The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-04-25
MACON ROBBER
ARRESTED HERE
RAILROAD MAN THE THIEF.
1. w, JAMES, WHO ROBBED TICK
= EFT OFFICE, CAUGHT.

James Had Formerly D
plcyed I'm once of VI. ID. a $ Rail-
way and Knew How to Fix skele-
ton Tickets-TOok seventy odd OF
Them and Properly stamped
Tbem-Tried to Sell Five of Stolen
Ticket. Here and Ticket Broker
RepOrted the Matter TO the Police
For burglarizing the Macon ticket
Office of the Macon, Dublin and sa-
vannah Railroad Saturday night Law
renee Wesley James was arrested at
the Pulaski House yesterday by De-
tecttve Frank Wall
BY the arrest the railroad was prob
eblv saved several thousand dollars, as
James had in his possession seventy
odd tickets, that could be made out 10
almost any place on the face Of the
earth.
The arrest was due to Harry Kar-
ger, ticket broker, to whom James
tried TO sell FIVE return tickets TO Ma
con. Because of the nervousness OF
James and the fact that it is unusual
for one person to have Ave return
tickets TO any one point.
Ticket broker
Mr.. Karger became suspicious and
reported the matter to the local repre-
sentative Of the Macon. Dublin and
Savannah. other railroad men were
informed of the matter and the super
3ntendent of police was notified. De-
4ective Frank Wall was then assigned
10 the case.
At the time the matter was reported
10 the police it was not known that
the Macon office had been burglarized
Mr.. Karger had furnished the railroad
men with a description of the man who
tried to dispose of the tickets, and this
was all that Detective Wall had TO
work on.
While Detective Wall was working
on the case the chief of police in Macon
and the Macon, Dublin and Savannah
railroad officials there had been Wlred
for information. The man was arrest
ed by Detective WALL however, ana
locked up at the police station before
any answer was received from Macon
Detective as Ticket Broker.
Detective Wall spotted his man at
the Pulaski House. He sent word up
70 his room to come down, and IN
troduced himself as a ticket broker.
He told James he understood he had
tickets to Macon that he wished 10
dispose Of, and the suspect readily
produced the tickets. Wall then ask
ed if those were all he could get, and
a large batch of tickets was brought
forth.
well. 1 am an officer and I want
YOU to take a little walk with me,
said the detective.
James agreed without a scene and
he was carried to police headquarters.
There he pretended not to know what
he was wanted for. His bluff lasted
hut a. short time and he finally admit
ted the robbery.
worked for the Road.
James was formerly commercial
agent at Macon for the Macon, Dublin
and Savannah Railroad and chief clerk
40 Traffic Manager Williamson. He
was discharged from his position there
about three months ago. Since then
he was for a time employed in the To-
cal freight office of the Georgia Rail-
road in Atlanta, but held his position
there only short time. He had been
in Macon only two or three days when
he entered the Offices and stole the
tickets.
James says he was merely trying to
get transportation to some place where
he COOiQ get a JOD. ne Hdu iOcN Oul
in Atlanta after being discharged in
Macon and he wanted to go to work,
he claims. The transportation he took
would have sent him around the world
several times.
Tickets Properly stamped.
The tickets were all stamped proper
~ by the Macon, Dublin and Savannah
Railroad, so that any road accepting
one of the tickets would have been
perfectly safe. The Macon, Dublin
and Savannah would have had to have
made good any ticket used on another
road.
The stamping was evidently done by
James while he was robbing the Office.
He was familiar with the work, and
knew just how TO fix the tickets. He
stamped them from March % to April
"a. so that they could be disposed of
at different times.
The tickets were skeleton ones; that
Is, they were good on any railroad
over which they were made out. The
road issuing the ticket would have
been held responsible by the other
roads.
Had stolen Mileage Book.
James trip from Macon here was
made on a stolen mileage book. He
admits his crime. and says he will 81
back to Macon for trial without max
llk any GOublt. elsSoNiiS
Agent ]. A. Streyer, of the Macon
Dublin and Savannah, will arrive IL
Savannah to see about having james
taken back to Macon and tried.
Some time after the arrest had beer
made, a telegram was received by tn
superintendent of police from the chic
an Macon, requesting that James b.
arrested. The railroad men here al
so received advices about the Macol
robbery after inquiry had been mad
from Savannah.
The satchel belonging to James wa
secured from the Pulaski House an,
opened at police headquarters. In
were found seventy odd skeleton ticket
already stamped, mileage books an
several annual passes. all of whic
he had secured the night before at tn
Macon Office.
Had Race Horse Charts.
The secret of the young mans down
fall was also revealed. Among tn
contents of the satchel were a numbe
of racing forms, most of them clippe
from the New York Telegram. 1t i
believed that betting on the races lie
TO his downfall.
For some time, though, local railroa
men say James has been crooked. II
was fired from his job in Macon, II
charged, because he failed to accoun
for a number of tickets that he sold
He is also alleged to have passed
number of small ChacLre that Y1y,oVad T.