The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-11-18
Wholesale PlunderinS Of tho Boston
and Albany.
THREE employees UNDER ARREST.
some OF the stolen Property Recovered.
More Arrests Expected Mt Once--Novet
Scheme for Stealing Property In Tran
sit-Many Implicated.

Il
Ing OF property in transit on the Boston
and Albany railroad has been unearthed.
and with this startling information to the
officers Of the road comes the information
that dozens OF it's employees have proved
unfaithful to their trust, and by their
crookedness have for some time succeeded
in robbing the road of thousands OF dollars
worth of property. Already three arrests
of employees of the road have been made.
and other captures are expected at any
time.
A large amount OK the stolen property
was recovered this forenoon In house on
Shawmut avenue, which has been occupied
by two of the men now under arrest The
men arrested today are: George H. Col
grove, 20 years of age, freight conductor
on the road. Albert Gordon. Is years Of
age aud employed az brakeman.
According to the best information that
can be learned. conductors and others
holding respons BILE positions on the road
are implicated "a well as the ordinary
brakeman who look out for the bulk OF
the work on a freight train.
The unearthing Of the big scheme OF
swindling the road belongs to William 5.
Drake Of station g. 1t was few days ago
that he arrested Henry Sackett, brake
man in the employ Of the road on the
charge of larceny from the big railroad
concern, and In following mp the case
learned what has not only opened the eyes
OF the management OF the railroad, but has
also established the fact Of the
Dishonesty of Many OF Their Emplsyes.
- EAtt hA mn n
acting suspiciously, and who bad some
stolen property In his possession, which
Officer d axe believed was stolen from
the road, ne began a careful investigation,
and as a result learned most astonishing
news. He reported the fact to his su-
eriors at the Dedhsm street station, and
afterward he was sent down TO consult
with Chief spector Coulter.
Superintendent Chesley Of the road was
also notified of what had been learned,
and, as result, most thorough investi-
CATION was brgun. What they learned was
NEST pecul ar, and only served to make
them wonder that the private detectives
and off ials of the road had not discovered
the gigantic swindling before.
1t did not take Officer Drake and his
assistants long to learn that the goods
were
Nearly All stolen While In Transit
This was another astonishing feature, but
how could 1t be donei At frst 1t was be-
lieved that 1t was done by the same
method as that used by the employees OF
the New York and New England railroad,
whose systematic manner OF robbing the
road was exposed early in January last.
The scheme of the latter thieves was to
break the seals Of the doors of the trains
while they were on their way to different
points, and by this way enter the car and
take the goods. However, new seals were
slways put on to the cars
The thieving was generally done when
the train was running at a fast rate OF
speed, and the seal would be broken by one
of the brakemen hanging over from the top
of the car while another brakeman would
hold him by the heels. He would then be
lowered into the car and able to take out
what he wanted.
This scheme was at first believed to be
the one that the Boston and Albany en-
ployes used, but more careful investigation
showed the officers that they had struck
entirely on tn wrong method.
Instead of following the scheme of
br, aking the seals, as adopted by the en-
that in very rare cises were the seals on
car doors ever broken, as they were care
fully watched
Sometimes tie seals would be found to
be cracked, tut never wholly broken.
Here was \ puzzlng state Of affairs. Per-
sistency, however, showed the method
used
On the bottom part of the car near
where the door slides along is a cleat that
is screwed to the door and floor.
Some Bright Empioye
soon learned when his thieving propensi-
lies began TO dawn upon him, that by re-
moving the screws from these cleats the
doors could be thrown open aud the seals
rarely II ever broken.
To be successful In this method each one
on train hal to be successfully bought
ND or given n percentage of the profits de-
rived from the crookedness.
A freight train is generally run by three
men besides the engineer and fireman.
These are the conductor, head brakeman
aud rear brakeman. When the train is an
exceptionally log one, an extra brakeman
Is put on, but this Is not an ordinary oc-
rurrence.
AS before stat q, one man on a train
could not 90 III successfully. TIC ulSnt,
when the aims were In the yards, abstrar'
a few goods, but he could not have worked
long without being detected Accordingly
all of the three, conductor and two brake
men, had to b, concerned In the robberies
The conductor did not necessarily steal
the goods, but IL was generally his place
to watch the train and not pay especial
attention TO the brakeman. However, he
received his share Of the profits for the
dishonesty.
Taking the screws out, one or both OF
the brakemen would raise himself un
through the narrow space made by the
door being loosened, and he would then
lass out the goods TO men along the line
Dr. in diff, rent freight yards. who were also
implicated in the swindling. Thus every.
thing would go along all right and In due
time the goods left on the way would bs
forward, d TO some distant point and after
ward sold
And the Profits Equally Divided.
This has been going on for a long
period. To many IL will seem strange that