The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1893-04-04
COOKS cROOKEDNESS.
He Conspires With Railway
Employees to Perpetrate
Fraud.
A Scheme Which Promised
Much But Was Slipped Up
On BY An Honest Man.

Considerable excitement exists in
railroad circles to-day, and the rumor
that the Missouri Pacific railway had
been defrauded out of a considerable
SUM of money, by the time keeper of
the western division standing in with
the engineers and firemen has been
substantiated by the fact that fifteen
engineers and their firemen have been
laid off, pending on investigation,
which is now being made.
1t is rumOred that Of the firemen on
the western division, only one is not
in the scheme, and most Of the engi-
neers are suspected. Be that as it
may. the way the heads tumbled this
morning. places a number of Sedalia's
old citizens in position calculated to
cause suspicion. to say the least.
The scheme seems to have originated
nthe headOfJOseph Cook, who has been
the time-keeper in Master Mechanic
Wel,er's Office for about two years.
Each engineer makes out the time
slip for himself and fireman. at the
end Of the run. This slip is sent to
the mastermechanic's office where it is
checked up with the conductors train
sheet by the time keeper. These slips
after being o. KID are sent to the St.
Louis office, where the pay rolls are
made out from them. By a mutual
understanding between Cook and a
number of the engineers and fremen,
he would make out possibly one extra
time slip for them, by which, if the
slip showed a run from Sedalia to
Kansas City and return, it would
amount to about So for engineer and
ST for fireman. Not more than one
OF these extra trips could be added to
a mans pay in one month without
causing a suspicious increase in the
pay roll, and the amount added would
be divided between. Cook and
the receiver of the check.
Cook was employed to check up
these slips with the train sheets and as
no one else did this work no suspicion
was aroused until he approached one
employee with his proposition and
found an honest man. This man re-
ported the matter Wednesday even
ing and Mr.. Weller at once informed
General Master Mechanic L. Bart
lett. who arrived yesterday morning
and at once began an investigation.
Three engineers and firemen were
laid of that afternoon and twelve
morethis morning.
1t was reported on the streets last
night that the amount lost by the
company would reach $1,000 or
$1,000, but an investigation Of the
book places the loss between 81 800
and 81, 800. OF course only Cooks
friends we're into the scheme and as it
had only run some seven or eight
months the amount had not reached
large figure. !,
Cook was raised in this county and
has alwaysenjoyed a good character up
to this time. Several weeks ago his
wife left here and is now in Denver.
Cook left here Wednesday night and
it is supposed is with his wife. Since
the present state of affairs has become
known, it has been learned that Cook
spent considerable of his time and
much of his ill-gotten gains in an En-
gineer street poker joint, and was well
known to the down town sports.
The officials of the road are very
reticent about the matter and rumors
of all sorts are afioat. But as soon as
full investigation has been completed
the true condition OF affairs will be
made known. The guilty will be dis
charged and those who have been laid
off, and against whom no evidence Is
found, will be reinstated.
The engineers and firemens' local
organizations will assist in the effort to
ferret out all of their number who are
implicated and these will be expelled:
Other developments ola sensational
character are expected and a lively
time will be had before the matter is
fully settled.
David Ramsey foreclosed a mort
gage this afternoon, which he held on
part of Cooks household furniture,
and got out an attachment on the rest.
Deputy Constable Barnett levied the
attachment.