Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-19
EIGHT Conductors
HELD0N CHARGE Of
HOLDING OUT FARES
W. R. & E. Employees Are Ar
rested-Evidence Against
rs Others Alleged.
LOSS TO COMPANIES
PLACED AT 20 PER CENT
Action Follows Investigation Or.
dered by Utilities Commission.
Data Gathered by "Spotters."'

dered by Utilities Commission.
Data Gathered by "Spotters."'
Eight conductors on the lines of
The Washington Railway and Electric
Company were arrested last night on
charges Of embezzlement Of fares col
lected by them from passengers on the
ears Of which they were in charge.
They were arrested on Police Court
issued by direction Of United
States District Attorney John E. Las
key.
Four other warrants were issued,
but the men have not been arrested
yet.
The men were taken to various pre-
cinct stations, where collateral Of $50
was required in each case.
Individual Charges.
The conductors were registered at
police headquarters, together with the
amounts they are charged with hav-
Ing embezzled. as follows: Leon j.
Phillips, twenty-one years. 472 K
street southwest, IS cents; George
Peter Rock. seventeen years. 605 9Th
street southwest, 80 cents; Raymond
willard Brooke. twenty7one years. 231
18th place northeast. $1.15; Samuel
Adrian Anderson twenty-one years.
1os e street. $3.50; William Frederick
seventeen years, 1882 AZ
street southwest, 56 cents; Robert
Loris Clarke. twenty-one years. 591l
Georgia avenue. So cents; Walter FL
lis Meyers. twenty-nine years. 415 4th
street. 40 cents; Dermot Rodney
Brown. thirty-seyen years. 1894 D
street northeast. 60. cents.
Four other conductors were named
in Is many wArfants Tor alleged EN-
bessleinent Of various sums OF
money ons .cE- -sthe4hssakaessick and
could nots be xalkens hy the police;
another had been put on his run and
had returned to his home in
Virginia. 1t is stated, while two ott-
ers were not found. Rock. Anderson
and Phillips furnished $50 collateral
soon after their arrest and were re-
leased to appear in Police Court to-
morrow.
Claims 90 Per Cent Loss.
Commissioner Gardiner stated last
evening that from reports received
from the detectives assigned to the
work, of spottings conductors he was
that the street railway
for long time have been
suffering loss Of at least 20 per
cent Of the passenger revenues COL
lected by the conductors.
According to original plans, the ar
rests were to have been made on a
wholesale scale last Thursday. Owing
to unforeseen obstacles. however, this
plan had to be abandoned. It was
that a general raid would in
terfere to such an extent with traffic
that the public would be seriously in
Therefore 1t was de-
cided that the plan of making num-
ber of separate arrests. taking the
OF wherever they might be found,
rather than taking them OF their
cars, would serve the purpose equally
well and at the same time discom-
mode the street car riding public to
a much less degree.
The arrests were planned nearly
two weeks ago by the three District
Commissioners acting as the Public
Utilities Commission. in consultation
with Maj. Pullman. superintendent of
police: Inspector Grant of the detec-
tive bureau and Detective Cornwell.
Evidence obtained by the special
detailed by the detective
bureau against about seventy-fiv
other conductors, on both street rail-
way systems, is in the hands Of the
police department and the Public
Utilities Commission.
'SKnocking Down" Extensive.
Reports of knocking down" fares.
so fragrant as to stagger belief. were
made to the Commissioners. In one
Instance conductor on an across
the-city run retained eighty fares on
q single trip.
In another case thirty-five passen-
gers boarded car at one point, the
conductor failing to ring up single
fare, even though man in the crowd
asked the conductor If he wasn't
going to give the company anything
put Of this bunch"
Stfl1 another case reported was of
persons boarding a car at
The end Of the line. the conductor
ringing up only forty-seven fares.
One conductor, formerly employed
,n the lines Of the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit Company. according to a
report made late in November, was
heard to say that 'if he could just
work In Washington another month
he folks at home would have such a
Christmas as they had never had in
heir lives" This conductor went ,on
10 say, according to the report, that
he Brooklyn lines had been good
and easy" but that the lines in this
.ity were simply pie
Directed by Commission.
The arrests last night were the
outcome Of an investigation directed
BY the Public Utilities Commission
% ascertain the truth in regard to
that have been the subject
II hundreds of letters and other COM
Continued on SECOND Pase.9