The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1870-01-19

The following, which comes with the sanction
of a responsible name and covers an actual case,
asks a question Of general interest to the whole
community:
To the Editor Of the Journal Of Commerce: =
A few days since a member of our firm took sew
eral checks and national bank bills to deposit IN
the bank. He placed them inside the bank book
with deposit ticket and put the book in the in
side breast pocket of his coat When he arrived
opposite the bank be took out the BOOK and all
was gone. He had nothing else 10 do but to
make the deposit, and had not any idea Of how
they were taken he was in no crowd, nor was be
in any way assaulted. One of the checks was
found in gutter the same day it was lost and
delivered at our store by carman, who found it
at least half mile from the bank the payment of
the other checks was stopped, and We obtained
duplicates, which were paid, but the money has
not been recovered. Will you please give us your
idea, through your money column, whether the
loss should be borne by our firm or by the individ-
ual who had the moneyin charge when it was sto-
len, and oblige. Your subscribers, R. D.& Co.
Ii is probable that the contents of the book
slipped out while it was firmly grasped in the
hand, and either at the same time of placing it
in the pocket or withdrawing 1t. We have with
our own eyes seen the same thing occur: a gen.
tleman once passing before With book tightly
held by the stiff edges allowed all the contents to
Drop the grasp, like that of vice. serving to
open the book more than to close it. Many
years ago, one first Of April, a young lad, now a
well known public man, took from a store in
Church Alley, Phila.. a bank book in which roll
Of bills and checks, enclosed with strip of pa
per pinned to them, had been placed for deposit
in bank then located on Chestnut street. Very
soon he came running back saying that he arrived
at the bank and finding nothing in the book was
persuaded that the intended deposit had been left
behind as he held the book so tightly it could
not have dropped ont The writer of this, re-
Numbering what he had seen, set out with the
clerk to retrace his steps looking all the way for
the missing package. Reaching Chestnut street,
Just above what was then the Public Ledger
Building, he saw two or three little boys kicking
the roll of money before them along the sidewalk
and crying April fool" 1t seems that favorite
cheat that morning had been the dropping of
packages resembling money, and the boys having
been sold once would not touch this with their
hands The clerk grasped the package and found
it intact, the great crooked pin having held the
strap together. He would not believe his own
eyes until he placed it once more in the book,
grasping the edge as before, only to see it slip
through more easily than if no hand had pinned
it. Any reader who will try the experiment
Win d udhh-pOOh just hlue tuougu LOT u BOOu
grasp in the hand will see how it is done.
And now as to the question of responsibility.
The partner or clerk who loses money under
such circumstances is not bound to replace it
from his private purse or have it charged to his
account. There is great deal of wrong and in
justice done to persons in service through such
means. All that any one ought to be held re-
sponsible for is due diligence Housemaids are
often charged for broken crockery, and other
servants ere required to make good the loss and
damage by their want Of dexterity, when they
have done the best that could be expected of
them. This is unjust not to say cruel, and
canaot be defended on any reasonable grounds
1t does not even tend to make servants more
careful for a nervous apprehension of loss is not
a favorable condition of safety against accidents.