New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-20
COUNTERFEIT TICKETS USED.
FRAUDULENT PAsTEBOARD REPRESENT
ING 100000 HONORED.
THE BoGrs TICKETS WERE BOrGNT FROM \
SCALPER-uOLnEES OF THEM HAD ~
PAY TMFIR FNEE OF WALk.

PAY THEIR F,EE or WALK.
Chicago Nov 19-Counterfeit railway tickets
to the amount Of 100000 have been honcred in
the last four weeks by the Baltimore ana ohio
Erie. Pittsburg and Western. Nickel Plate and
other roads There was absolutely nothing on
the face of the tickets to indicate they were
counterfeit. They were accepted without
question by conductors. passed readily by the
ticket counters. and entered as of legal issue
by the various ticket auditors. The tickets
are the most perfect counterfets Of any kind
ever issued. The first intimation Of crooked
ness cropped out in the auditors office OF one
OF the swindled lines nearly three weeks ago.
In checking the used tickets from the orlginai
record two tickets Of the same form numDer
were found. The auditor satisfied himself that
both tickets were genuine and sent suhe'hs
note to his printer. scoring him severely Tor MS
carelessness. The printer appeared in person
with indignant denial Of the charSe'
but when he saw the two tickets oi the same
number was compelled to acknowledge that tre
error made in his office The next day
the ticket auditor discovered sixty-seven dupii-
Gated tickets in the collections. There seemed
no possibility Of the tickets being counterfeit.
They were exact duplicates. The next day
nearly 900 duplicated tickets were found in the
cOHeCllpilS, anu IL pane rPlEIiti III tH' d"'iN''h
department. Each of the tickets read From
Chicago to New-York," and was worth SIS The
one days collections showed the company had
honored at least $500 worth OF tickets for
which II had not received a cent of revenue.
Experts were Immediately called in. At the
end OF three days. during which over 800 more
duplicated tickets piled W in the auditors Of
flee. one Of the experts declared In" duplication
was a counterfeit With the aid Of Il powerful
microscope ne at las discovered n minute Inn
perfection in a small letter "o," which showed
in just hair the duplicated tickets. The Inn
perfection was eithe. in the casting of the
type. by which /: was mad" nearly three ten
thousandths of an inch longer than the rest, or
else a particle OF dust had raised the type In
the form used by the counfcrfeitcrs. In all
other respects the tickets were exactly alike.
Meantime the other roads had been going
through the same experience In each case
the tickets were passed without question by
all the handlers. including auditors. and not
one was detected until the duplicat" numbering
appeared. Each Of the roads promptly issued
minute instructions to their conductors 10 take
up all the counterfeit tickets and emf rec pay
ment Of passage from persons holding them
Each conductor was furnished means To rec
cgnizc the countcrfcts. and the FIRST day the
four roads named took up over COO ~ them Inc
passengers were naturally indignant but cach
was compelled to acknowledge he had bought
the ticket of a Chicago scalprr Nine out OF
ten of the passengers who mad, written state
ments OF the circumstances declared they had
bought the tickets Of notorious uck"t-scalp"r
doing business on ClaTk-st. The rest were
bought IN -arious office.
With tn Information thus obtained. the
swindlei lpads engaged the services Of de-
tectivc agencv. and a large force was put on the
work OF running down the countcriciters The
ends OF Justice would be perverted by publish
ing all the evidence they have obtained. IL
will be presented In due time to the Grand jury.
The roads are In deadly earnest In bringing IN"
criminals to Justice and are bearing tn" cost
600 in securing proof which. IL IL confidently be-
lievcd. will land the criminals In the prni-
tcntiary fvT long terms.
There Is no means II knowing how many
tickets were sold by the countcrfcitrTs. The
railroads now have In ther possession about
$500. 900 worth. moro than half of which were
honorcd for TRANSPORTATION. There is no fear
Of the roads losing anything more on the pres
on sale at every point In the West wher"
sold in Chicago day before yesterday. and dis
hnnored for passage on cast-hound trains yes
tordav In many cases tn" purchas" Of the
tickets has worked great hardship 10 passcn-
gers In the majority of cases they ala rot
have or claimed not To- have. enough money 10
pay the cash fares demanded 10y the conductors
when they took NJ the counterfeit tickets. ON
one train there were cighty-thre" holders oi IN"
counterfeit tickets and thirty-scv"n wer" com
pclIeG - leave the train for non-paym"nt OF
ma