Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1869-08-24
MISCELLANEOUS.
An Extraordinary Defalcation

About six months ago certain revelations
were made public through the Tribune, re-
garding the deialcations, to very serious ex-
tent, of Charles DunhaEl, 2 young man in the
Employ of the Chicago Dock Company. He
had been for some time employed as a clerk
in the Dock Ccmpauy's office, and had been
promoted to tie position of cashier, having
the handling OF considerable sutas Of money
1t was suspected for some time that Dunham
was not rendhripg strict account of his
transactions to the company. Large sums OF
money went missing from time to time, and
the young man was at the same time known
to be on terms of intimacy with one Michael
McDoaqld, notorious gambler of this city.
Rumors were ilfoat that Mcdonald had won
heavy sums frfm Dunhan-as high, even, as
$40 900 or 5;0,000-and his employers, on
making inquiry into the circumstances, dis
covered GOOD deal more than they were will
ing to make known to the public. They en-
deavored to hush up the matter, and when a
PUBLIC statemtnt of these rumors was made
in the ZriJuai, they seemed highly reluctant
to reveal the E1ll extent Of their cashiers en-
bezzleEisnt.
At length however the matter was so free
ly discussed, Ehat concealment became impos-
sible, and in order to prevent the worst con-
sequences to lis victim, Mcdonald sent Dun.
ham out Of tho city. At that time the extent
of his defalcaeions were currently stated to be
about S15,0 ,00!', although it was generally be-
lieyed that they amounted to a much larger
sum. Dunh; m disappeared, and from that
time to the p;esent, nothing definite had been
known as to; his whereabouts. Pinkerton's
detective force were put in Operation, aRq h2
was followed 5Ip from place to place, but never
caught Tht, detectives have been close on
his track all che time, sometimes coming with>
in few day, of him, and again arriving at
one city only to end that he had decamped
to the next. About week since the fugitive
wrote letter to Mcdonald, in this city, sta
ting that he was reduced to abject poverty.
and begging the author of his ruin to lend
him SOME money. This appeal Mcdonald
magnanimousIy complied with. But the
young man appears to have tired of vaga-
bond life aud starvation, and yesterday, we
are Informed, he came back to Chicago, de-
termined to make clean breast of the trans
action. He went to his old employers, it is
alleged, and revealed to them the nature of
his dealings with Mcdonald, who it seems has
won from him from time to time, at the gam
bling table various heavy sums, amounting in
all to the sum of 100000 The result was
the arrest of Mcdonald last evening on a
capias, to appear before the Supreme Court
to answer unto the Chicago DOCK Company
on plea of trespass on the case to the dam
age of plaintiff in the sum of 100000. He
vas just on the point of starting for Buffalo
when the sheriff arrested him, aud he was
lodged in the county Jail.
Mcdonald is one Of that class Of genseel
gamblers who are generally spoken of as re-
markably clever fellows. His friends regard
him as model of gentlemanly behavior, and
credit to the profession. He Is c gambler,
to be sprc, say they, but then he is none of
your mean fellows; all of which might be
correct according to certain code of morals.
McDonald, however, must have been aware
that the sums of money which he was coolly
winning ," (the genteel translation Of the old
fashioned uord to steal, or, as ancient Pistol
preferred to call it, ''convey'J from the CASH
Ter was not the property of the cashier, but
that of his employers, and he must therefore
be regarded in moral point Of view, if no:
legally, as the joint author of the crime.
The sheriff holds him in bail to the amount
! of $4,000, WHICH it is understood will be
promptly furnished by his friends, Mr.. Pat
O'Neill aud MIR. Gorcoran, of the Hatch
| House. Chicago Tribune.