The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-04-09
He WANTED TO RIDE.
A CLEVER SCHEME WORKED TO PRO-
CURE TRANSPORTATION.

Names Of City CounciImen Used 10
Get Railroad Passes 80 Signatures Were
Forged-rrsp Set For the Ingenious
swindlex-A Messenger Boy Assists.
Railroad passes are coveted by many
people, anG all sorts of schemes are resort.
ed 10 In order TO secure them One of the
latest devices for procuring passes was put
into use recently at Pittsburg James
% Hara Is the name of the man to whose
ingenuity the plan Is accredited He is
under arrest, and the fraud of which he is
accused Is under investigation.
Ii has been disco'ered that 'Hara or
somebody else has bean forging the names
OF councihnen 10 letters requesting passes
from the railroads The presumption Is
that any passes secured before the scheme
was discovered were sold, though nothing
definite has been learned on that point
When the ordinance granting certain
privileges 10 the Ii & O. railroad near
Marion station was under discussion in
councils the statement was made on the
floor that councilmen would not have TO
go TO the director of public works for
passes, but could get the valuable papers
themselves Some sharp man, who heard
the statement or read of it, took advantage
Of the knowledge and started scheme.
Recently NJ. b. Cutter, superintendent
OF the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, called
on Superintendent of Police Leslie and in.
formed him that on March he had re-
ceived asletter signed John Collins, coun-
Gilman of the Thirty fourth ward, re.
questing transportation TO Philadelphia
and return for himself Later it was dis.
covered that the letter was a forgery, and
the pass was lifted from the person using
the same en- route from Philadelphia.
About the same date O'Hara called on
Councilman Lambie, whom he knew, and |
asked him for a business letterhead but
after brief talk he was refused, Mr. |
Lambie telling him TO write his letters on |
some other than his professional paper
The same day O'Hara went again 10 the |
office, and, Mr.. Lambie being absent, Sc
cured a letterhead from his clerk, who had
seen the man there, and thought he was
friend OF Mr.. Lambie The letterhead
turned up on Friday at Mr. CUTTER office
with request for pass signed with Mr.
Lambie's name Mr.. Cutter told the Postal
Telegraph messenger who took il there
10 go back and tell the sender Mr. Cutter
was not in. Then Mr.. Cutter sent the pass
10 MI Lambie with his own messenger,
and, az expected that gentleman refused it |
f'--N N%N--.SA sArh4A4E AOi ~ ut ludllCT was |
then put into the hands of the police, who |
requested every body interested TO keep a
lookout for the fellow. OHara called at
the Postal Telegraph office and got the
services u John Swift, messenger he al.
ways employed. =
de sent the boy 10 the p & L. 4. r. r.
and told him he would wait at Diamond
street and Cherry alley for him The boy
started, and as soon as he was ont of | .
0 Hara's sight he ran TO police headquar. : .
fers and told Superintendent Leslie Cap. !,
tain Ianney then arrested Hara. The
letter 10 the p. q L. f. road was a request
or pass TO Carbon and signed hy Coun :
'ilman Thomas +. Perry of the Twelfth :
ward.
O'Hara denied he had ever got any
passes and said that this was his first at. !
empt to get any illegitimately He said
ne had a friend who wanted TO 60 west, :.
md he thought of trying TO get "a pass as
ar as Carbon for him, from where he
ould work his way west. His story, how
yer, was denied by Superintendent Cut.
er, ON the evidence of the boy Swift, who
Identified him as the man who had sent
him with the letters and Mr. Cutters
lnowlcdgc of what the letters were for.
Mr. Lamhie also recognized him as the
nan who requested his lcttcrhead, which :
'itcr"ard turned up in Mr. Cutters Office
Dispatch