Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-11-10
Believed to Have Been
Taken by Warmer,
Big -Four Officials Astounded
By the Disclosure.
They Also Wonder What Ne Did
With the Stolen Mones.o:

| SlilCiIIidil, ONO, NOV. Wv ltn fru-
mors on the lips of many persons in
touch with railroad affairs in this city
| that the shortage in the financial, de-
partmcnt of the Big Four Railroad, as
developed through the alleged defal-
cation of Charles l.. Warmer. deposetl
local treasurer of the road, may
reach as high as $2,O00.O0l, interroga-
ton Of Warmer by his superiors and
others was resumed today. An official
| statement given out last night con-
| firmed the rumOrs previously transmit
! ted through The Associated Press that
the shortage would probably reach
$500, 900.
That the total defalcaticn may go
far above the latter figure is general
| ly conceded. The officials of the road
admit that they are astounded at the
revelations made by Warmer and to-
day are pressing MIN for additional
details of how he spent the money
the sums alleged to have been paid by
him on account of blackmail and in
improbable speculation still leaving a
large amount unaccounted for. $780,
Warmer still insists that he has not
a dollar left in the world to transfer
to the railroad r-,t az.
Officials of the Big Four and detec-
tives working under them We're mys-
tihed today over the visit Of a strange
man and boy to the Mariner home
in Wyoming last night. The boy, it is
alleged, attempted to pass a note to
Warmer. Both left the, premises al
most Immediately without their iden-
tity becOn ing known. Warmer de-
clares he does not know them nor their
mission. .... .-,.F
The search for the man and woman
whom Warriner has named in connec-
ton with charges of blackmail, it Is
stated, is being continued here, in Chi
cago and in Portsmouth. Ohio, the for
mer home of the woman mentioned,
but thus far no additional arrests have
been made.
Attorney Goldsmith, law partner of
Governor Harmon and one of the coun-
sci for the Big Four, is authority for
The statement that no other arrests are
contemplated at present.
Mr. Goldsmith also gave out a state
ment saying that the Big Four would
prosecute Warrincr to the limit and
that in this the road would have the
vigorous suppo.t of the bonding COM
panv, which has paid in $4,000 on the
Warmer alleged shortage.
That the mysterious messenger who
visited the Warmer home last night
offered to deliver to Warmer note
: from a woman who sought an audience
with him in connection. with recent
disclosures was the statement accred-
tied 10 member nf tho W1rrinnr
household today. The identity of the
woman was not disclosed.
Il presume myself that further facts
will come out later, but 1 do not know
what they will be-" declared Genera
Counsel l.. J. Hackney of the Big Four
today, when asked as to rumors that
| the full story of WARMERS alleged
| shortage has not been told.
Il have heard statements that there
of WARMERS trouble sometime SINCE"
said Mr. Hackney. zone man told me
| that he knew six months ago that Warri-
ner was being blackmailed, but l knew
the Big -Four officials knew nothing of il
before WARMERS confession.
Big Four secret service men declared
that the woman who soug..t an interview
with Warmer last night, was the one
named by Warmer as having blackmail-
ed him for years. The woman was said
to be living in Evanston, a fashionable
suburb of this city. She is alleged to
| have been seen in an automobile some
| distance from the Warmer home await
| ing the return of the man and boy.