Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-09-22 00:00:00

CHARGE OF KMBEZZLBMENT AGAINST THE
AGENT OF A LINCOLNSHIRE BANKING
'COMPANY.

•
Considerable excitement was produced at Spi ,on
Monday last, on its becoming known that a warrant bad
been granted sgairst Mr. Thos. Wright, agent of the above
company at Wai• fleet, on a charge of having embezzled
upwards of £3,000, the property of the company. The
execution of the warrant was entrusted to Superintendent
Chambers, who appehended Mr. Wright at his own house
the same evening, and on Tues lay morning brought him
to Spil,by. The magistrates assemtled at the cessions-
house, at 12 o'clock, and ihe prisoner was placed at the
bar. On the beach were the Rem Thos, H. Rawr•sley
and Thos, Holloway, and John Wright, and Sat'. Hairhy,
Esqrs. Mr. Orlando E Imonfla, the regi,tered public
officer of the company, said the prisoner was the agent at
Willa et of that branch of the Stamford, Spalding, and
Boston Bank. He had held that office beteeen 24 and 25
years. He (Mr. Edmonds) first perceived a deficiency in
his accounts on Sitnrday last. Tie to that time he had
performed his deities in a matner which was perfectly I
satisfactory. Oa that evening witness was at Wainfleet.
He inspected the accounts, and found a deficiency of
£3,021 9s 9d. He asked the prisoner where the money
was, and he said he could not give any information where,
when, or how the money had gone. He admitted he had
abstracted it, but could no' tell to what u-e he had applied
it. When again asked what be had done with the money
ho said " I cense t tell." Witness sail, "It is not possi•
ble but that you should know what you have dine with so
large a sum," and he again said, "I do sot know." Be-
fore the examination of beoks commenced he admitted
that he had taken the/ money. Prisoner—l admitted, in
the first instancy', that I had a deficiency of about £3,000.
Witness—That is correct ; and that admission led to the
examination of the books and cash, which brou:ht out the
exact deficiency of £3 021 9s. 91. The last auditing at
Wainfleet took place on the 29th of September, 1855.
Then all was pnfectly regular; the cash in hand tallied
with the ace tun's, and all was satisfactory ; but though
there had since b. ea no inspection cf his cash balane., the
prisoner had ftirnished a weekly statement of his transac-
tions, which, as would be shown by Me. Barney, had been
reedarly checked at Boston, and found correct. Mr. Thee.
Barney, manager of the Beaton branch of the bank, said it
was Mr. Wright'a du'y to send to him every week an
account of the transactions of the Baia at Wainfleet. He
usually brought the account to him at Spilsby on a Mon-
day. It was made up to the end of the proceeding week,
and contained the amount of the each le thince. On the
7ch of this month lie received the account for the week
ending en the sh, which he produced. It showed a cash
balance of £3,476 34. 43. On the 12 hhe with Mr. Ed-
monds inspected the cash at Wainfleet, and found only
£793 15s, which, with the transactioss of the week, left a
deflci=ncy of £3,021 9.. 91. On that afternoon himself
and Mr. Edmonds called on Mr. Wright and told him they
would look in again in the evening to see his cash. On
cailieg again for that purpose, Mr. Wright's son opened
the door, and said his faller wished to • speak to him
(Mr Butte)) five minutes privately. On th:s he fo'lnwed
the son into the Bank, where Mr. Wright was, and he
said, " 1 am deficient in my accounts nearly £3,000.
Witness s id, "Nonsense, it cannot be so ;" but he again said
such was the case, and witness communicated the fact to
Mr. Edmoedse and then the cenversation took place which
Mr. E .moods had detailed. This being all the evidence
the magistrates retired, and after being absent some time,
returned into court, and the chairman addressing the
prisoner, said they had determined on committing him to
Lincoln for trial at the next ess:zes. He then gave the
usual caution, and the prisoner said " I altnit baying
taken the amotint of money which eppears in the accaunt
in my handwriting." He was then formally committed.—
Stamford Mercury.