The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1902-01-24
THEY MADE A KILLING
Representatives of the Wallace.
Capture q Score OF Sca,nas",ng on

Capture q Score of scalpers' T,s. ous
The biggest capture Of scalpers, 81,
cts since the exposition openos u'f
made yesterday afternoon AZ ~. "a
lantic Coast Line depot, wban ~ ~
a score of rich" tickets were oo a.s
Gated by representatives of tbo 1
Validating Agency. 1t was q ro SO,a'
killing" for the validating ofRca s ="
the way in which the trick was turDs a
staggered and demoralized tba saa'
ers, who were at the depot irvine
get their goods accepted. The cant,s
was important from a railroad st.aS
point, and it demonstrated tho fas.
that the joint agency has the scalnins
situation we'll in hand.
A week ago number of exno,t.
were sent to Charleston to assist NJ
W. M. Bennett, the joint agent ana
their presence was not discovered hv
the cut-rate dealers until YESTERDAY ~.
ernoon, when the bunch of tickets w.,
captured. The agency has kept closa
watch on all transportation sold in,o
Charleston, and it was found yester.
day that many New York tickets had
drifted into the Offices of the dealers
here.
Just how the validating force got on
to the game was not made public. al.
though the developments were unioua
Mr.. Bennett and Mr.. Browne went IL
the depot an hour before the train for
New York was scheduled to leave hera,
and in a few minutes all gates lead.
ing to the trains were closed. Mr. Ben.
nett was acting gateman when the first
"scalping" passenger appeared. When
he presented his transportation it was
Immediately held up, and not much Of
a kick was registered. The passenger
realized that he had been caught
When the others appeared at the gate
they were treated in the same manner
and in a few moments Mr.. Bennett
had confiscated five New York. two
Washington, one New Orleans, two
Atlanta and handful of tickets to
other points. Several of the losers
were inclined to kick. The scalper
from whom the tickets had been pur.
chased was in the depot, surrounded
by a small crowd of people, who were
said to have been supplied with his
goods. The killing at the gate, how.
ever, frightened them, and they did
not attempt to run the blockade. The
travellers who had been relieved of
their cut-rate transportation did not
lose time in buying legitimate tickets,
although several OF them could not get
out OF town because of financial en-
barrassment.
While a number Of the exposition
tickets validated yesterday were not
presented, there is no way in which
they can be used hereafter, as they
all bore the stamp December A." In
addition to this date, there was
stamp showing the number of the
train on which they were good This
makes the entire outfit void.
Passenger officials said last night
that the good work of the validating
force was the best protection the rail
roads could possibly secure. THE
scalpers have been driven to the last
ditch" said passenger man, "ani
the travelling people are beginning to
learn now that it is not safe to at
tempt to use other than legitimate
tickets. There is no way in which the
scalpers can beat the railroads with
out being caught, and dealers in their
cut-rate goods are the ones to suffer
in the end News and Courier,
Charleston, S. c.. Dec. Is, 1901.