The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-04
Warriner Looted Big
Four to Close Wo-
mans Mouth.
DEFAULTER TELLS
INCREDIBLE TALE,
Accuses Frank Comstock of Be
ing Short as Well as Himself
and Cooke-Reveals That
He Handled Great Sums
of Money for Re
batting.

Cincinnati Ohio, February a..
chain of entertainments involving
three men, extending over many year
and finally eliminating in the almos
wholesale footing of the Big Fou
Railroad treasury. was the story toll
by Charles L. Warriner, dcfaultin,
/, local treasurer of the road, in his tes
| timonY to-day in the trial of Mrs
! Jeanette Stewart Ford for blackmail.
Warriner represented himself as n
man pouring out gold with both hands
and in ver-incrcasng amounts to
keep sealed the mouth of the woman
who. through her infatuaiion for one
OF the accused embezzlers, n, S. Cooke.
had learned the secret. Frank COM
stock. MARINERS predecessor AS local
treasurer, was declared to be the third
man.
Calmly and in unruffled tones War;
riner told his incredible story. When
the court adjourned MARINERS exami-
nation was concluded.
According to the witness, when he
assumed Office as local treasurer in
1902 he learned that Cooke was short
$4,000 in his accounts He also learned
that his predecessor, Comstock, was
short $4,000 He himself was a de-
faulter. and to keep his crime from
being found out he agreed to keep
his two confederates' secrets.
What Went With Money.
There Is one question which has
never been definitely answered. and
the attorneys for the defense to-day
made another futile effort to obtain
its solution-"What became of the
s643O0O which Warriner confessed to
have stolen2"
The witness declared that he had
paid Approximately 100000 in black
mail and that $4,000 had been stolen
der of s442,oo0 is explained by him as
having been lost in speculation. Al
though he knew exactly the amount
and the approximate amount
OF "hush money paid. as to all ques-
t!ons as to hi; Investments he replied
that he could not remember how mucn
he had put into any particular
enterprise.
A lurid light was thrown on the
strange tale when the letters Of Cooke
to Mrs. Ford were read to the court.
In one letter Cooke wrote that 20.
H." was threatening to expose him II |
be did not abandon Mrs. Ford. War
riner stated that 20 H. stood for "Old |
for his wife in communication with |
Mrs Ford. In another letter he ad-
vised Mrs. Ford to have nothing to
do with other men unless there Is
something big in It," The Judge would
only permit excerpts of the letters to
be read on account of the expressions
with which they abounded.
During the reading of the letters
Mrs. Ford endeavored to conceal her
ace and wept bitterly.
Money for Rebates
One of the most startling develop
nents in the case came at the after
,oon session of the court, when War
liner. under rigid questioning, ad-
nltted that he had handled funds plac-
ID with him for the payment of re-
'ates that he paid out comparatively
arge sums in rebates and that the sim
lie auditing of his accounts at any time
would have disclosed his shortage to
he company. After testifying that
auditor P. a. Hewitt had checked over
is accounts. Warrner was asked by
.ttorney Thorndyke, OF the defense:
Then how did 1t come that he never
iscoyered this great shortage of
ours?'
That's for Hewitt to EXPLAIN" was
he complacent answer OF the witness.