The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-10-01

CAUGHT AND CAGED.-The denizens in
this locality were no little surprised, not to
say shocked, Sunday last, by the an
nouncement of the fact that a close carriage
containing the absconding cashier of Collins,
Johnston & Co.'s bank, IN this place,
companied by Capt. j. X. Hite and two
Philadelphia detectives, had been driven to
the county JAIL and that the party of the
first part had been hastily conducted within
its dread portals and was then, as he Is iiow;
prisoner inside its massive stone walls.
Of the ways that were dark and tricks that
were vain which have finally eliminated ia
the incarceration of this unfortunate young
man, 1T is not our province, even If 1T were
our desire, to speak at this time. Suffice
1T for the present, then, to say that the
stockholders OF the bank admit a deficiency
of about $50, 900 as the result of the prisoners
peculiar transactions, only three thousand
of which, however, are directly traceable
to the accused himself, and only two Of
which it is proper to designate as a clean
steal. OF the total amount (S20 000) it is
proper to say that considerable sum will
be realized and returned to the Golfers of the
bank from sources at the command of the
stockholders therein.
And nov a few words about the flight,
pursuit and capture of the defaulting CASH
ier, who in his departure took with him not
only the two thousand dollars to which re-
ference has been made, but also gobbled up
notes and securities to the amount of $50, 900
or $50 900, not for the purpose of realizing
on them, as that was simply out of the Ques-
ton, but, the sequel shows, with tie in
tention of using them to shield himself from
punishment, the means, he thought, ade-
quate to that end being the writing of a
letter to his employees in which he threat
ened to destroy the papers in his possession
unless they furnished a written guarantee
that certain things, among which was his
own eXoneration from arrest and punish
ment, should be done. Such guarantee,
signed by three members of the banking
firm was, it is proper TO state, forwarded to
the accused, and in due course of time the
missing notes and securities were returned
TO the rightful owners. An agreement of
this kind, il is needless to say, would not
hold good in law but apart from that fact,
one of the parties interested, and who had
not signed the exemption document, went
before S. NJ. Douglass, Esq, of Chest
Springs, then in attendance at our county
court, on the 9th day of September last, and
swore ont Il warrant for the arrest OF the
faithless cashier. This warrant was placed
in the hands of Pinkerton's detectives, two
of whom, Messrs. Petty and Shields, Of
Philadelphia, were detailed to work up the
case. How well they succeeded is attested
by the fact that they captured their prey at
Greenville, Michigan, on Friday last, at
which place the accused has bruther-in- law
residing, and where he himself had already
embarked in the lumber business, after hav-
ing been summoned from Canada (where lie
had taken refuge pending the negotiations
with his late employcrs) by the assurance
sent him that he had nothing 10 fear-that
his dereictions had been forgiven and would
no doubt. ere long be forgotten by al con-
cerned.
But, alas for the frailty of human calcula-
tions. The misguided young man is now
the inmate of a common prison, with naught
to relieve the darkness of the near future
save and except the fact that his life hereto
fore, so far at least as the public knew any
thing about it, has been a blameless one
and the further hope that his previous good
character and the respected name lie bears
may not be without their effect in mitigat-
ing the punishment due to his crime. Let
MS hope that such will indeed be the case,
and while we have no disposition to moralize
on the causes which have led to the unfor-
tunate downfall of one who gave promise of
honorable and so useful n career, we can
scarcely conceive that the one dishonest act
which has marred if not entirely destroyed
his own fair fame and brought bitter grief
to a large circle of greatly respected relatives
and friends, who are among the very best of
our citizens. was all the result of his own
volition. There is nothing known however,
toscrininate any one else in the transaction,
and all presumptions, if there are any, TO the
contrary, are without foundation in fact so
far as the public is aware, and are therefore
uncharitable and unworthy of consideration.
For the accused there is nothing and should
be nothing but a feeling of pity, and if his
punishment should be measured by the sym
pathes of our people, it will he much lighter
than the gravity of the offense would seem
to warrant when viewed from n legal stand
point, where Justice is too often perhaps
untempered by mercy.