Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-19
EIGHT CONDUCTORS
HELD ON CHARGE OF
HOLDING OUT FARES

Continued from First Page.l
munications received by the COM
mission.
Patrons of the lines of the two
companies in all parts Of the city re-
walton Of conductors knocking
down" anywhere from half a dozen
fares to one-half or even more Of the
cash fares collected on trip. .
The commission felt certain that
these reports were sufficiently y ..s sc Sas
financial condition of the street rail-
way companies" said Commissioner
Gardiner last evening. with pas
senger traGic on all lines heavier
than at any time in the history OF
was plainly evident that statements
Of the companies as to decreasing
revenues could only be accounted for
on the theory of wholesale leaks
in other words, thievery on the part
of tho car mon.
of the companies could make sue.
cessful effort to locate the leaks and
plug them up. To do so. as the COM
mission was fully advised. would
have meant very series trouble for
''It was decided that the commission
should do the Investigating itself:
without even advising the ofiicials of
the s0mDans' ;n and e, witS
the aid Of MAI. Pullman. the plan
Detective cornweu In Charge.
Detective cornwell had charge OF
He detailed about sixteen men ana
women to do the spotting.
'aThe plan was for the spoilers.
sometimes working alone and at
other times in pairs. to get on car
at the end Of q line. when the fare
other end. The number of passengers
boarding the car was noted. the num-
Der giving transfers as fares was also
taken and the passes. etc. deducted.
ter reading was taken after the con.
ductor had made up his trip sheet and
Just before he turned the register
back for the return trip.
"In this way the number of fares
actually registered and reported on
tanned and compared with the num-
Der Of passengers who had paid cash
fares during the trip.
TN many cases 1t was found that
the conductors had failed TO- ring up
one-half Of the fares collected.
vision with the company.
'The men arrested were the most
fragrant cases discovered. though the
detective bureaus spoilers obtained
evidence against . large number OF
others. Study Of reports made by the
detectives employed on the work in
dicates that fully 20 per cent Of tho
fares received by conductors fall to
reach the Golfers OF the companies.
Capital Traction Cases.
while the men arrested last night
were all employed by the Washington
Railway and Electric Company, EVIL
dence in the hands OF the police shows
Capital Traction Company are almost
equally fragrant offenders. Either
through coincidence or because the
reports Of our Investigators show the
actual state of affairs, men on the
worst in the matter OF withholding
! fares from the company.
'As q member of the Public Utilities
Commission feel that with the loca-
ton Of this most serious leak the
financial condition Of both street rail-
marked Improvement. Undergoing a
regular and continued loss Of fully 20
per cent of the passenger revenues, 1t
is no wonder the companies found
themselves Obligeu TO ask Tor IN
creased rates. or that they found that
even a straight hve-cent fare was not
sufficient. The commission, feel safe
in saying, believes that with the dis
covery Of positive evidence Of whole
sale stealing on the part of conduc-
tors and the arrest OF q number of the
worst thieves, with strong evidence
against many more. the companies
win find that it will not be necessary
to ask for further increases in fares"
Made Reports Of Evidence.
Ten policemen and three policewom-
en- obtained the testimony on which
the warrants for embezZlement were
based. They worked under the dt-
rection of Detective Frederick NJ.
Cornwell, It was after they reported
what they had observed that the war
rants were kworn out. Four Of the
men arrested were employed on the
East Capitol line and four on the
9Th street division Of the company's
lines.
The conductors were arrested when
they reached the barns at the ends Of
the lines on which they were en-
ployed, Other conductors were on
hand to take their places. thereby
avoiding the necessity for putting the
cars out of service. Arrests were
made by members Of the force de-
tailed to work under Detective Corn
well, and the men were taken to head
quarters.