The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-08-20
RAILROAD NEWS.
Former Officials of Illinois
Central Are Arrested.
Charged With Cheating and De-
frauding the Road.
CON FIDENCE GAME.
Result Was Missing of Million
and Half Dollars.
Other Items of General Inter-
est in Traffic World.
FIDENCE GAME.

Chicago, Aug. 20-Three former Of
ficials of the Illinois Central Railroad
company have been arrested in con-
nection with the alleged huge frauds
by means Of which the railroad claims
to have been defrauded out of 81 SOC, 900.
The men arrested were Frank B. Har-
riman, former general manager of the
road; Charles L. Ewing, former man
ager of lines north of the Ohio river,
and John K. Taylor, former general
storekeeper of the road.
The warrants were sworn to by Pres
ident Harahan of the railroad COM
pany concerned. They charge the three
men with conspiracy to cheat and de-
fraud the railroad by false pretenses
ana with operating 8 confidence game.
Hartman and Ewing were taken to
the Harrison street police station.
Their bonds of $10,0 900 each were signed
by a professional bondsman. Hearing
was set for next Friday.
The allegations IN the so-called graft
case are among the most sensational in
which high officials of great corpora
ton ever have been named. The in
vestigaticn began over a year ago. It
reached crisis last spring when Presi-
dent Harahan began actions to recover
sums said to aggregate more than 81
100000 alleged to have been secured by
car repair companies in connivance
with high officials of the road. Harri-
man, Ewing, Taylor and a large num-
Der of others of lesser magnitude re-
signed their positions.
Much of the money is said to have
been repaid privately. The name of
Ira G.. Rawn, vice president of the
Monon and who was found dead re-
Gently at his home with a bullet wound
in his breast, was brought into the
scandal. Murray Nelson, jr-. attorney
for the Illinois Central stated today
that Rawn's death headed off warrants
which would have been issued for him.
Private detectives working under the
direction Of President Harahan arc
said to have unearthed frauds other
than those connected with padded car
repair bills. These are said to involve
the diverting of 81. 900. 900 or more from
new construction. The investigators
claim to have secured several confes-
sions which will be used in their at
tempt to fasten the guilt on culpable
persons.
Today's developments bring the name
of Ewing into the case for the first
time. He was seer 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
any attorney or detective engaged in
this case'' said Mr.. Hartman. Il am
perfectly innocent of any and all
charges made against me. I will adj
NIT that 1 have been awaiting some
such action as this in order to refute
the charges l am glad of the oppor-
tunity to clear my name. I have al
ways been true to my friends and
want them to know, as will be shown
in court, that 1 was always true to the
Illinois Central"
Harriman's connection with the I1li-
nois Central covers a period of II
years. He began as a civil engineer
apprentice, served three years as an
assistant roadmaster and rose through
the grades of construction engineer,
trainmaster and division superintend-
to the general managership.
An official of the road intimated that
other warrants would follow those is
sued today. He declared that the sys-
tenn of graft unearthed by the railway
makes political graft look trivial.
eve will get the last man in this
conspiracy if it takes us down to the
lowliest section hand" he declared
''The mass of evidence we have secured
is so great that it demonstrates that
political graft in its palmiest condi-
lions. pales into insignificance beside
the hoodwinking of railroad executives
bv designing underlings. I predict that
other roads will wake up and that their
awakening will produce more than one
sensation"