N&W in 1911--Pass

[NW Mailing List]

Bluefield Daily Telegraph
April 27, 1911

LITTLE CHANCE FOR ILLEGAL USE OF PASS
------
Every Term of Federal Court Hears One or More Cases of Alleged Violation of Hepburn Act
    Elia Smith, colored, was given a hearing before United States Commissioner J. R. Dillard yesterday.  The woman was charged with riding on an interstate pass but the case against her was dismissed as it was found that the actual riding is alleged to have been done by William and Gussie Brown.  They will be given a hearing before the commissioner today.
    It appears from the evidence adduced yesterday that Frank Clarke secured a pass for himself and wife to Lynchburg and return.  This pass was afterwards sold and is alleged to have been used by William and Gussie Brown.  The penalty for riding on a pass by one not entitled to use same is from $100 to $3,000*.  It is impossible to ride a railroad pass out of Bluefield unless one is entitled to it without violating the law, as Virginia stations are on both sides of the city and close watch is kept on all passes.
    As soon as a man leaves the employ of the railroad and does not turn in his pass all conductors are warned to be on the lookout for it.  In case a railroad pass is reported lost all conductors are also warned to be on the lookout for it, and a conductor finding the pass in use knows that the person or persons using it are violating the law and he immediately has them placed under arrest.
    There is little chance for illegal users of passes to get by, and watch on them is becoming closer than ever before, the result being that every term of the federal court has one or more cases of violations of the Hepburn act to pass on.
*Indistinct on the microfilm.  Best interpretation shown.
------
Gordon Hamilton
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/attachments/20101202/72fa4f34/attachment.htm>