The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-02-07
John w. Sey mour-Where Did He Go! IL
He TO be Sent For!


From the Hartford Times, Feb Al
In the list OF passengers, published in the New
York Courier and Enquirer of last Monday, that
sailed for Charleston, South Carolina in the steam
ship Memphis on Saturday last is the name of John
Watson. The name of the late Treasurer of the
Hartford CouMy Savings Society il John Watson
Seymour. We have very little doubt that il was Mr..
Seymour who sailed under the name Of John Watson.
Is he to be brought back? Most certainly he
should be. He can be found. A small sum of
money compared with the amount he has stolen,
would insure his return. Who will furnish the
money! Say from 81 900 to SIS 900. He can be
traced. No matter whether he has gone to Rio
To Australa-to any OF the South American
States-to Hayti, OF 10 any island-to Europe or
ASA, or Africa. or TO the north pole, he can be
found. The Directors of the Hartford County
Savings Society, who are blamed for neglect Of
duty, ought now TO discharge duty to their fellow
citizens, and appropriate money enough 10 bring
that man back. He has cash enough In his pocket
to pay all the bills. This may not be done-tbe
moral sensbity OF the people IL bluned In cases of
this kind. The public look upon enormous robbie
ries, by which thousands suffer with utter indifer-
ence, whilst they demand the most thorough mea-
suIes to capture miserable horse thief.
The institution which has been robbed by Mr.
Seymour is ruined On whom does the responsibility
rest?
l.. There was a President the Hon. Eliphalet
A. Bulkley, and Secretary and Treasurer Mr.
Seymour, the deiauter or robber They were in
the Office at all times, and more Immediately had
the management of the affairs of the institution
were more directly entrusted with its securities
and its management: though in justice to Mr.. Bulk
ley IL should be said that his duties M President did
not require him to keep the funds or the books
those duties being entrusted 10 Mr. Seymour who
could steal without Mr. Bulkey's knowledge. No
one questions the honesty Of Mr.. b. Personally he
loses heavily by the robberies of Mr.. Seymour
2. There was loaning committee, viz: Messrs.
Buckley and Seymour, and Messrs Thos. Belknap
Elisha Colt and Austin Durham. These were the
active or working members of the board. It was
their duty 10 see that the securities was ample.
3. There were auditors, viz: Messrs. Austin Dun
ham and Charles Beach. IL was their duty 10 audit
the accounts of the treasurer, and see that
his vouchers were In the Office. But the
present year Mr.. Beach refused % sign the audi
tors report, because the Treasurer had not given
him chance 10 examine the securiteso on hand. and
Mr.. Durham was out Of town, and did not examine
for himself, though he improperly allowed the
Treasurer 10 use his name, having great confidence
in him.
4. There were twentyseven directors, VIII
William Hungerford George Beach, Jr, William l..
Storrs, Gideon Welles, Ebenezer Flower. Lawson G.
Ives, Tertius Wadsworth, A. T.. Burr, Austin Dun.
ham, Charles II. Nertham, James Goodwin, Thomas
Beknap, VIM. r. Cone, v. A. Bulkeley, Calvin Day.
Lemuef Humphrey, s. l.. LOOMS, George Kellogg
Newton Case, Lucius J. Barber Henry Stanley John
W. Seymour, Elisha Colt, John A. Butler, II. A.
Grant, Gurdon W. Russell, VIM. q. Medlicott.
This was too large board for regular and active
business. It not appointed with the idea that it
would meet often. II did not meet oftener than
year.
s. There are the Bank Commissioner whose
duty il Is by law to examine into the safety OF
savings institutions, the same M IL Is into the
solveDcy Of banks But their services in these
institutions IL worth just as much az II is In the
banks; and IL II good for nothing in neither. They
usually appear after the institution has gone by the
board, and when IL Is too late for them to do any
thing except TO make useless bill Of expense. But
as they act under the law, they will go ahead and
sit upon the carcass, as the Arkansas coroners
jury once sat upon the body of trapper who had
been struck by lightning They sat spell, but
fornd II uncomfortable for 80 many Of them TO re-
main long upon short carcase. We do not al
lude particularly 70 the gentlemen who are now act
Inc as Bank Commissioners. The Board, "a now
constituted in this State Is an injury rather than
boneft 10 the people II knows in fact little of the
condition Of any bank or savings bank till II has
bursted up; and in this case they knew no more Of
the Hartford County Savings Institution than did
the twenty seven directors who really, "a Board,
knew nothing about II.
Here are the parties responsible for the condition
Of the institution. Let the blame fall where II justly
belongs; and If experience Is worth anything, let
abuses that have long been tolerated he reformed in
the future Their last examination Of the institution,
II they examined II at all "a the law requires,
amounted 10 nothing.
We do not claim that any amount OF vigilance can
prevent officers who TO some extent must be trusted,