Arizona republican., 1910-02-04
 SUCCESSION In 1reasuPePship of Big Four Rai|Way
 WARR|nER'S NARRATION
Of Stream of Gold Which Had Been Diverted From the Company-His Inabil- ity to Account for a Con siderable Part of It.

| Cincinnati, Feb. 3.ZA chain of em-
 bezzlements. involving three. and eX- | tending over many years. finally cul- minating in the wholesale loOting of
 the Big Four treasury. was the
 startling story told by Charles War
 riner. the defaulting treasurer. in his | testimony today at the trial of Airs. Jeanette Ford. for blackmail. l Warriner represented himself as a man pouring out gold with both hands l to keep sealed the mouth of a woman. who through her infatuation for one of the accused embezzlers, F. S. Cooke , learned his secret. Frank ComstOck Mariners predecessor as treasurer was declared to be the third man According to the witness. when he assumed office in 1902. he learned that Cooke was short S24,000 He also learned that Cooke's predecessor. Com , stock. was short s10.590. He himself was defaulter and to prevent his crime being discovered. he engaged to conceal the thefts of the two former officials.
 In the the story of the gigantic theft there is question that has never been definitely answered. and the attorneys for the defense today made another futile attempt tn obtain the answer What became of the S643.00 that War riner confessed that he had stolen? The witness declared that he paid approximately slss 600 in black mail. s32, 900 had been stolen by oth- CTS than himself. The remainder. s442- 600. was explained bv him as having been lost in speculation. Although he knew how much he hadembezzled, and approximately the amount of hush money" he had paid, to all questions as to his investments he could not re- member how much more he had put in to particular enterprise.
 A lurid light was thrown on the strange tale when letters from Cooke to Mrs. Ford were read in court. In one Cooke wrote that 70 H. was threatening to expose him if he did not abandon Mrs. Ford. warriner stated that 70 H. stood for "Old Hag- the name Cooke used for his wife in his communications to Mrs. Ford
 In another Cooke advised Mrs. Ford to have nothing to do with other men unless there was big money in it." During the reading the letters Mrs. Ford wept continually. When, how ever. the attorney began to question Warriner as tO the extent of her in- timacy with him, she raised her head and smiled slightly.
 While being questioned about the ex- penditure of the embeZzled money. Warriner for the second time today lost his extraordinary self-controI.
 You say you are 50 years old. and that your defalcatiOns have probably extended over twenty-five years?" said Attorney ThOrndyke. for the defense Then you've been stealing since you were practically a bOy?'
 Warriner strengthened sharply in his chair and replied in a shrill voice: "rn not answer that question. I'm not on trial
 one of the startling developments in the case came this afternoon. when warriner under rigid questioning ad- mitted that he handled funds placed with him for the payment of rebates: that he paid out comparatively large sums in rebates. and that simple audit ing of his accounts at any time would have disclosed his shortage
 After testifying that Auditor P. F.. Hewitt had checked over the accounts. warriner was asked: Then how did it come that he never discovered the great shOrtaSe?"
 That's for Hewitt to explain" was the complacent answer.
 P. A. Hewitt. whom Warriner testi- fled was auditor of the Big Four rail road during the latter's defalcations. declined to discuss Mariners state ment that the shortage might easily have been discovered. It was learned today that Hewitt's connection with the railway ended on February l.