The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-12-13
CONDUCTORS CLUB A FRAUD.

Railway Publications, but if Anybody
 Continues to Contribute to Charles E.
 Weis2's Bank Account He Stumbles in
 Broad Sunlight.
 As an example of how easily persons, who have more money than time in which to investigate demands made upon their charity, can be gulled, that peculiar beneficial organization known as the Railway Conductors club shines brilliantly. For two years this club has been taking in subscriptions from all money it has used to assist In obtaining cash from other people. What has been done with the proceeds is known only to Managing Governor" Charles E. Weisz and his associates on the "Board of Governors" It was Weisz who or ganized the club as a beneficial organi- zation and who has been reaping most of the benefits ever since.
 At present Weisz is agent for q cleansing material and promoter of the Conductors club and the National Rail- way Protective League, an organization for the promotion of litigation asanSt 1 railways. Nine years ago he was Q 1 conductor on the New York, Ontario and Western railroad. He couldn't eX- plain certain financial matters satisfaC- torily and was discharged. He had been active in endeaVoring to convert the Order of Railway Conductors into o strike organization. Upon his promise of reform he was permitted to go with out prosecution. He became clerk in the Railroad commission, and stayed there until he formulated the scheme of the Conductors club. Into this scheme he invegled a number of bona f1de con- ductors, most of whom hastily got out upon discovering the principles on which the organization was to be con- | ducted Others stayed in, being per | suaded by Weisz that all was fair and above board. Consequently the Board | of Governors has been hampered by im cluding in it's membership some honest men.
 In 1896 the club was Incorporated with | the following ostensible purposes:
 "Of bringing the conductors of North [AiiiCI lti lOSGlIISI Oll d SOClll UdSlS 4Ol 1 the discussion of subjects of vital i'm l portance to the conductor; of promot- l ing arbitration; of educating the con- | ductor to the requirements of the vari | ous business interests; of bringing the | employer and employe together on com mon ground"
 The most important feature of the | club as planned was it's honorary lnrm- ] bership, although this was nor specified in the constitution or bylaws, for the | honorary members were to supply the financial basis. All the finances were | to pass through, or at least into, the hands of the governors, who were, ac- cording to the bylaws, to be elected by | the members. The managing governor was to be chosen by the governors MT Weisz was elected the first managing l governor. Immediately began the work | of sending out letters lo men of pr0mi- hence asking them to become honorary members. Tn many cases this invita- ton was accompanied by an assurance that honorary membership entailed upon the individual thus honored no ex- penditure. Shortly after agents began to go about soliciting contributions,
 with marked success, The, agents had | lists of names with them. These names 1 purported to be those of persons "frCn
 whom inducements have bee1 received and who have accepted honorary mem
 hership." Iii the list were Chauncey NJ. repew. George c Greene uSvesa1'
 Fish, w. H. Baldwin, Jr., w Seward
 Webb, A. B. Stickney, and others. In | October, 1896, a banquet was held at the Hotel GerlacN. Mayor Strong presiding. At that time membership of two hun
 dred thousand was claimed. This claim
 has since dwndled to twenty thousand,
 This banquet was a great card for
 Weisz and his associates. Appeals for subscriptions were sent out on all sides,
 and the agents did a rushing business,
 but here is where Weisz made his first
 mistake. It became known that q
 forged check for one thousand dollars
 purporting to be signed by th president
 of an eastern railroad, was shown by
 an agent to public man from whom A
 check of the same size was asked. Nc ! attempt to cash the check was made that was not the purpose It was mere
 ly a lure. The intended victim wrote tc
 the railroad president and learned that
 he had never given any such check | nor even gwen pelInlSSlOIl LOT llle use ul
 his name as an honorary member. Fol lowing this came the discovery that
 many names had been used without au-
 thority. The Railway Gazette in7esti
 gated the matter last srring and or
 May 14 printa1 an exposure of the
 Conductors club which was repub
 lshed in the Official Guide of June, 1897
 The following plain language was usec
 regarding Weisz and his club:
 Most railway officers and many pub
 lie men in this country have been dur
 ing the past year invited to become
 honorary members of the club with
 out dues, and the printed list before us
 headed by the name of William McKin
 ley, and including brilliant list of vel
 known railroad officers, Is evidence of z
 prevalent suitability and trustfulness
 It becomes important to know
 that c. E. Weisz is not a railroad
 officer or railroad employe; that his las
 position in railroad service was witi
 the New York, Ontario and Westerr