The sun., 1896-10-09
STREET RAILWAYs ROBBED.
Car Conductors Said TO Pocket Many FAraas
Especially on the Rroadway Road. 3

Car Conductors Said to Pocket Many Faraas,
Especially the broadway Road. d
1t may be supposed that the OF the unttl
chimes for registering fares, supplemented bf
spotters. has put an end to what is called knock
ing own on the part OF the conductors of street
cars. Those who ought 10 know however. say
that tho street car companies are thus cheated
out of large sums every year by their employees.
The Broadway cable road is said to be an espe-
cial BONANZA for dishonest conductors.
During the hours in the morning and after
noon when the cars are packed with passengers
a large fraction OF the fares goes into the pock-
cts OF the conductors. 1t Is alleged. Out OF a
dozen passengers the fares of but eight or nine
are rune on the register. and the trip is made to
pay the conductor n dollar or more. The most
lynx-eyed and eager-eared spotter cannot keep
tab Of the passengers in the crowds found on >
Broadway during the crush hours or when
people are going to or returning from the thea
tres in the evening. He can neither count cor
rectly the number OF passengers nor tell itthe
conductor rings I'D the correct number OF fares.
some Broadway conductors not only are
reputed to knock down, but, Furthermore, when
they get together some OF them brag of the
large number Of fsrss they have pocketed in
the course Of their last day or nights work To
hear them one would suppose that they stole an
average Of a dollar an hour for several hours
dav, white the figures Of some are double that.
There is reason TO believe thst these last exag-
gerute. The TOO greedy conductor who pockets
IA great many fares On trip Il soon discharged.
not because he has ocen caught, but because the
moupy he turns n falls below the average. On
III" other hand, n moderate knocker down. IL In
said il scarcely ever detected. II his trip aver
ages well hc is not liable 70 he even suspected.
II a conductor IN sure there Is no spotter
aboard aud few -potters can board car with
out AZ once being suspected, he with rocket fares
Ia a car that Is not crowded. He is confident
that So great ts the detestntion OF the Broad
way cable road MANAGEMENT. no passenger will
interfere to prevent the robbery OF the company.
Al. observing customer Of the road amuses him
SET ny Keeping tab u the pa'ssnrers.and a most
Invariably. he AYERS, he catches tie conductor
knoc ing down. II there Is no knocking down,
he l0oks around and soon sarisAes himself that
there is II -potter aboard the car. He detects
him by following the stea.thy glances the con-
ductor casts in his direction tGs' as the con-
auctor had detected him by the ndescribahe
sOmethirg in appearance and acton which
nearly always be;rnys 20 detective or any sort
TO the observing.
| While the stealtugs Of those who boast Of
! their tHe'ts are probably not half what 10
claimed. there are apparently many condnctora
who k1ock down from two 70 three dollars
| day and Others who pocket smaller sums. At
! least. these are the figures Of n man who. from
| his Intercourse with conductors. has some
means Of making an estimate. ON the other
/ hand. tksre are many employees Of the company
/ who are Rs honest as the day
Although the broadway cable road IL the
/ chief sufferer. u IL by no means alone. The
| other street railroads are believed TO surer IN
! proportion TO the business they do.