The latest
victim reported is the Northern Pacific, al
though it is known that number of other
roads have suffered without disclosing the
fact in the hopes of catching the forger.
But not even ar idea OF his headquarters
has been developed in the search.
Nearly every "scalper" in the country
has been ''shadowed,'' as it is known that
some CT them have assisted in placing the
tickets, but no tangible clew has been Sc
cured. Il is the common belief that sQRsS
of the ''scalpers" furnish the tickets and