Connecticut western news., 1894-11-22
HOW HE RODE FREE.
HE BEAT AN EASTERN RAILWAY OUT
 OF S2O.

OF s2o.
 Conductors Were Deceived by Him For
 More Than Year-A Simple Scheme
 Which Required Only Nerve and Self
 ControI-Tricks of Conductors.
 There is we'll settled belief on the part of most people that the conductors on the steam railroads have an intuitive knowledge of the persons who have not paid their fares, and that, while they may occasionally pass a man without taking up his ticket, so phenomenal Is the memory of the average conductor and so we'll does he remember faces that it is almost impossible to deceive him. While this may sometimes be true, as rule it is the passenger him. self who gives the cue for the conduct or's action. The man who deliberately attempts to evade the payment of fare in nine cases out of ten will by his looks and action say to the conductor, "I have not paid my fare, and I don't intend to-" Some conductors with short mem- ories and distrust of their abilities for detecting the frauds will continuously call out the word tickets" as they pass through the cars, where many changes are taking place between stations, at the same time extending their hand to- ward each seat. The man who has not paid feels that this is a direct appeal made to himself and responds according ly. But if this ruse does not succeed in making the would be ''beat" deliver up his ticket it so far changes his face and demeanor that he often shows conscious guilt, and his ticket is then peremptorily demanded.
 It sometimes happens, however, that even all the tricks and artifces of the conductor will fail, and a man will suo- oeed daily in evading payment of his fare, not merely for weeks, but for months. A remarkable case of this kind was recently observed on the Fitohburg railroad. For more than year man employed in one of the large wholesale houses in this city has been taking train from one of the suburban stations, and aoquaintances who rode on the same car were surprised to see that he never paid fare.
 At first it was thought that he might have pass, which the conductor, know ing him well, did not require him to show But it was learned that he al ways paid his fare when coming from Boston, when the conductor is sure to demand fare from every person on the train. Then came the suggestion that he had an understanding with the con ductor of the train on which he rode when going to Boston. But it was found that when the conductor was changed to another train and a stranger took his place he also failed to collect fare from the man.
 So for weeks the man was watched with much curiosity by the passengers who knew of his success and were curi- ous to see how long it would continue They saw that he invariably got on the train on the left hand side, so that he could not be observed by the conductor, who stood on the station platform. As soon as he entered the car he took one of the many unocoupied seats next to the window and lost no time in becoming deeply absorbed in the contents of morning paper. When the conductor came through the train to collect fares from the passengers who got in at this station, this man, instead of ignoring his presence, as most men similarly sit uated would have done, gave a rapid glance from his paper, looking the off cial squarely in the eye, and resumed his reading with just the suggestion of impatience at the interruption. The re- proof conveyed in that glance, carrying with it positive assurance that there was no disposition to evade anything, was so emphatic and pronounced that it left no doubt in the mind of the con- ductor, if he had any before, that the passenger had got on the train at an other station and bad paid his fare to Boston. There was something about the mans appearance as well as his ac- tions that assisted in the keeping up of this deception. He bore all the evidence of substantial, honest business man of middle age, and far above evading pay ment of cent fare. But it was singu- lar that day after day sharp and dis eliminating conductor should be so cas- fly deceived, and apparently against his own convictions, for on several occa- SlOuS ud IcdCucu 1OI ldc, Du1 " oS checked in his advances by that re- proachful look with which he was con- fronted.
 But the end came at last, on that train at least. Either the conductors suspicious were so completely aroused that he determined to satisfy himself whether he was being imposed upon, or else some one had called his attention to the deceit practiced, for one morning he reached out his hand for the fare, but received only the swift and impatient glance This did not satisfy him, for when the man returned to the perusal of his paper he was tapped on the shoulder and his fare demanded in no uncertain terms. A communication ticket was re. luctantly produced, punched without comment and returned to the pocket whence it was taken. The next morning the passengers watched curiously for the next move in the game, but the man had evidently given up the contest on that train, for he has not been seen on 1t since. As he was known to have evaded paying fare on that train daily for more than year, 1t was roughly es- timated that the Fitchburg Railroad company was thus defrauded out of not laoc than con -RoStop Trapscript