The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1921-03-22
,.,prv.FoUR MEN CHARGED
FIR sp,, CONSPIRACY TO STEAL
WI 49, nm WORTH OF GOODS.
ocs AND DAMAGE IL MILLION

TOOK changed on Shipments and
lSes Lac Sent to Other Towns
AIrr wsll-Known Men Involved
I~,CON Ga-The trial OF nifty
NAO oxnress messengers, bag
Jour n, and railroad conductors on
gaS'-,, ,,tbwestern division OF hte Cen
y the oon'' l.aorgia railroad, principally
kral oil 3ier0n and Montgomery,
between IN W progress here for a week
las been - ~ States district court
the rharqed with conspiracy
phey are ;ron7 fhe American Railway
voress company. r pr;rsop of
rH Tbree Witnesses X; =. pit piiis ~ En-
,;i, I.['' Ga. F, NJ. AlsabroGk, OF En u
lli is Ala. and w. A. Hughes, all Oh
a pan, entered pleas OF guilty, /, nave
l t;6ad for the government 1eilhlS
teS 3tIi. how he stole hundreds OF dol
FANNY ;s,o nth OF goods, including, blcy-
ars T Iown mowers, suits OF clothes,
fies, I@ iod;es' hose and dress, Brinsonl
h Idtsd how how the goods were disposed
eldI IroIgb certain agents along the
p i''' ond how he and other messen-
oa pau r al, orders for articles want
d. pr;oson said the express messengers
p ID ,,iod the combine to steal when
I' . ii aUnress company took away bonus
lI' o Srd d;sDensed with the checking
tystem when the volume OF o4 kaI'S
became too big to handle n, WIN poo rs
" w A. Benson, OF Chattanooga as as
Grant m TO the vice president OF the
, n'ercan Railway Express company,
l.',N, The first witness for the govern
ma@ He testified that the American
p 5t1i,, Express company has already
> a"n Treimbursed from the United
t totes treasury SIC, 100000 to cover the
'.es incurred by the company dur
oa tbe six months period extending
r6 5 March /. 1920, to September l.,
To36 The loss and damage claims tor
+53t oeriod wilt exceed $22,0O0,0OO, &C
rording 10 the figures OF Mr.. Benson
100000 Month.
Though the government has not yet
Da;d S12O00.000 for loss and damage
rs;ms it has paid out an average OF
E5OOOO0 a month, covering period
ionr months. In January, 1921,
sS}4 S0375 was paid out in addition to
he S8O0O000 in 1920. This last sum
was also paid to cover terms OF trail
handled within the six months pc
tod &,
Benson explained that claims paid
ndcr loss and damage accounts IN
Cludcd expenses incurred through loss,
damage and destruction. The loss and
lamage were incurred through goods
stolen." Mr. Benson said.
The total deficit was $30,833, 10000,
and the gross receipts fOr the same
period were S62,772, 56056, he said.
Story of Thefts.
During 1917 Crimson was employed
Is express messenger on the Central
Oi Georgia Later he was on the South
em between Fort Valley and Atlanta
and during most OF 1917 was on the
ockhart run, passing through Smith
Mile, Macon and Oglethorpe.
He testified that in 1917 the express
company devised a way-bil system
ot checking packages. After the fall
oi 1917. on account of the volume OF
business, he said, all records were dis
continued.
During 1917 | was paid SIS a
8inonth," he said. as additional COM
pcnsation | received bonuses to the
i amount OF $3.50. Later it was decided
zthat in place OF the bonuses all sala-
rles were to be raised SIS a month.
This caused a considerable discomfort
among the men. The first one | talked
Ia lrg 4 LJ,,,rt,o~
1--WE planned to help ourselves" the
witness testified. All the messengers
talked to thought we could make up
the loss in our salaries by taking ship
laents and selling them. ]. O. Hood
Sald he thought it was a good idea"
After that stealing became general,
according to the testimony of the wit
lcSS 1t was general talk among the
abroad men and he sold merchandise
Nhlch ne stole to many OF the defend
ants.
For while the defendant left the
employ OF the railroad and went to
work IN the pOstofiCe. When he re-
larned to the railroad he talked first
70 marley Hunter, one OF the de-
charley Hunter asked me ii l had
Dee4 stealing anything while l was
working Tor the postoffice,' the wit
ness testified. AT that time Hunter
vas baggage master and | was eX-
Ic,I messenger. He told me that he
,ouq Use any articles OF wearing APP
pare, that could get"
WIZ Hackney, Lee Dix, F. J. Nor
M Is ana H. II. Stanley were among the
SeIgndants he talked to about stealing,
'J l5stlaed At different times he talk
u 10 20 practically all the defendants. E
Il. runaway was one of the agents
@'onS the road who would dispose OF
sooas he stole, he said.
Clothes and Preserving Cans.
talked often with E. E. Dunaway
:, osIetnorpe with reference to stolen
t,oPer'y Crimson said. Once | left
, ,o suits OF clothes with the express
" ass on them at Dunaway's and the
rra l, uIne l saw him he said they fit
6,,y! well Another time | LETT with
iowa, |rI.@"dy one dozen overalls, one
55i ,@aSg OF pants and a package OF
"E s,. l lett them to sell Tor me.
,,;;l ""Je l put off some cans, as his
dJg, was dong some preserving.
KNOW whether he would need