The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-11-19

/ Alleged Scalpers' Agent Loses Suit
Against Passenger Men-Fails 70
Show That He Owned Ticket Left
at Central Agency-ohcials Will
Now Prefer Serious Charges Against
Man-Many Ruses Employed by
Brokers to Secure Transportation
| The scaIpers and their agents are US
/ ing all sorts of schemes to get the best
of the railroads which issued provisional
rebate excursion tickets during the late
| Grand Army Of the Republic Encamp-
ment-
Yesterday Benjamin Newwitter, said
to be an emplOye of the scalpers. had
| Commissioner Donald, H KOehler. F E
/ BrOdbelt and J. z. jenkins OF the Cen
trail Passenger Association arrested and
| brought into court on a charge Of with
holding a ticket belonging 10 him. val
ued at 81 NewwitJer alleges he secur-
| ed the ticket in Washington. D. C, Aug
ust %, at the Office Of the C & o. Rail
road, and on arriving here September I
deposited it with the association agency.
25S Clark street He said he paid so
cents for the extension of the ticket
CASE IS DISMISSED.
On the witness stand Newwitter was
unable to tell in what part Of Washing
ton the c. & O-'s Office is located and
failed to describe the station at which
he took the train for this city
Attorney Coulter. for the defendants.
offered a ticket in evidence. bearing the
name of NeWWitter, and apparently in
the same handwriting as the disputed
ticket. This was sold in Pittsburg. bu-
Newwitter declared positively that the
signature was not his and that he did
not disposit the ticket for extension and
valida ton After examining both tick
cts closely. Justice Martin became salts
fed that the signatures were identical
and dismissed the case COMMISSIONS
Donald viii swear out a warrant charg-
ing Newwitter with perjury and for
gerry.
Mr.. Koehler Of the Central Passenger
AsSOc1at ton yesterday discussed the
many ruses employed by ticket brokers
in trying 10 get hold of Grand Army of
the Republic tickets. He said that IN
many cases handsome young women
We're employed and frequently members
of the brokers' family came to the Office
OF the association to get tickets which
were sold to the brokers for a small con-
sideration by the original depositor
BROKERS EMPLOY AGENTS
Some Of the brokers had agents IN
New York. Washington, Pfttsburz and
other large cities. Mr-Koehler said. They
Swallowed men who purchased excursion
tickets in those cities, and after they
had left the city ticket offices in those
PAGES negotiated for the purchase Of the
ticket The original purchaser Of the
ticket entered into a contract with the
agent Of the scalpers to deposit il for
extension at the Central association of
Chicago and at some future date redeem
it and then give it to the scalper
In some cases brokers themselves
Went 70 Ine once OF the passenger aSSO-
citation after having purchased a certain
ticket and tried TO redeem IT, In order
to get the ticket the signature Of the
original depositor must be duplicated.
else the ofncers or the association will
know that the person who makes appIf-
cation was not the depositor- Therefore
it was necessary for the brokers or their
agents 10 rorge the signatures of the de-
posltor IN order to get the ticket The
passenger association viii arrest New
witter on that charge Hundreds OF DER
sons who applied for certain tickets at
the associations offices were forced to
go away without them because the two
signatures on the ticket did not CORES
pond--Frnrn the Chicago Chronicle OF
September - 19oa