Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 August 1901 — WORKED THE SECTION MEN. [ARTICLE]

WORKED THE SECTION MEN.

A Smooth Individual Gets Free Transportation to Michigan City. The Monon Railway company was the victim of a very smooth young man’s machinations a few days ago, that not only astounded the officials from General Manager McDoel down to the road foreman, but set the entire detective force at work in a fruitless effort to discover his id entity. The Michigan City branch is a stretch of track ninety-three miles in length, connecting with the main line at Monon. Employed on this branch are eighteen section crews, their superior officer being A. S. Kent, civil engineer, with headquarters at Chicago. Shortly after the departure of the Louisville express from Monon, Thursday, a well-dressed young man approached the foreman in charge of the section crew at that point and ordered his hand-car and crew placed at his disposal, as he “wanted fast time” to a certain point, indicating the name of A. S. Kent as his authority. He impressed upon the slow-going sectionmen that much depended upon their ability to drive the car ahead at unusual speed, as it was a matter of grave importance. Throwing aside picks and shovels, the brawny limbed track toilers were soon speeding north with their strange passenger. When the next section crew were met, five miles up the road, he gave the foreman the same orders, and, dismounting from the first car, boarded the second, and, with a fresh crew was soon speeding on his mysterious journey. At intervals he glanced anxiously at his watch, often urging the men to renewed efforts, and section crews never la ored so faithfully as they did that day pumping the hand-cars with the thermometer above the century mark. As fast as one section crew met another he would board their car, ordering it ahead as fast as possible, and just as the b : g station clock reg. istered 4:05 p. m. he stepped from the last car at Michigan City, and the section men, mopping their heated brows, watched him enter a saloon near the depot. He came out again and beckoned the crew acros-i to have “sumthin” at his expense, and that was the last they saw of this smooth individual. When the various road foremen made out their usual daily reports and forwarded them to headquarters, “A. S. Kent’s representative, one hour” was charged by each. That gentleman was astounded at the reports, and inquiry elicited the straqge story. What the fellow’s motive was puzzled the officials, and to Chief Detective Healy and his assistants was left the solution. The latter advances the theory that the man was possibly a crook, and sought this unique method of traveling to avoid publicity but how he ever hit upon the plan of converting Engineer Kent’s name into a ticket of transportation for his daylight special is more than they can surmise.