New-York tribune., 1910-02-04
WARRINER'S STORY
NAMES TWO OTHERS
Sags He Inherited Shortages
Last Day on Stand.

r
rnents involving three men. extending over
TWENTY-FIVE years and finally eliminating in
the almost wholesale looting of the Zig
-Four aiIrosd treasury. wss the story told
by Charles L. warriner. defaulting local
treasurer OF the road, I'm his testimony to-
day In the trial. Of Mrs. Jeanette Stewart
Ford for hla cksllail. Warriner was excused
from the stand this afternoon.
Harrirer represented himself as man
pouring ont gold with both hands and in
.ver increasing amounts 10 keep sealed the
mouth Of the woman who. through her IN
fat7.ation for one of the accused einhe5ztefS,
F : Cooke had learned the secret Frank
Ccmstock. Mariners predecessor as local
treasurer. was declared 70 be the third man
Foff Cooke and Comstock deny the allega-
lions
According 80 the witness. when ho as
eslrned of7ce as local treasurer in 1902, he
learned that Cooke was short i'm his ac-
counts sa4.ooa fTe also learned that HIS
predecessor. Comstock. vas short S1o.5oo
he himself was q defaulter, and 10 prevent
his crime from being discovered. he engaged
20 conceal the thefts OF the two former
officials.
In the story Of the theft there is one
question which has never been definitely
answered. and -he attorneys for the defence
TO-DAY made another futile effort TO obtain
IFS solution What became Of the SSiS,Hop
which wsrriner has confessed 10 have
etolen7
The witness declared that he had paid
approximately S1ss ana In blackmail and that
50 aoo asd been stolen hr others thsn him
relf. The remainder Of $4,000 Is explained
hy him as having been lost IN speculation.
Although he knew exactly the amount
ernhezzIed and the approximate amount Of
hush money paid. 10 all questions as 20
his investments he replied that he could
not renlemter how much money he had put
into anv particular enterprise. He reit-
Grated. n1onotonous1y that he could rot
receIIect" until his cuestioners became dis
couraeed and abandoned their efforts.
1Lrid light vas thrown on the strange
tale when the letters of Cooke 10 Mrs Ford
were read 10 the court.
20. H" MEANT old HAG."
In one letter Cooke wrote that % H
was threatening tc- expose him if he did
not abandon Mrs Ford. Warriner stated
that % Il" stood for old IIag'' and was
the name Cooke used for his wife in his
communications 10 Mrs. Ford. In another
letter Cooke advised Mrs Ford - have
nothing tc do with other men unless there
is big money in it
During the reading Of the letters Mrs
Ford endeavored TO conceal her face and
Vept bitterly. When. however. her attorney
began 70 question Warriner as TO the OK
tent Of her intimacy with him she raised
her head. and gazing at the witness, smiled
slightly
s letter from Tarriner to Cooke in which
the latter vas rebuked. was explained by
the witness as having been caused by
Cookies irregular habits and sleglect Of his
family Warmer admitted that one Of his
visits 10 Chicago had for its object the
settlement Of = quarrel between Mrs Ford
and Cooke He said that Cooke had beaten
the woman and that she had threatened
20 appesl 70 the police
Wsrriner aroused some interest by &c
clsrinE that the letters introduced at the
-rssl rad 3reen 2 revelation 10 him He
asserted that he Is now convinced that
Cooke and Mrs. Ford were in d conspiracy
- get money from him, whereas he for
raerlv believed that the vomsn's infstua-
ton for Cooke was The sole cause Of the
relations between them.
Warrirer said that T. A. Hewitt, the
auditor fo- tl7e-road could at any time
have discovered the shortage. Hewitt de
c1in=d te-S54ecps@ this statement to-day. His
connectiop. -E1th the railway ended on
Fehruarv : Tt Is reported here that he Is
II become a1ditcr of t-e New York cen
tral clearing house At Buffalo. The insti-
tuition clears FL the earnings Of the Nv
York Central fast freight lines
ADMITS PAYING REBATES
Warriner was asked today if lie had ever
raid any rebates as local treasurer Of the
Big -Four He replied in the affirmative
Pressed rs 70 ;heir number and duration,
ne said that they hsG continued until his
trent by saving they were rebates for
losses end delays Asked II he had ever
raid aa Illegal rebate, he said. I don't
know
Explaining his system IF embezzlement,
Uarriner said: I took the money from the
daily remittances Of the station agents
These varied, but sometimes Jan IS high
necessary for me TO make the credit less
than the amount received
Chicago. Feb. I've never received ?
dollar from Charles L. Warriner," said Mr.
snd Mrs Edgar s Cooke here to-day
II believe Warmer must have been out
cf his mind when he said that I had re
ceived more than s1a0aA1 from him not 70
expose his shortage" said Cooke. Il never
knew that WaTriner was short until 1 read
about 81 IN the ne~Epap pers. Ny record is
eiesn. I HeE chief clerk under Wsrriner
and nv books show that 7 do not owe the
Big -Four Railroad dollar"
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