The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-12-20
ALL BY A PUNCH.
How Railroad Tickets Are
Altered.
Greenwald Claims That Whiteside
and Andross Were Induced to
Concoct a Story.

A jury in Judge Daingertield's court is
at present engaged in the consideration of
most important case. at least of great
importan &c 10 the annual revenues of the
Southern Pacific Company of Kentucky.
The brst of the four men arrested some
months ago for tieket-forging. A. B.
Gieenwald, NJ. Greenwald, f. A.
Whiteside and J. II. Andross, is on trial,
and upon his conviction or ecquittal de-
ponds the fate of the others to great ex-
tent. The circumstances leading up to
the arrest Of the men are of a peculiar as
well as interesting nature.
In the early part of the present year the
railroad company made the discovery that
they were being swindled in some mystic
rious way by the use of tickets that had
expired on their roads. Detectives were
nut to work. and the result was that
Whiteside and Andross were connected
| with the crime. These two young men
we're clerks in the auditors department Of
the railroad company, and it is charged
| that for months past they had been stead
| lily approprating expired passenger checks
as they had been handed In by the con-
ductors from the various overland trains
ar living in San Francisco.
These tickets, by some ingenious pro-
cess of punching, they continued TO alter
so that ticket that had been really used
| To convey passenger from Ogden to San
| Francisco and had terminated here, was
! changed IN its marks and punches so as to
represent through ticket from Ogden TO
! los Angeles. with stopover at San
| Francisco. Therefore, the purchaser of
such ticket in San Francisco could, il
| ignorant or undetected, travel upon it
from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
In this way it was alleged that White
side and Andross dnclored some 400 such
tickets. Their work was rapid, too, for
| they fixed up as many as 265 tickets in the
| space of az days. The TWO Greenwalds
were professional ticket-brOkers, or scalp
ers, aud as the first-class fare from San
Francisco TO Los Angeles is SIS, the
Greenwalds were willing enough to pur-
| chase as many of these tickets as were
| turned out at the rate If S. apiece, dispo>-
| ing of them in turn to the would. be trav-
eler for SO. thus reailZltg profit of 100
| per cent.
1t was estimated that the Southern Pa
cific Company must have been swindled in
this way out of abou, $1,000 before Detec-
| tive Hammll purchased one of these tick
cts and made the journey on it from San
Francisco to Los Angeles. He did not
know then why be was sent on that Jour-
ney, bat he knows now. Some time aft
| erward the Greenwalds and Whiteside and
Andross were arrested.
A t the preliminary examination in the
| Police Court WbiteSide and Andross cor
1 fessed their share of the crime. At first
! they said that the Hreenwalds knew moth
ing of their connection with the railroad
company, but afterward they turned
| States evidence. took this all back and
said that the Greenwalds not only knew
who they were. but even made proposals
to them TO have tickets fixed up for the
return journey from Los Angeles TO San
! Francisco. Once these twice-used tickets
| were handed in by the conductors at the
cOmpany's offices it was easy for White
| side and Andross. being clerks in the au-
| ditor's department. to put them In enve-
| opes and deposit them where they would
| be neglected and forgotten.
The trial was set for Tuesday last, be-
fore Judge Daingertiel1. All day long,
however, was passed in securing jury,
| and it was not until yesterday morning
! that the business of taking testimony
was begun. Assistant District Atlor-
ney Hosmer appeared for the prosecu-
ton. assisted by Frank Kelly. one of the
Southern Pacific attorneys, as special coun-
sci, while w. w Foote and Henry C.
Dibbie represented A. b. Greenwald, who
! had demanded a separate trial, and was
! to be tried first.
The opening statement for the prosecu-
ton was made by Attorney Kelly, who
recited the fac's OF the case as related
above. He said he honed to show shat
A. 3. Greenwald was we'll acquainted with
! Whiteside and Andross: knew who and
what they were. aud what they were doing
when they sold them these forged tickets.
| Then, contrary To custom, before any les
! timony was taken, At orney Dibble an
nouncad his Intention of making a counter
| statement in behalf OF he defense.
! Dbble said that he expected 10 prove
| the very reverse OF what was claimed by
| his learned adversary. He expected to
| show that A. b. Greenwaid did not know
| that the tickets he bought were stolen; be
| s1pnnSed thpm 10 lie genuine Whitasi1a
| and Andross had told him some tale to the
effect that they had picked up these tickets
| around the hotels. GreeDwald'S business
was that of ticket-broker and so he pur-
chased the tickets.
Nor did Whiteside and Andross a fret
pretend that Greenwald knew anything
bout them or about these tickets, claimed
Dibble Il was only after two hearings in
the Police Court that they concocted this
story, the consideration being promise
from the Southern Pacific Company that
they should go free of prosecution. II
was we'll known that the railroad detested
ticket brokers and sealpers, and this was
done for spite.
Testimony tor the prosecution was then
taken. Ticket Auditor E. B. Holtou was
were supposed to have been worked. ilus-
trating tho process of the conductors
punch. Then followed Detective Ham
mill with his experience. alter which
court adjourned until this morning.
Liquor Men to Meet.