The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-07-06 00:00:00

POLICE.

lIATTON-GARDEN.
CuAstor or EDIBEZZIX MEN T.—During the last week there
were several private examinations taken at this office, before Allan r
S. Laing, Esq. concerning the embezzlement of various sums of
money by a confidential agent of a public Society, which has at
length terminated by the abandonment of the prosecution, and the
consequent release of the implicated person. As some very vague
and obscure allusion has been already made to this transaction,
through the nee hum of one of the Sunday Papers, calculated per-
haps to affix unjust suspicion on the officers of other Associations,
it may be as well to state the facts generally, though of course we
cannot pretend to give a detailed account of the investigation, all
the hearings being conducted so completely au erred, as to exclude
not only the gentlemen attending for the public press, but even the
officers of the establishment. The following, however, may be re-
lied on, having come to us through Sr authentic source.
William Iraiker, late Assistant Manager of the Mendicity
So-
was brought up in custody of one of the officers of Hatton-
garden, charged with fraudulently embezzliog various aunts of
money to the amount of WO/. and upwards, entrusted to ilia charge,
for and on account of the Institution.
The prit.erter, we understand, was formerly an officer in the
army, ant soon after the institution of the Mentlicity Society, he
was most respectably recommended to the Managers, as a person
mialified to fill any situation wherein ability and integrity
were the essential requisites. lie was, therefore, appointed Assis-
tant Manager, with a very liberal salary ; and it is but right to say,
I that fusseverall years he discharged the various and often arduous
duties of his office with credit to himself and to the entire satisfac-
tion of the Board of Management. However, on a recent audit,
some deficiencies appeared in his accounts, for which, it seems,
he could adduce no satisfactory cause; and this of course led to a
more severe scrutiny, from whence it was discovered that the un-
fortunate young man was in arrear to the amount of MIL or up-
wards, and that the several sums included therein had been received
by hint in aid of the Society's funds, but bad not been accounted
for in the regular way. Ile made, we are informed, a direct offer
of the money deficient, bot the Managers felt that they would not
be in the performance of their duty to the public and to the ends of
justice, unless they brought the matter before a Magistrate in the
regular way; and accordingly, 'on the information of the Hon.
Charles Short, acting as one of the Board of Management, a war-
rant was obtained for Mr. Walker); apprehension on the above
charge, and he was hrought to this office on Friday week. The
case was briAy at-rted on that day, and the prisoner remanded for
another examination on Wednesday. when the Hon. Mr. C. Shore
and Mr. Tooke (the Barrister) attended on behalf of the Mendicity
Society. The charge of embezzlement was again made, and the par-
ticulars detailed, but doubts arose as to the possibility of sustaining
a prosecution, the actual right of property not having been shewn
to lie in any particular individual, arid, ()femme, only a joint pos-
session could be claimed by each memberor subscriber to the So-
ciety at large.
Mr. Walker, who was not attended on the examination by any
professional adviser, teemed to be aware of this fact, but did not at.
tempt to take any advantage of it, still offering to make good the
deficiencies, if lie was allowed so to do. He was, however, again
remanded until Saturday morning, when the parties attended, and,
after a short consultation, the prosecution was abandoned, and the
prisoner immediately discharged from custody, with fin understand-
ing (hat he should make good the whole of the defieienciegproved
against hint.
ft may be right to add. that the Society, in consideration of Mr.
Walker's past services and high character, were extremely reluc-
tant to press the case to a conviction.