The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-25
PASSED HIS FRIENDS.
Santa Fe Loses Thousands of Dollars
Through Liberal Minded Clerk

Chicago, Aug. 25.-Thousands of
dollars worth of transportation has
rapher in the office of w. P. Ripley,
president of the Atehison, Topeka &
Santa Fe railroad, and distributed by
him among four or FIVE of his friends
in the city.
The discovery was made acciden-
tally a few days ago, and President
Ripley Immediately set on foot an in
quiry to find out how much of the
transportation of other roads had been
irregularly issued at the request of
portation he has put out. Already it
checks up to about $4,000, with many
roads still to hear from, and it is not
unlikely that the amount will reach
$4,000 or even more.
Olsen says the transportation was
given gratuitously and because he
wanted to be a good fellow with his
friends. The railroad men who made
this discovery are skeptical about his
explanation, considering the amount
have no proof that Olsen received any
money. The fact remains that out of
his own pocket Olsen has made good
$3.50 to the Erie road out of the $500
worth of transportation he obtained
on that line.
Those Who Received Transportation
So far as has been discovered the
the following men: Horace M Wigney
car record clerk of Schwarzschild &
Sulzberger; John E. Morrison and A J.
Dillon, advertising manager and cash.
Ter OF the Illinois theater; and William
Russell, manager of the Marlowe the
alter. All assert that they supposed Oh
sen had right to give them the trans
portation and that no monetary consid-
Grafton was involved.
Olsen did not confne his operation to
hI1t iad &v-i1 e. Fx-
nearly every road entering Chicago. OF
the other roads the Erie was the worst
hit, $500 worth of transportation having
been issued upon OIsen's request. 9th
er roads known to be losers are the
Northwestern, Rock Island, Wisconsin
Central, Illinois Central, Alton, Monon
Milwaukee and st. Paul, and the Lake
Shore.
Because of the reflection upon the lax
methods in vogue in the presidents
office in checking up transportation, the
Santa Fe officials have been trying to
suppress the matter, and this is one of
the reasons why they have not proceed
ed against Olsen. w. B. Jansen, assist
ant to President Ripley, who after Paul
Morton left the Santa Fe took charge
of the issuing of transportation in place
of Tom Brown, Morton's secretary, who
handled it without scandal for ten years.
turned the whole matter over to Olsen,
his stenographer, and permitted him to
issue transportation and requests for
transportation practically without
supervision, it being only required that
he get the countersignature of z. J.
Engel, Jansen's chief clerk. No check
apparently was kept upon the number
of tickets he issues or the numbers of
requests upon other roads he sent out
Discovery Is Made Accidentally
It first became known in railroad cir
cles that something was wrong about
the transportation issued to the Santa
Fe when the passenger departments of
every road entering Chicago received a
request from Mr. Jansen to check IN
on the transportation which has been
issued since the first of the year. since
which time 1t has been under the
charEe of Mr. Jansen. Inquiry ELECTED
the facts that the discovery OF Olsen's