Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-06-02
BarrOn-and Others.
the Editor Of the JouyHai:

never heard of Mr. Barron until after his
death If he lost his life to save the proper
ty of the bank, I have my doubts whether il
was his duty to do so. Should man give
up his life to save his own money? Is it his
duty to do more for others than he wonld or
ought for himself?
But there are some curious matters connect
ed with the case 1t is Il year last January
since Barron was found dead The surviving
officers have made or authorized sundry state
ments from time to time Inconsistent with
each other, and most of which have been con
tradicted or corrected. Yet it does not APP
pear that in all this time they have found ont
how Barron's accounts stood, so as to come
To definite result.
An experienced bank officer saws that com
potent accountant could have taken the books
of the Dexter Savings Bank, and in a fort
night posted anew every entry made in them
from the beginning and asccrtained the oX-
act result. Certainly il could have been done
in month. But it has not been done in six
teen months.
Instead of this, the public have had first
one loose, partial statement, and then another
most or all of which turn out to have been
incorrect.
A detective was employed by advice of the
Attorney General and followed up the case
for months. He found traces of robbery, but
none of suicide. Where then, did the thee
ry of suicide originate? Apparently with the
officers of the bank.
Why did the President when notified of
Barron's death, and before he arrived at the
bank, suggest that he had committed suicide ?
Why did the bank officers after one detec-
tive had spent months on the case without a
hint or suspicion of suicide, send for two
other detectives, who after only a few days
investigation under the direction of the bank
officers, made public for the first time the
theory of suicide? Why did the same bank
officers employ an attorney to draw up Il long
and elaborate special plea to support the sui
eide theory, in which hundred minutia are
interviewer which had nothing to do with the
case, and other matters assumed which ex-
listed only in the imagination of an ingenious
lawyer? Why these persistent efforts to make
out case of suicide?
From all that yet appears, the bank has lost
nothing by Mr.. Barron. If there was Il def
cheney in his accounts, it was more than made
up by the $1,000 life insurance which the bank
has taken and appropriated from his life in
surance. Unless Barron was defaultcr, the
bank had no moral right to this money, what
ever may have been its legal rights 1t APP
pears that Mr.. b.. in his Observation-Disclosures
gave his note and an assignment Of his life
policy to secure the bank in part from loss on
loan made by authority of the Trustees.
Who would be an officer of bank if he was
held to responsibility for such losses as this?
have offered to make up the balance of the
loss to the bank by this loan.
But was Mr.. Barron a defaulter? First, it
was said that he had charged the purchase of
bond which had not been purchased But
OF this there is no evidence. Next the bank
officers made out deficiency of about 81 100
by carrying forward a balance on Mr.. BIS
books of $3.50 to the wrong side. This blum
der was detected by the present Bank Exam.
liner.
Now it is asserted that Mr.. b. made two
false entries in October, 1877, one of a pay
ment of $500 to Mrs. Crafts in her deposit
and the other Il loan of $3.50 to ID. X. Straw
and that in November following, these sum,
hot 4
tries, we are told, appear on the general ac.
count of the bank, but not on the cash ac.
count. Mr.. Straw and Mrs. Crafts both deny
having received the sums charged as paid
them. 1t must be acknowledged that these
entries have fraudulent look. We cannot
explain them. Mr.. Barron is not living to
explain them.
But it may be remarked, first that be
tween the October entries and the November
entries, the trustees examined into the cond
ton of the bank, and particularly the list Of
loans. If they did their duty, they had be
fore them the evidence of the Straw loan
whatever it was. Surely they did not credit
the treasurer with holding mortgage of S45C
WITHOUT soilc pTool VI H. III Is creu1Dle thai
Barron made false entry Of loan of $40
to gentleman well known, just before tho
trustees examination, unless he had the evil
dencc to show for it?
Secondly, if these entries were false, and
were made by Barron, why did he not secure
his Indebtedness to the bank by his note and
assignment of his life policy instead of Sc.
curing to the bank $1,000 that he did not owe
If he was defaulter, such course is totally
inconsistent with the idea of his sanity
Thirdly, these unexplained entries can
have little if any weight in sustaining the
theory of suicide, when it is admitted that the
bank held Barron's note for $1,000 that he
never had. Since he is dead and it does not
appear that the bank has lost by him, these
persistent efforts to blacken his memory
SAVIOR (do they not?) of malice.
A BANK MAN.
WOman's Wisdom.
''She insists that it is of more importance that
her family shall be kept in full health, than
that she should have all the fashionable
ctuIn NJ tha Sba 81