The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-12-18
Extraordinary Assemblage or Citizens In


On "Wednesday afternoon, at half past 3 O'Clock.
one OF the most extraordinary curious and most
interesting assemblages will take place at Coyer's
saloon, In the Exchange, that this community has
ever had the satisfaction and pleasure of attend
ing IL has arisen from the exposition made in this
paper on Thursday morning last of several gangs of
swindlers who have infested the commercial circles
of this city for years past, and who recently have
become so bold and daring in their acts of fraud
and defiance of all existing laws, that the sufferers
themselves have resorted to this remedy to relieve
the public and expose the perpetrators Alderman
UNDERWOOD, of the Third Ward, has consented to
preside on the occasion, assisted by number
of our most respectable and prominent mer-
chants, and the meeting will be addressed by
several gentlemen, who will give full exposition
of the system of fraud with the that produce
and sustain it. All interesting facts relative to this
subject will be there made public-the operations of
straw bail' to sustain these rogues-the nefficien-
cy of the present police system, and the laws regu-
lating false pretences and swindling, will also be
presented In clear light, and made the basis of
an application to the Legislature for a revision of
these enacments at the earliest period of its ses-
slon Every business man in the community is inter-
esed in this subject, and we have no doubt that it
will be one of the largest assemblages ever con
vened in this city Should the Saloon not be of
sufficient capacity, the meeting will be adjourned
to the large room of the Exchange above.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES and Book
keepers--Salaries--Com Sense and
Nonsense.
Every now and then the ears of the community
are startled, they were yesterday morning, with
the announcement of the arrest of some well
known clerk or bookkeeper, of some old estab-
lished firm on charge of embezzlement of the
funds of his employers The last case alluded TO,
was published exclusively in this paper yesterday
morning, and inculpates Mr. James Montgomery
for several past the principal bookkeeper of the
firm of Davenport, Quincy IL Co. of John street,
who, to their establishment, have but recently dis
covered that Mr.. Montgomery has feeced them of
many thousands of dollars by false entries and
false footings in the books of the establishment
The salary paid by this firm this bookkeeper was
5000 per year, and strange 1t may appear for the
past several years he has been living in house
renting at $500 per annum, leaving but $500 for the
support of himself and family We know not
whether this fact was known to the firm or not,
but this we do know that either the present system
of bookkeeping is all wrong, or merchants much
neglect in making those daily examinations of
their books, that would ensure detection of fraud
by their employees Let them alter their SYSTEM
do as we do-make close scrutiny each and every
day. and strike a balance sheet at the end of every
week, and they can then tell the precise sum Of
which they have been robbed during the previous
seven days-and to know that is some comfort IL
these days.
The embezzement of this bookkeeper extends
long series of years, during which time he
has been in their perfect confidence, and luled
them to sleep in dreams of perfect security, while
in the end they are awakened in establishment at
the discovery of his fraud and robbery.
These evils may be- attributed, in part, to the
roneous system of education of those engaged in
mercantile pursuits, recently, instead of being
tutored in common sense and true knowledge of
a correct system of bookkeeping, they are found
attending lectures meteorology, astrology philo
logy conchology, or studying the character of
some lewd and knavsh noble of other days. or the
manner in which Queen Elizabeth put on her pet
tcoat or tied her shoes. With this system of edu-
cation they enter upon business, trusting to the
pacity and supposed honesty of book keepers and
clerks, who are paid but small salaries, and after
series of years they open their eyes and raise their
hands with establishment, on discovering the
fact that by system of false entries they have been
robbed of thousands of dollars without ever sus-
pscting that such thing could be committed under
the present (" complete system of book keeping"
Let us have some new method. Who will step
t2rWard to aid this work of reform and give pub
most approved method of swindling employers BY
double entry? Where is the man, and when will
he perform this important service to the mercantile
community?