Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-02-04
BIG FOUR ROAD.
ROBBED FOR
YEARS
"
STARTLING STORY OF
CONVICT TREASURER
Poured Money into Lap Of
Woman Who Knew Secret of
Quarter Century of Whole
sale EmbezzIement,

NY Morning Journal Special LEASED Nirri
Cincinnati Fet 3.-A chain of en-
bezzlemonts involving three men. ex-
! tending over many ears and finally
eliminating In the almost wholesale
looung of the Big Four railroad
treasury. was the startling story told
BY Charles l.. Warrincr, defaultine
local treasurer of the road in his tcs-
timony TO-DAY IN the trial OF Mrs
jeanette Stewart Ford for blackmall
Warriner represented himself as
man pouring out gold with both
hands and IN ever increasing amounts
| 10 Keep sealed the mouth of the wom-
an who, through her infatuation for
one of the accused embezzlers, Il. :.
Cooke. had learned the secret. Frank
comstock WARMERS predecessor az
| local treasurer was declared to be
I the third nan.
According To the witness. when he
assumed office as local treasurer in
i90a he learned that Cooke was short
IN his accounts $4,000. He also
learned that his predecessor, Com
stock, was short slo.500. He himself
was dcfaultor and to prevent his
shortage from being discovered. he
engaged 60 conceal the shortages or
the two former officials
In the story of gigantic theft, there
Is one question that has never been
definitely answered and the attorneys
for the defense today made another
futile effort TO obtain an answer.
what became Of the S6f3.000 that
Warriner has confessed to have stol-
en- 4"
The witness declared that he had
paid approximately $16S.000 in black
...H Z M Z a 90.
en- by others thun himself The re-
mander Of S4fe,O0e Is explained w
him as having been lost In specula-
ton
Although he knew exactly the
amount emhezzled and the approxi-
mite amount or "hush money" pads
to an questions as To his investments
he replied that he could not remcm-
brr how much money he had put in
t. amy particular enterprise. lic re-
itcrated monotenously That he could
not reesllect. until hs questIoncrs
became discouraged and abandoned
their efforts
A lurd light was thrown on the
strange tale when the letters OF Cooke
to Mrs Ford were read to the court.
IN the letter Cooke wrote that, 70.
H.. was threatening to expose him
II he ala not abandon Mrs Ford. War
riner stated that 20. II stood TOR.
"old Hag." and WAS the name Cooke
used for his wife In his communca-
tions to Mrs. Ford. In another let
ter Cooke advised Mrs. Ford to have
nothing to do with other men,
There is big money in IT,"
Daring the reading OF the letters
Mrs Ford endcayored to conceal her
face and wept continuously. When.
however. the attorney began to quas-
tion Warriner as to her intimacy
with him. she raised her head and gaz-
ing al the witness. smiled slightly.
Practically the entire AFTERNOON scs-
sion was occupied with the reading
of letters written by Cooke to Mrs
Ford The letters were written I'm an
exceptionally passionate vein and
tecmed with salacious expressions and
suggestions These expressions were
of such Il nature that the judge or
dered them omitted in the reading.
Frequent references We're made by
Cooke to Comstock who. according to
the writer. was on intimate terms
with Mrs Ford. several other per
sons we're mentioned, all of whom It
Is said were on the same Footing
with the women.
Attorney Thoindykc endeaNored 70
his relations with Mrs Ford had been
more than friendly At the first d.
rect question TO that effect Warriner
laughed heartily and said
"That ls absurd
While being questioned about his
expenditure Of the embezzled money
Warrincr for the second time during
the day lost his extraordinary self
control
You say YOU are so years old and
That your doialcations probably ex-
tended for twenty-five yearss" said
Attorney Taorndykc tor the defense.
Then YOU have been stealing since
vou were practically a boy?"
Wariner straightoned sharply ~
his chair ana replied IN high, shrili
voice.
u viii not answer these questions.
ann rot on trial.
one of the most startling develop
ments in the ease came this afternoon
when Warriner. under rigid question
ne. admitted that he had handled
FUNDS placed with him Tor the pay
neni OF rebates. that he paid out cont
large sums in rebates. ana
hat the simple auditing OF his &C
cunts AT any time would have DIS
tossed his shortage to the company
After testifying that Auditor T. f.
Hewitt had checked over his accounts
Narriner was asked 10y Attorney
rhorndykc
Then how did 1t come that he
lever discovered this great shortage
If Yours e''
That's for Hewitt te explain. vas
he complacent answer of The witness