Weekly Trinity journal., 1878-05-25
A LATE EMBEzZLEMENT.

The latest defalca:ion is the largest.
More particular accounts may diminish
the amount of Mr.. S Augier Chase's dep
relations at Fall River, through Mr..
Chsce confesscs to S4S0,000. Indeed,
theTc seems no reason why he should have
stopped short of that sum. He was the
trusted treasurer of a great manufactur-
ing corporation, and man Of "socal po-
sition." When once such a man has de-
vised system by which he was enabled
to EN- beezle, sayS100, 600, there IS nothing
to prevent him from acquiring half
million. Indeed, it is rather surprising
that Mr.. Chace should have stopped short
of a whole million, which, no doubt, the
credit of the corporation would have com
manded for him. He cannot, however,
say with Give that he stands astonished
at his own moderations. What be pro-
baby does stand astonished at is the lack
of skill which he has shown. Even with
what he got, and much more with what
he might have got, he could have made
his decling years very comfortable in an
Italian villa. That he did no: do it would
be surprising, if we did not remember
that in point Of fact scarcely anybody in
his position ever does it. Schuyler is the
only great defauter we recall who got
away with his loot. Our own ring thieves
did not run away until they should have
been caught and Gagged, and when the
constables were after them. IL is likely
that the explosion in Mir. Chases case
when it finally came was an entire sur
prise, and as he is doubtless now engaged
in explaining to sympathlzing friends, a
great blow to him. 1t appears that he
has been absorbing the funds o! the cor
poration for some years, and he must
long ago have come to regard his system
of cooking accounts as a complete secur-
~ against exposure. The longer i'm
munity is continued naturally the more
confident thief feels, and in most cases
ii is through this confidence shat habit.
ual cmbczzler gets caught. In this case
it is not likely that the em5ezZler Fixed
upon any sum which he would acquire
preparatory TO running away. Heprobd-
bly, meant, after he had won in speculation
twice as much with the money he embez-
zled, to pay il back. A. the amount OF
his deficit rose into the hundreds Of thou
sands, he must have grown rather shaky
in his own mind as to tho probability Of
his paying it back, and it may have then
become impracticable for him to run away
with enough money for his travelling ex-
penses.
1t is impossible to imagine any mesner
crime than this of Chace's. The oppor-
tunity Of the crime is the inith Of men in
each other, and the crimg4trikcs n blow
at the confidence which IS Indispensable
to human society. The directors were
very likely at fault in not investigating
Chace long ago, and in giving him op-
portunii!es to commit crime. But it is
impossible TO manage any important bus
iness upon the theory thut all men arc
thieves, except such ms are detectives.
What is possible is to inact an exemp-
larry punishment when necessary and
hoaorable confidence is betrayed. This
remains to be done in this case. What
Mr.. Chace doubtless describes as his
trouble is rs yet by no means equal to
his deserts. The directors of the UniJn
Mills and jury of Mr.. Chace's peers
ought to convince him that his trouble
will not be of a satisfactory depth until
he is in State prison serving the longest
term which thelaw allots for his otfense.-
NeiC York World.