The San Francisco call., 1910-08-20
Three Former Officials of Illinois
Central Railroad Accused
of Conspiracy
STEALINGS MAY BE
MORE THAN 81, 500, coo
Frank B. Hartman, Charles l.
Ewing and John K. Taylor
Taken Into Custody
GIGANTIC SYSTEM OF
GRAFT Is UNEARTHED


'@HICAGO, Aug. 19-Three for
Y mer officials of the Illinois Cen
trail railroad company were. ar
rested today in connection with the
alleged huge frauds by means of
which the railroad asserts it was de-
frauded out of sl.5OOOO0. The men
arrested were:
FRANK B. HARTMAN, former
general manager of the road.
CHARLES L. EWING. former
manager of lines north of the Ohio.
JOHN K. TAYLOR, formerly gen.
eral store keeper of the road.
Conspiracy Charged
The warrants were sworn to by
President Harahan of the railroad
concerned. They charge the men
with conspiracy to cheat and defraud
the railroad by false pretenses and
with operating a confidence game.
Hartman and Ewing were taken to
the Harrison street police station.
Their bonds of $4,000 each were
signed by a professional bondsman.
The allegations in the so called graft
case are among the most sensational
in which high officials OF great cor
Iporation ever have been named. The
investigation began over a year ago.
1t reached a crisis last spring, when
President Harahan began actions to
recover sums said to aggregate more
than 100000. alleged to have been
secured by car repair companies in
connivance with high officials of the
road. Hartman. Ewing Taylor and a
large number Of others OF lesser mag
nitude resigned their positions.
Rawn's Name Involved
Much of the money is said to have
been repaid privately. The name OF
Ira G. Rawn. vice president OF the road
who resigned to become president of
the Monon and who was found dead
recently at his home with a bullet
wound in his breast. was brought into
the scandal. Murray Nelson Jr.. at
torney for the Illinois Central, stated
today that Rawn's death headed Off
warrants which would have been issued
for him.
Private detectives who are working
under the directions OF President Hara-
han, are said to have unearthed frauds
other than those connected with padded
car repair bills. These are said TO in
voIve the diverting OF s1.O0O000 or
more from new construction. The In
vestigators declare they have secured
several confessions which will be used
in their attempt to fasten the guilt on
culpable persons.
Ewing Is Reticent
Today developments bring the name
of Ewing into the case for the first
time. He was seen at his residence
by reporters but declined to discuss the
charges against him. Hartman en-
braced the opportunity to declare his
innocence.
'I have never been approached by
an attorney or detective engaged in
this case" said Hartman. IT am per-
fectIy innocent of any and all charges
made against me. I will admit that
1 have been awaiting some such ac-
ton as this in order TO refute the
charges. am glad of the opportunity
to clear my name. / have always BEEN
true to my friends and 1 want them
to know. as will be shown in court,
that 1 always was true to the Illinois
Central"
Harriman's connection with the IlIi-
nois Central covers period OF 81 years.
He began as civil engineers appren-
tice. served three years as an assistant
roadmaster and rose through the
grades OF construction engineer. train
master and division superintendent to
the general managership.
Other Warrants to Follow
An official of the road intimated that
other warrants would follow those is
sued today. He declared that the sys-
ten. of graft unearthed by the railroads
makes political graft look trivial.
I'VE will get the last man in this
conspiracy il it takes us down to the
lowliest section hand" he declared.
.sThe mass of evidence we have Sc
cured is so great that it demonstrates
that political graft in It's palmiest con-
ditions passes into insfgnifcance be-
side the hoodwinking of railroad exec
utives by designing underlings- I pre-