New-York tribune., 1900-05-14
BIG WATER METER FRAUD.
WITH A DIAL-CHICAGO MAY HAVE
LOST 100000

Chicago. May ia scheme by which the city of
Chicago may have been defrauded out of ag-
gregating 600 according to the chief of detec
uves, has been unearthed by the detectives. and
two in Jail charged with conspiracy.
while seven others are under surveillance. Clar-
NJ. Wolfe and George w. Piggott. employees
of the office, in the City Hail. are under ar
rest charged with participating in the conspiracy,
which. ii is said has been going on for over five
years. 1t is alleged that Wolfe and Piggott were
caught IN act of changing the dial of water
meter in the Rainier Hotel The detectives say the
alteration part of the scheme by which the
fraud operated. For the last two months two
city detectives have stood in a room seven feet
square in the basement of the Rainier Hotel look
ing through peephoes in fourteen inch brick WALL
waiting for evidence so conclusive is the showing
against the men arrested that they have confessed
their guilt. The scheme is simple enough Tor any
person connected with the Water Department BY
breaking the cap of water meter the conspirators
had difficulty in changing the hands on the diai
so as to cut down much desired the record
of water used
In thousands of instances within the last few
years this has been done. according to Captain
Coleran, the chief of detectives. superintendent
Nourse, of the water office places the citys loss
$4,000 for the last five years, while Captain
Coleran doubles it. There is way OF ascertain
ing the amount. except by comparing records, and
this is tedious that il will take many days to
get correct figures
The alleged fraud was reported the authori-
ties by James G. Tranor, of the firm of Southard
& Trainor, who said he approached in March
by a who said he had fixed" the meter OF
the Rainier Hotel of which Trainor was manager,
and wanted his money. He told Trainor that a
number OF buildings were getting three times as
much water they paying for long list
is at present in the hands of Captain Coleran, and
the persons Who are alleged to have accepted the
proposition of the conspirators are also known to
the police.
Wolfe is taker in the water office, and
Piggott is mis- assistant Trainor says Wolfe agreed
to change the water meter in the Rainier Hotel
and the Tennyson Building. also Trainors Build
ing, that the bill would be less than one-third of
the legitimate rate. The detectives Wolfe
and Pggott the room in which was the water
meter, remove the cap, and turn the hands of the
dial back several thousand feet. While one of the
still held In his hand the cap of the meter. The
detectives stepped into the room and arrested them.
Both admitted that they had been practising
the fraud for the last TWO years. They said they
had received the plan from who had preceded
them I'm the employment of the city. In their pos
session found tools for the purpose of break
ing meters and for the alteration of dias. The
water office has fer time suspected fraud,
the statements made by rate takers showed that
certain meters did not register by o-thirds what
other meters in the same neighborhood did.
The detectives are still working on the case. and
Captain Colleran says more arrests may be ex
pected within few days