What are railroad brasses?

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I came across the following newspaper report and wondered what "railroad brasses" are, as mentioned in the article. What are "railroad brasses?"


The Times Dispatch (Richmond, VA)        Fri, 25 Dec 1903, p. 7



GREAT  QUANTITY  RAILROAD BRASSES



Found by the Police in the Ruins of the Junk Shop Fire.



                Mike Kelly, the junk dealer, was arrested yesterday morning by Detective Hall and Policeman Folkes, on the charge of having stolen railroad brasses in his possession. He was carried to the First Station, where he was later bailed for his appearance in the Police Court this morning, in the sum of $1,000, by Judge Witt.

                Kelly's junk shop, on Twentieth Street, was destroyed by fire Wednesday night. Yesterday morning Captain Shinberger received information that lot of railroad brasses were in the ruins. He went to headquarters and reported the matter at once, and Detective Hall and Policeman Folkes went to the scene of the fire to investigate.

                What they found startled them. There beneath burned lumber and debris of all kinds, incidental to a junk shop fire, they found hundreds of pounds of railroad brasses—some marked Chesapeake and Ohio, some Seaboard Air Line, some Norfolk and Western some Southern, and various other. Many of the brasses were broken into small pieces, but scores of them were still in the original state.

                They were gathered up and carried by wagons to the first Station, and Mr. Kelly was arrested.

                In explanation of the presence of the brasses Mr. Kelly said they had been there for years, and that he had not taken any in for a long time.

                The penalty in such cases is imprisonment in the penitentiary and a heavy fine. The case will be called this morning, but it will probably be continued.

                Mr. Kelly is one of the most widely known junk dealers in the city. He has been in business at the same stand for more than a quarter of a century.


Peter R. R. Getz
Rockwall, Texas
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