The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-08-01
MEN WHO
II STOLE FROM
ILL. GENT.
- -.-------
LooTERs WHO GRATED
RAILROAD WILL BE
PROSECUTED
SEVERAL FORMER OFFICIALS
WATCHED BY DETECTIVES
Suits Against Companies Guilty
o. RobbIVg HaIahan's
Line

Chicago, Aug, Wholesale crIln-
NAL prosecutions will shortly be fore.
"a in the gigantic car repair frauds
perpetrated so brazenly on the lllia-
ols Railroad company during .h9
years 1906-07-0S.
More thnn q score OF men, some of
the prominent former officials Of tha
railroad that was for a time syn0nY
nous with easy mark, are under
constant surveillance OF detectives. II
they made the slightest attempt 10
ieaye the country a pretoxt would he
found for their immediate arrest.
A mass OF evidence sufficient 10
feep several grand jurios busy Will
soon be available for States Attog.
ney Wayman and for public prosecnt,
vrs In other states. The evidence IL
so convincing on It's face that indlct
Inents for conspiracy, grand LARCENY,
galse entry, obtaining money under
!alse prctense and other crimes win
turely follow. N
Startling declarations to this effadf
we're made by an Illinois Central Of
.cial, one OF the reform regime whlcn
came into power when W. l.. Parls
succeeded the late Ira G. Rawn as
wee president
"rhe first duty of the Illinois Cen
tral directors was to their stockho.d-
crs' said this official That duty In
yolyed the recovery of as much Of
tne car repair graft as the civil
courts would permit. To that end civ
u suits were instituted against mum.
Der OF corporations which were gull.
" OF on lageouely robbing the com
pany by padding bills ana conspIrlng
with officers OF the railrood TO pass
The same
"ln several cases restitution has
been made in large amounts. AT a ,li-
lcctors' meeting In New York last
week the offer Of several other gnii,y
corporations to settle out OF court
was rejected because It was compro-
mise. They were not willing 10 re-
pay the full amount claimed by the
company and the suits will 30 on"
IL seems that at times the bill fix
ers at Memphis were lacking In nerve
or did not understand just how mucn
the Illicit traffic would bear"
The bills were then remade, figures
increased by multiplication. addition
or whatever you like, In The Offices OF
the Ostermann Manufacturing com
pany at West Pullman.
Frank w. belmont, the Memphis
Car company bin clerk. continued as
star Witness. He Was asked to es.l-
mate the amount OF the padding IN
the bills he sent forth for payment.
ut was never legs than forty Der
cent exceps in the bills which We let
20 through light for purposes OF ya.
iiety," he said
THE padding ran as high as 1000
per cent never dropped below forty
or fifty per cent Increase
Belmont was asked to examine a
pilo % bills brought to Master Mas
on's office. He promptly declared tha.
the bills for June and July, 1907, the
Erst months on the newly opened
llant, had been remade after he for
warded them TO the Ostermann com
any at pullman. lie could not tell
how much they had been increased.
"Are any Of the bills made out by
you correct?' asked Attorney Biggs.
mot bill" admitted the witne3s
With smile.
He was then asked II he knew w.
Il. Moore, who succeeded Car inspecs-
or Crabtree at the Memphis works.
IL knew him. he could not see ve.y
WE'LL said Belmont.
"How did IL come that Moore was
sent to the Memphis plantg'
"Crabtrec refused 10 Ok. the bills
until the amounts were written il,.
Mr. ward, the secretary, told me thu
re would get somebody who could not
see as much as Crabtree We never
had any trouble with Moore; his eyss
we're naturally bad"