The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-01
MADE COUNTERFEIT TICKETS.
COnfederates i'm Three Distant cities
worked This Bob.


COnfederates i'm Three Distant cities
worked This Bob.
New Orleans, Aug. S1.-The firm Of Bar
nett & Wenar. ticket brokers, doing bus
mess on Canal street, this city, have for
some time been giving evidence that the
firm was engaged in booming business
The senior member Of the firm especially
has been noticeable for the gorgeousness
of his clothes and the luster of his dla-
monds. Ticket scalping conducted on
strictly legitimate rules yields a consid-
erable pront. but operated by shady meth
DDS. there are enormous margins.
For months past the Southern Pacific
Railroad Company have been quietly In
vesugating the travel to and from a
point in which that company is interested.
There was a great passenger business.
but somehow the revenues did not COM
pare with the number of tickets sold.
Evidently something was wrong, and the
company tried every way to find out what
that trouble was. The more it investl-
gated, the more apparent 1t became that a
gigantic fraud was being perpetrated on
the Southern Pacific.
Finally Southern Pacific tickets were
printed and quickly distributed in all
sections where Il appeared the fraud was
being worked. A minute check mark on
these new tickets was the only difference
between them and the old issue. The
special agent of the company at this point
then begun to look for bogus tickets.
One ticket lacking the check mark turned
I'M md r-ff oil - Na al IA
soon ran down the tran.
The conspirators offered the agent $50
000 If he would simply keep his mouth shut
and let things run along a. they had been
running for so long. He figured out that
while he felt sure he had his own case
dead to rights, a prosecution might fail
If the evidence Of ths fraud were not
strengthened by more conclusive proof.
He asked them for tiloe o consider the
oiIer ana laid the scheme be. ore the rail-
road company's officers. With their ap-
proval he apparently permitted himself
to be made a party to their fraudulent
practices, but began to collect evidence of
the guilt of the cdnspirators.
To-day the case was ripe and Wehar
and the ticket brokers were arrested and
the printers of the tickets and all con-
cerned viii be made parties to a fraud
Of much passing interest, and whose CO.
lOssal proportions can only be adjudged
by the United States courts.
Barnett & Wenar were brought before
United States Judge Wright and placed
under 500 bonds for their appearance be-
fore the United States court on the charge
of using the malls for fraudulent pur-
poses.
Private kilograms from New York city
state that Clarence Barnett, another
member of the firm, was arrested there
to-day, and 400 of the fraudulent tickets
were found in his possession. This case
has caused great sensation here.
New York, Aug. S1.-Ex-Chief Drum
mond of the secret service arrested Clar-
ence Barnett, an agent Of the Stafford
Mineral Springs, at 256 and 257 Broadway
and who also has a brokers' Office al S82
Broadway, and brought him before Com
missioner Alexander. where he was charg-
ed with having made counterfeit tickets
of the Southern Pacific railroad and work
ed a scheme TO defraud by sending them
through the mails.
The specific charge on which the arrest
was made IS alleged to have taken place
on Aug. Is last, when he is charged with
having deposited in the mail box here a
letter containing a forged and counterfeit
copy of the Advertisers pass of the rail-
road company.
According to Chief Drummond's story
Barnett was prepared to work the scheme
worked in conjunction with two brothers.
one in New Orleans and the other in San
Antonio, Tex. In the hrst-named citv
are Eugene Barnett and Eugene Weiner.
1t is alleged that the tickets were all
printed there.
First counterfeit of the conductor'e
trip pass was attempted, and It Is alleged
that Barnett shipped 10000 Of these to his
brother in New York. These were can
tured and are now in the possession of
Drummond.
This is ticket that IS issued to news
papers and is filed out in some news
papers name. The forger could make
the pass worth from s. to $1O0 1t IS
claimed that Barnett had the tickets print
ed out there. Drummond and HIS men
had been following Barnett for four
months, and they have also been in New
Orleans to that end.
Commissioner Alexander fixed the bail
at 81, 500, which had not been given at
80 o'clock, although the commissioner
waited to receive it, Mr.. Drummond is
now making an effort to get the printer.
Barnett admits, IN an interview, that he
made the tickets, but says they We're
used as an advertisement for some house
that he represented.