New-York tribune., 1902-09-06
RISKED DEATH FOR MONEY.
HOW REMARKABLE GANG SWINDLED
TROLLEY COMPANIES.
PRISONER CHARGED WITH PERMITTING
CARS TO HIT HIM TO CLAIM DAMAGES

PRISONER CHARGED WITH fEhMlI li->'
| CARS TO HIT HIM TO CLAIM DAMAGES
| Prisoner William J. Doran, aged twenty-four;
| laborer: No SAT East Thirty-first-st Con-
| spiracy.
Behind this brief record at Police Headquar-
ters is a rernarka BILE story Doran Is SAID TO De
the last to be caught of gang of eight men
who have been getting money from the fhila-
delnhia trolley companies by falling off cars and
letting cars run over them, and then claiming
damages Doran is a contortionst, and can let
a thirty mile an hour trolley car hit him al
most with impunity. Moreover. it is said he
does it for s.: or SO, the amounts for which
the company representatives often settled.
H c. Silcox. an inspector of the Philadelphia
Rapd Transit Company formerly the Union
Traction Company, and L W. Brodt an ad-
iuster for the same company, told the story in
the Detective Bureau. at Police Headquarters.
last night. Doran was arrested here yesterday
after a hunt since May 3 1901 He is under in
dictment in Philadelphia a charge of con-
spiracy.
The Philadelphia trolley companies have been
bothered by this sort of work for several years.
Most of it was in 1900. Doran is said to have
planned it in nearly every instance. The rail-
road representatives say they have run down all
the members of the gang now, and that the
seven other men have confessed the whole busi-
ness, and told just how it worked.
One of the first cases the inspector and ad-
justor say Doran was in April Is, 1900
He and Charles Ridner. who. according to the
police. has just been released from a years term
of Imprisonment a charge of conspiracy in
connection with these accidents got
Philadelphia trolley car. Doran fell off. He
pretended to be badly hurt gave Ridner's name
(Ridner taking Doran's) and was removed to
RidOer'S RjdDer n bed and
the readiuster visited him. He settled for 500
Silcox and Brodt say.
HOW THE GAME WAS WORKED.
Doran and Roland Meyer got on a car on Au-
gust 10, 1900, and Doran fell off. He gave
Meyers name, it is alleged. and Meyer gave his.
and Meyer went to bed They got SO. SilcoX
saws Meyer was convicted of conspiracy but
that sentence was suspended account Of his
age.
On October %, 1900. Doran made his wife
Margaret fall off at Germantown nave. and
Moster-st., it is asserted, while he had two
friends watching, to be witnesses. The woman
dislocated both her ankles and broke arm,
but got S35
The same day, the company officials say,
Doran and Clarence Mutschler played the game,
Doran letting a speeding car hit him. He gave
Mutschler's name and settled for 500 The off,
the game.
Doran got his brother-n-iaw. a contortionist |
and ex-circus man. Charles Duffy. to help him !
on November 20. 1900, when at Montgomery and |
Eleventh SITS. Doran flung himself from car /
He got SIS. Duffy was indicted, it was said
Doran's brother. Bernard F. Doran, was
pressed into service the next day. d. j. Doran !
jumped off a car and apparently got hurt. Civ |
ing his brothers name. He settled for 50 B.
F. Doran was convicted that time, and was SEN
fenced TO nine months. it is said.
NEGOTIATED WITH RAPs
The officials say Ridner confessed TO the whole |
scheme, and of his faltering when trying to set
tie for one accident. Ridner said he was IN
bed when the adjuster called to settle. He and
Doran had code of signals by which Doran
was TO let Ridner know how much TO hold out
for. He to rap a certain number of times,
and according to Ridner. 'it was 50 a rap.
Doran had given Ridner's name. and Ridner
had taken to bed and represented himself as Ill
when the adjuster called. Doran was under the
bed. When the time came for naming the sum
Doran thought the adjuster would stand for
so" according to Ridner's confession. and
Doran raped five times under the bed. The
adjuster would not agree to that amount. Four
raps given, and Ridner asked for 500 but
the adjuster held out. Three raps, and $15
asked but the adjuster still objected Two raps
for $40, and further holding out. Then came
rap. q demand for So and it was paid The
adjuster says he heard a suppressed oath from
under the bed.
The inspector and the adjuster say the swind-
lers were clever in working the game in various
parts of the city, not to have the same
adjuster too often.
silcox says that at least four other gangs have
been at work sWindng the trolley compa MES !
with this game, and that in the last fourteen /
months thirty-fohr persons have been arrested /
and convicted in connection with this swindle
He says Doran's gang got only $50 from the
railroads. "
Doran. it is said. can throw himself off = car
let II hit him, roll many feet into gutter and /
De an nght physically the same day He is of
medium build. but has strong muscles
ELEFATED CAR ON FIRE.