The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-02-20
SENSATIONAL
CHARGE MADE
Enid Transfer Man Arrested
for Alleged Fraud.
RAISED FREIGHT WEIGHTS
Collected More Than Amount
Rightly Due,
RAISED FREIGHT WEIGHTS

Enid, o. T, Feb. 19.-Enid is greatly
excited over the arrest of Mr.. and Mrs.
Fred Brown, charged with raising
weights on freighted goods.
of Enid. and for years has delivered Rock
Island freight to the merchants in town.
He would take the bill Of lading or
freight bill. deliver the goods and collect
the charges, settling with the railroad.
The allegation is now made that he and
his wife have been raising the weights on
bills of lading For instance, if a mer-
chant brought in a bill of goods weigh
ing 500 pounds. the weight would be
raised to 100 or 500, or whatever the con-
ditions would stand. The merchant, havc
ing confidence in the accuracy Of the
railroad and the integrity Of Mr.. Brown,
paid the bill without question.
But occasionally a shipment would show
overweight. because the buyer knew just
what he had bought, and complaints nat
uraIly arose until the Rock Island agent
deemed it necessary to look into the
matter. Agent Williams reported the
sundry complaints and W. O. Mack
Intosh, detective for the road. pursued
nn investigation with the result of the
arrest Of Mr.. and Mrs. Brown.
1t is stated that the bond for their re
lease from jail Will reach $4,000. as there
are fifty-three counts in the indictment.
Mr. Brown has done a good business,
and his excellent reputation heretofore
las added TO the sensation caused by his
arrest
1t is said the charges date back to
April. 1903. but many merchants have de
stroyed their receipts and there is no
way Of asccrtaining the exact amount Of
his alleged Illicit earnings.
Frank Lowell and Tom Givens, en-
pIoyes Of the transfer company, were ar
raigned on a similar charge and the
same action taken with the exception
Of the bond being made $50 in their
cases. making a total bond for the four
reach the sum Of $40 400.
The complaints as filed by County At
torney Sturgis name the following bust
ness men as witnesses in the case:
Hirsch Brothers, Evans Brothers, A.
HirschhurG, 2. Bowers. F. d Curtis. W.
+. Penniman and r. +. Thompson. in the
false pretense cases, while Kennedy
Brothers and others are named in the
seventeen forgery cases. Eugene Taylor
Charles Heaton, {. c. Ezzell and W. F.
Archy are witnesses in the cases. They
were placed under bond of sl00.
The first case in the preliminary will
BE- that Of forgery, in which Kennedy
Brothers are named as prosecuting wit
nesses. 1t is alleged that forged instru-
ments were used in collecting freight bills
This case will be heard, after which the
prelimanry hearings in the other cases
will be continued until March 4th.
The brown Transfer company has been
one of the prosperous institutions Of the
city. and Mr.. Brown has beer prominent
IL the affairs of the city.
Only last week he resigned his position
as a member of the city council, serving
from the Second ward. His business has
been practically without competition and
aas been engaged in transferring freight
and making collections for the railroad
companies. Mrs. Brown has been sec
Tetary and collector of the company.