The San Francisco call., 1904-02-09
MAKES CHARGES
OF CONSPIRACY
President Coleman of United
Carriage Company Says Men
Have Been Mulcting Concern

Charges Of deep laid conspiracy.
which IS said to have resulted in the
United Carriage Company being
mulcted OF many hundreds OF dollars
and the sudden wholesale dismissal Of
employees OF the concern. combined in
furnishing no end Of excitement around
the Office Of the company in the Palace
Hotel yesterday
According 10 reports that have gained
/ circulation, the management of the
carriage company. for several months
past. has been Investigating stories
+ that have reached the ears of the
+ stockholders % the effect that a num-
/ Der OF drivers and other employees of
+ the company were in league 10 defraud
/ the concern out Of a certain percent
age OF its earnings. Detectives were
+ quietly employed on the case and their
+ reports are said TO have led 70 the up
/ heaval yesterday.
+ II IS claimed that certain foremen
( entered into a conspiracy with num-
+ Der Of drivers whereby the latter were
/ 10 collect regular fares and turn them
1 over 20 the fOremen. who. by means OF
/ falsified accounts. were 10 divert a Ger
/ tain amount Of the company's revenue
/ into their own as well as the pockets Of
the drivers
Traps were laid and damaging evil
( dence- II is claimed. was obtained
/ against number of employees. in whom
/ the management Of the carriage com
pany had for years repcsed the greatest
/ confidence. Saturday several men
: were discharged and yesterday a large
number were dismissed and their places
promptly filed. Three foremen and
about fifteen drivers and other en-
ployes OF the company are said 10 have
been inculpated. The method OF de-
frauding the company, IL is said. was
! a simple one in that the foremen prac-
tically were intrusted with the business
For instance. If a driver was engaged
70 carry a party OF four 10 the Ocean
Beach and received the proper fare he
/ would report back a single load to
some point within a close distance of
the Palace Hotel and turn in fare
in keeping with the fixed rate for The
shorter distance. The balance Of the
actual fare collected would then be
applied TO the fund OF the alleged con-
spirators and at certain periods in the
months divided among the men in the
plot.
Just how long q ring among the en-
ployes existed and the approximate
amount the company has lost through
the dishonesty OF it's men is a matter
OF speculation and probably will never
be known. Discussing the matter last
evening, Barry Coleman, president and
manager Of the carriage company. said f.:
Our investigation proceeded far
enough into the affairs of the company
TO thoroughly satisfy US that the com
pany has been badly mulcted. but to
what extent we may never learn. Be-
fore We took any definite action against
those toward whom suspicion was di-
rected we had accumulated a pre-
: ponderance Of evidence Of their guilt
and then promptly removed them from
the company. Many Of the men had
been with US for years. particularly the
foremen, who had enjoyed our conf
dence."
A number OF the men dismissed yes
terday loudly protested their innocence
OF any crooked work. but Manager
Coleman declined to hear them. Ex-
perts have been at work on the books
Of the company for over a week and
they are still engaged on them, with a
! view 10 determining within possible
estimate the extent OF the losses of the
I concern and the date when the con-
/ spiracy was formed