The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-07-30
REBATE RECORDS GONE.
Employees Of Burlington Line Destroy
Two Carloads at Remote Spot.

Omaha, Neb., July 30.=Two large
freight cars Of the Cl1fca go, BHrIfng-
ton & Quincy railroad, filled with
boxes, bags and barrels of old papers,
which had the appearance Of railroad
company records, were burned on a re-
near the little town of Greeley Center
late Thursday night Some Of the
papers were blown away from the fire
and were picked up by Matthew Luce,
son of a farmer whose home is near
the siding, and on them the word
rebate" appears.
Circumstances attending the burn
ing Of the cars has aroused suspicion
among the people of that vicinity that
the railroad company might have used
this means of destroying records Of
rebating operations.
Letter Tells of Debate.
This is strengthened by the follow
ing letter which young Luce picked up
among other papers:
Beatrice, Neb-, March II. 1905
Mr.. EdW. Clark, S. c. A, Omaha, Neb
CIV w J. claim 2317)-Dear Sir;
Herewith papers in claim Of John
Stewart. ConcOrdia, for $3.50, rebate
on shipment of produce from points on
our Concordia branch. Our agree
ment with Mr.. Stewart is to refund
331s per cent of the charges on these
shipments which move from points
truly w. w. Johnson
On this letter are several stamps, all
of them bearing the name burlington
Route" or the letters b & NJ R. r.
of Nebraska" One stamp reads,
Auditor freight. ticket, telegraph ac-
count" another, Auditor freight and
ticket accounts voucher May p,
1904" third, ''B. & NJ. r. r in Ne
braska, March Il, 1904. Freight claim
department"
yxTI,oy, fts r7,,rii,,,vtor, rao4,lar freight
train from the east reached Greeley
Center Thursday night the two cafs
were detached. coupled onto another en-
CINE and taken to Belfast Siding, eight
niles north on the Erickson branch The
cars were accompanied by two section
hands. Roadmaster Burns of the main
line and another man. believed % be an
auditor from the Omaha Office.
Torch and Oil Finish Cars.
At the siding the cars. we're uncpnflcd
and the engine was run back to Gree
ley Center. When the cars were opsn-
ed, it is reported. it was seen that zach
was filled with boxes. barrels and bags
of papers. old records of all sorts. In
each car also were two barrels of kerc-
sene. The men sprinkled the Ike -oselo
over the ears and their contents AMI
applied torch. A few papers blew
away from the fire and these were
picked up by young Luce. who was at
traeted to the scene by the fire.
sent Friday morning to burn any pa
pers that had not been consumed.
When he left after six hours work
nothing was left but the metal trucks
OF the cars.
Luce has possession of all the papers
which were saved and declines to give
them up He has permitted copy 10
be made of the letter quoted above.
however This letter was found with
a bunch of what are said to be rebate
checks. made in favor OF John Stewart
of Concordia, named in the letter.
Young Luce says he has several other
documents of a similar character.
There is no spot, on the Burlington
system in Nebraska or any other state
which IS so obscure-as the place
chosen for this bonfir6. Only one train
a week runs on the eighteen miles Of
the Erickson branch. and this had
passed a few hours before the doomed
cars reached Belfast Siding which is
several miles away from the nearest
village.