The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-20
President Harahan of Illinois
Central Is Prosecuting
the Charges
ACCUSED MEN GIVE BOND
IN sum OF $4,000 EACH
Frank u. Hartman, Former General
Manager of the Road, Asserts In
nocence of Charges and Is
Glad 10 Have Trial

Chicago. August 1e.-Three former ex-
ecutive officers of the Illinois Central
company were arrested today on war
rants in connection with the alleged
frauds by means of which the railroad
was defrauded, it is said, of 81 100000. The
men arrested were:
Frank b. Hartman, formerly general
manager Of the road.
Charles L. Ewing. formerly manager
of lines north of the Ohio river.
John M. Taylor, formerly general store
keeper of the road.
The warrants, sworn to by J. T. Hara-
han, president of the Illinois Central,
charge the three 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 graft case are
startling.
The investigation began a year ago. 1t
reached a crisis last spring when Presi-
dent Harahan began action TO recover
sums said to aggregate more than 81 l.000.-
wv alleged 10 nave Deen taken from the
road by a car repair company in conni-
vance with high officials of the road.
Hartman. Ewing, Taylor and many
others of less magnitude resigned their
positions.
Money Repaid Privately
Much of the money is said to have been
repaid privately The name of Ira G.
Rawn, who resigned the vice presidency
of the Illinois Central road to become
president of the Monon system and who
was found dead recently at his home with
a bullet wound in his breast was brought
into the scandal. Murray Nelson, yrs.
attorney for the Illinois Central. today
said that Rawn's death headed off war
rants which would have been issued for
him.
Private detectives working under the
direction. of President Harahan are said
to have unearthed frauds other than
those connected with padded car repair
bills. These are said to involve the d.
verting of $1,000, 900 or more from new
construction funds. The Investigators say
they have procured several confessions
which will be used in their attempt to
fasten guilt on culpable persons.
Todays developments bring the name of
Ewing into the case for the first time.
II have never been approached by any
attorney or detective engaged in this
case" said Mr.. Hartman
II am perfectly innocent of any and
all charges made against me. | Will
admit that | have been awaiting some
such action as this in order to refute
the charges | am glad of the oppor-
tunity to clear my name.
An official of the Illinois Central rail-
road tonight intimated that other war
rants would follow those issued.
Harriman's Long Service
Harrman's connection with the Illinois
Central covers a period of 81 years he
began as a civil engineers apprentice,
served three years as an assistant road
master, and rose through the grades of
trainmaster and division superintendent
to the general managership.
An official of the road declared that
the system of graft uuearthed by the
railroad makes political graft look trivial.
I'VE will get the last man in this con-
spiracy II It takes us down to the low
lest section hand" he declared, the
mass of evidence we have secured is SO
great that 1t demonstrates that political
graft in Its palmiest conditions pales into
insignifcance beside the hoodwinking OF
railroad executives by designing under
l,nps | predict that other roads will
wake up and that their awakening Will
produce more than one sensation
President Harahan awaited minute de-
tails before striking when he considered
the time ripe last night when he took
the field himself. He called on Chief
Justice Olsen of the municipal court, and
with the assistance OF a pile OF doeu-
ments and photographs laid the case
before him. Judge Olsen referred him to
Judge Bruggemeyer in the Jurisdiction OF
whose branch of the court the Illinois
Central offices are located. Judge Brugge-
meyer issued the warrants, but made
every effort to keep the fact a secret
Not untfl the arrests were made this aft
ernoon did the secret Leak out. 1t Gre
ated a sensation in railroad and social
circles, where the defendants are wen
known. Hearing on the warrants was
set for next Friday.