Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 97, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 March 1912 — Purtelle’s Career May Be Stopped. [ARTICLE]

Purtelle’s Career May Be Stopped.

It is possible that the swindling career of Eugene Purtelle, the late portege of a local newspaper and erstwhile railroad magnate, may be soon brought to a close. One day last week Purtelle is alleged to have gone into the Monon railroad office at Lafayette and, throwing down his card on the ticket agent’s desk, stated that he had temporarily run out of transportation on the Monon, which always favored him with free passage, and that (he wanted to come to Rensselaer. He would soon have transportation again, but would have to ask the agent to take his check for 95 centk for a ticket to this city.

The agent forked over the ticket and took the check, which, as usual in due course, came back from the bank pronounced n. g. Traveling Passenger Agent Priest was warm under the collar when he later learned of the matter and that Purtelle had been having through trains stopped to accommodate him, through sheer nerve, and this little 95 cent transaction determined him to place the whole matter before their regular detective and let him act in the matter. Instructions, it is reported, have also been sent out to all Monon agents to stop no trains for Purtelle under any consideration', and -so far as the Monon ever supplying him with free transportation, that is another of Gene’s pipe-dreams.