Democratic messenger., 1894-09-15
HOW HE RODE FREE.
HE BEAT AN EASTERN RAILWAY OUT
OF $50.

Conductors Were Deceived by Him For
Mere Than Year-.i Simple scheme
Which Required Only Nerve and Self
Control Tricks of Conductors.
There is II well settled belief OH the
part of most people that the conductors
OH 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
tho memory of the average conductor
and so well 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
ors action. The man who deliberately
attempts TO cvadc the payment of fare
in nine cases out of ten will by his looks
and action say to the conductor, Il have
not paid my fare, and l don't intend
to-" Some conductors with short mem
orics and distrast of their abilities for
detecting the frauds will continuously
call ont the word tickets" us they pass
through the cars. where many changes
are taking place between stations. ut
the same time extending their hand to-
ward each seat The man who has not
paid feels that this is direct appeal
made to himself AID responds according
". But if this ruse does not succeed III
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.
1t sometimes happens, however, that
even all the tricks and artifices of the
conductor will fail. and man will sue
ceed daily i'll evading payment of his
fare, not merely for weeks, but for
months. A remarkable case of this kind
was recently observed on the Fitchburg
railroad. For more than q year man
employed i'll one of the large wholesale
houses in this city has been taking a
train from one of tie suburban stations,
and acquaintances who rede on the
same car were surprised TO see that ho
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 a fare from every person on the
train. Then came the suggestion that
he had an understanding with the con-
ductor of the train OH which he rode
when going to Boston. But it was
found that when the conductor was
changed to another train and 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 We're curl
ous to see how long ii would continue.
They saw that he invariably got on the
train on tie 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 unoccupied seats next to the
window and lost no time i'll becoming
deeply absorbed in the contents of u
morning paper. When the conductor
came through the train to collect fares
from the passengers who got i'll 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 squarcly III the eye, and resumed
his reading with just the suggestion OF
impaticncc ut the interruption. The re.
proof conveyed III that glance, carrying
with il positive assurance that there
was no disposition To evadc anything.
was so emphatic and pronounced that il
left no doubt in the mind of the con.
ductor, if he had any before, that tn.
passenger had got on the train 1T an
other station and had paid his fare &c
Boston. There was something about
the mans appearance as well as his nc.
tions that assisted i'll the keeping up OF
this deception. He bore all the evidence
of substantial, honest business man Of
middle age, and far above cva,ling pay
ment of u ) cent fare. But it was singu-
lar that day after day a sharp and dis
eliminating conductor should be so cas-
lily deceived, and apparently against his
own convictions, for on several occa-
sions he reached for fare, but was
checked i'll his advances hy that re-
proachfrl look with which he was con.
fronted.
But the end came at last, OH thai
train at least. Either the conductor &
suspicious We're so completely aroused
that he determined to satisfy himself
whether he was being imposed upon. OF
else some one had called his attention tc
the deceit practiccd, for one morning he
reached ont his hand for the fare. but
received only the swift and impatient
glance This did not satisfy him, foi
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 il was taken. The next morning
the passengers watched curiously foi
the next move i'll the game, but the mar
had evidently given up the contest OF
that train, for he has not been seen OF
il since. As he was known to have
cvaded paying fare ON that train daily
for more than year. il was roughly cs-
timated that the Fitchburg Railroad
company was thus defrau1cd ont of moi
less than $40. Boston Transcript.