, 1880-10-17
ESCOTT'S PLIGHT.
Tho Case of the Defnultfng Canadian
Cashier In Jail Here for Debt.

Tho Case of the Default1ng Canadian
Cashier In Jni1 Here for Debt.
A reporter yesterday paid visit to Mr.. Mat
thew H. Escott, the defaulting Cashier Of the
Canada Investment and Agency Company, Of
Montreal. Canada, who has, for the last six
months bccn an occupant OF the debtors de-
partmcnt of tho County Jail, through prosecu-
ton instituted on the 10th of last April by the
Company mentioned. It will be remembered
that Mr. Escott was arrested at the Palmer
House last April and lodged In jail On a charge
Of debt, his financial shortcomings to his lnto
employers amounting to $l7,840. He ac-
knowledgcd having taken the money, but
claimed that it had been stolen from him on
the cars while journeying to Chicago. The man
ner In which he gained possession OF the funds
did not constitute an ofense upon which he
coul be extradited, and thus it was that tho
Com pany proceeded against him simply as its
debtor. The prisoner about the middle Of May
made an Intellectual attempt TO get Tree upon
technical grounds connected with the manner
Of his arrest, but Judge Barnum rcmanded him
to Jail, ana there he has renained since last
April. - nn, nn,nrr,-p r,a,ortcr
that he had learned Of the Canada Companys
lawyers paying into the Sherif's Office a sum
sufficient to pas his board for the next twenty
eight weeks, and he agreed that, whatever N as
evident TINT they intended to take the fullest
the Inso1vent Debtors act, and to Keep
him in jail during their pleasure.
He acknowledged that the prospect
WINS anything but an agreeable one, and was IN
clincd to believe that tho Company were per.
scouting him in an unwarrantah1e manner. He
eaid thnt they might be actuated by desire to
force him to surrender funds which they believed
he etill had in his possession, or perhaps by a
wish to make OF him q terrible example for
other Canadian cashiers. However this might
be- he insisted TINT he had no money at oil, and
certainly would not be able to gain his liberty
by surrendering any. His health, he said, was
very good, the debtors apartments tn the Jail
being clean, airy, and comfortable, and 1t WIS
only the loss Of bis liberty and absence from bis
wife and children which tended to make bis LII
miserable.
The claim that he has no money can hardly be
literally true, rs during his confinement in the
Jail the prisoner has never been obliged to i've
on the fare provided by the county for its pris-
oncrs. The jail grocer keeps stock OF choice
provisions on hand for such Us can afford to pay
for them. and, with the aid Of, little cooking
stove Esso.t has managed to serve himself with
meals far above the aT eraQo quality.
The prospect which 6tares the prisoner ~ the
face is not u pleasant one. Not being able to
take advantage OF the provision Of the act
which enables un iusolyent debtor to "schedulo
out; that ia, to swear that he Is not
able to pay any portion OF the dept
tor which he ia liable, fear Of prosecution Tor
perjury probably deterrfng Escott from seeking
release in this way. he is entirely at the mercy
OF his creditor. In such cases says the act "11
the plaintiff will advance the jail fees and beard
in the mannar hareinbafore provided tpayunent