The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-06-14
pAU RoADs LAUGH AT FEDERAL
Avs.
1,+erstate Commerce Provisions Con-
stantly Evaded and Violated by
Great Corporations, as
Is Shown by Their
Vouchers.

Vouchers
Heavy Shippers get Rebates. DGm"9,
inn Documents in the Possession OF
Alfonso VouIJaire, q TOmbs Prisoner,
Who Formerly Worked as q Ro1C
road Claim Clerk. Would not Sur
render Them. CGjolery and Threats
Alike Failed to MOUe Him-He Says
He is Held on O. Nominal Charge OF
the Iu8tigation Of Railroad Officials,
Who Fear to Come FOraCdrd to
Prosecute Him.
From New York Herald, May IA
Alfonso VoulIaire is confined in the
Tombs on the charge of forgery. He
was arrested about a month ago on the
COMPLAINT of Michael Dillon, a livery
man. at No. 155 East Thirty fifth street.
After an examination before a police
magistrate he was held in 81, 600 bail
for trial.
Since his arrest the police have been
busily investigating the disappearance
of valuable documents belonging to
Differentiated companies. VOullaire
had been employed at different times
by the Interstate Commerce Commits
ElOu anu III Uu0 CIdlIl uGpdIUII10uO VI
various railroads. He was well known
in every railroad office in New York,
and clerks working for each of the
companies whose papers had been
missed remembered to have seen him
around their offices within a few weeks.
ALL CLEws AGREED.
Two Of Inspector Steers detectives
Valley and O'Brien-WOrked on the
1000 fo- ~, +ip0n and nvoT- 0lh"
they got pointed to VOullaire.
Percy r. Todd, general freight agent
of the West Shore Railroad Company,
called on Voullaire at the Tombs and
had a long interview with him, offer
ing, it is said, to furnish bail for him
and to assist him in every way possible
if he would return the papers taken
from the West Shore Company. T. E.
Tilden, an official of the New York,
Lake Erie and Western Company, also
went to the Tombs to discover if posi-
BILE just what the prisoner had in his
possession affecting the Erie road.
Detectives endeavored to get the pa
pers from him. Their promises and
their threats alike proved ~unavailing.
Then Assistant District Attorney Bar
tow S. Weeks took his turn at investi-
CATION. VOullaire admitted that he
uCt4 OOCNlLlAC11US VI III W
railroads, but he refused to surrender
them or tell where they were concealed.
He was threatened with ten years i'm
prisonmentUnless he made a complete
restitution to the railroad companies.
He still refused. Then Nh. Weeks.
tauntingly remarked that he thought
it was a bold game of bluff and that
Voullaire had nothing of any special
consequence.
vOULLAIRE GIVES PROOFS.
This annoyed V~ouIlaire, who straight
way offered to give proof of his asser-
lions. He would give an order on a
woman who had a few papers in her
custody, directing her to give them to
the bearer. The order was signed, and
a detective obtained from the woman
the papers she had, including a rail
road pass issued to a United States
Consul in Canada and a letter from a
local freight agent in one of the in
terror cities of New York State show
ing that special reductions in rates had
been made for the benefit of certain
shipping firms in fragrant violation of
the law.
Voullaire is under the impression
that he is being kept in Jail through
the influence Of the railroad companies,
although no charges have been made
against him excepting the upon
which he was originally arrested
fOrgery-and he emphatically denies
his guilt on that score He says he re-
ceived the check which he gave to
Michael Dillon as pay for services rem
dered to the man who signed it. He
knew this man but slightly, and he
had every reason to believe that the
check was valid at the time it came
into his possession. The name signed
to it was T. S. Slade. Voullaire went
to Chicago after getting the check
cashed, and it vas only on hi&~eturn
that he was arrested. He thinks that
if he could get out Of jail for one day
on bail that he could find Slade and
prove that there was no forgery.
NORMALLY Hell FOR FORGERY,
The influence of railroads is ;svE7
great, and the amount of money that
they can command is almost without
limit. Voullaire thinks that he is now
held nominally for forgery, but actual
ly at the instigation of the railroad off
Gals, who do not care to appear
against him, as the only result would
be to bring an avalanche down upon
their heads, but who are most anxious
to recover their private papers.
VOullalre is not at present represented
by any council, as Maurice Meyer, who
appeared for him in the police court
proceedings, has since then withdrawn
from the case. Believing that with the
adverse influence of the railroads bear
ing against him in the District Attor
news office he will not have any oppor-
tunity to prove his innocence of the
charges specifically pending against
him, he addressed a letter to United
States District Attorney Mitchell yes
terday, requesting him to transfer the
case, If possible, to the Federal courts,
where he might hope to get justice.
WHAT THE PAPERS SHOW.