The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1881-07-20


chest and entered on the slate. That Representa-.
the stamps in the drNwer. From there the stamp
were sold, and record kept ON the slate until er
tered IN the Cash book. The unsold stamps wer
put in another safe under the clock. not the sam
box from which they were taken. There were tw,
padlccks and a main lock. and two KEYS to eacl
icot. The box was opened IN the morning and tk
KEYS would probably remain IN the locks al day
took stamps from that box and placed them II
the drawers Al the employees in the oisce tool
! stamps from that box, excepting the native
Andrew. Stamps unsold were put into the box un
der the clock, and the cash was put into the SAT,
Z with the combination loek. Sometimes the tians
fer froln the SLAVE to the caSA book was twice .
month, and sometimes once a month. During ths
wear referred 10 found discrepancies three o. foul
times between the slate and the cash drawer. Tbs
I aggregate amount Of difference was in tho neigh
borhood Of SlSe for The LAST year. callei the at
tention Of the postmaster General TO the TACT. lie
I said % me. "Who was likely 10 have tsken tht
I money! l told him thought il was Aadrew.
] gave HIM as nv reason that did not think his
I own SINS, Charley and Arthur would do It. he
Z was Of opinion Il not Andrew. Ee jsave his
2 reasons for thinking il was his son Charley. He
Z did not charge me with taking any money al
Y any time. The discrepancy OF Sl6O made good.
I / had conversation with the Posimaster-G General
] about making the amount Sood. As found the
dlsorepancics out made them god. The last
amount l missed was Ssl and l spoke to Mr.
/ Briokwood a: his residence about IL Miss Louisa
I Brentwood was present. then told him Of all
moneys had missed since took the position Of
first clerk Of lhe Post Office. /; referred 10 moneys
missed since September, 1878, to January. ISL
Z told him could not continue 30 make up looscs
Gny longer. / did not consider II fair to the Post
office 10 permit these discrepancies 70 oolr, and
not to say anything about Il. lie said, 1t was
too bad Tor me 20 pay all; II be had the money he
would give me $50" That would represent abou;
half Of what had made good. 1 took shN pack
ages OF stamps received from New York, from the
Post-ofhee 10 the Interior Department and then
reoeipted for them again and placed them in the
stamp safe, myself and the Chief Clerk Of the In
ehn
Interior Department and found them correct. 1t
vas done TO satisfy myself and the Chief Clerk. /
was not 81 the PoS;-ofice every day. ! was often
absent on account Of sickness was often absent
a week or ten DAYS ct time. In April, 1881, was
laid up On account Of sore ewes. ] had 10 be in a
dark room as much Us possible. l came down be-
tween six and seven O'Clock in the morning TO open
the Office and on one or two Instances ] came
down in the evening. Nv daily routine was to be
IN the office at O'Clock, or few minutes after.
waited till s o'clock. when Mr.. BrickwOod would
come; would then 80 to breakfast. usually
went up 20 his house. STAYED there tall quarter 10
nine. and walked up 70 school with his daughters,
returning TO the Office about nine to quarter past.
would then remain IN the Office until lunch time.
The business c.osed at O'Clock, except on Tues
days and then at 40. Mr.. BrickwoOd was absent
two or three DAYS from sickness during the twelve
months. ] WAS present when Mr.. Peterson made
an examination Of the books. rendered him all
the assistance II my power sen: the stamps to the
Postmasters IN the other Islands IN tin box.
Arthur BrickEood sent stamps 10 the other islands
on several occasions. Mr.. PascOe was the only one
who made entries in the Cash book besides myself.
l continued the system previously adopted 10 the
end of the biennial period ending March 81, 1880:
was then altered by orders from the Minister OF
the Interior. The new set of books was opened in
April. ISL. During the year had DR.. Rodgers as
medical attendant.
CroSs-examined. Mr.. Joseph Carter examined
the books and suggested the alteration IN the sys
ten. The first time missed money was a short
time after went IL the office. l then had 500
y - .maN
drawer amounts ranging from $40 to $50 at diff
ferent times. / do not know whether the 500
stolen was in gold, silver, or notes l then told
HIM Mr. B. thought 1t was Andrew. Il was at
another conversation Ire said he thought 1t was
Charley. He also said "you might as well accuse
Charley as Andrew During April / was down
every morning between and o'clock. I con-
templated leaving the country about that time in
the Frltia5Hrr. / made the account up for the
nrst three months of the present biennial period.
1 VAS instructed by Mr.. HaSsinger in December TO
make up my stamp account told him / wo1ld
do 80. but did not. IL was on account OF not re
csiving the accounts from the other postoficss. l
did no. report any discrepancies 70 the Minister Of
Interior until after the investigation commenced.
The keys OF the stamp box were not In my sole
possession. old not count cash every night. l
ALWAYS counted cash on Wednesday mornings. |
never took account of stock, only IN June, 1880.
cid not suppose ary one would take the stamps
count Of my eyes. ! got Mr.. BrlckwoOds son to
count the American stamps FOX me- never
noticed that the slate had been tempered with
By the Court always placed the amount Of
STAMPS on the slate myself never noticed that
my figures had been altered When the cash was
short, my only check the slate. When the
cash was not put in the large safe, 1t was put in
another strong boz. of which had one key and
Mr.. BrickwoOd the other. $40 So or so would
be put il the small safe at time l can see
now that a robbery could have occurred during
the dsy time. What ! missed, was money and not
stamps.
r. T-r,-. ,,s- +,,l- -, s.,,,rrt IF Stan,r,-
1 never kept books IL this manner before never
kept books by double entry before went IN the
postoitice.
DR.. Rodgers. 1 know defendant. The last pro- /
fesslonsl service be had from me vSs IN March, I.
1881. and previously for one and half years The
most serious attack vas IN March, ISL He was I
too sick to do any work.
Louisa Brickwood: ! know defendant / have I
lived with my father during the past year. saw 4
Dubois CT the house l remember conversation [
about deficiency Of stamps and money from post I
o.5ee. IN December, and Dubois said to my father,
= There was money missing. and Mr. Dubo's also 4
said be had made II up. He complained Of having /
10 make II up himself he said he was tired of |
making up deficiencies Eir- Dubois had spoken 4
to father before. He M Dubois Wis a frequent
visitor and on pleasant relations with the family.
Father did not accuse Mr.. Dubois Of taking the /
deficiency.
J. A. Bassineer recalled: Ny instructions were,
that he give me 4 quarterly return OF stamps. His
only explanation was. he could make them up in
e few minutes and would let me have them, but he
never did 50. The cash account was not kept IN
such ? way as 1 wished He said he was keeping
tie books correctly, and he thought there would
b no difficulty with them.
A p BrickEood recalled: The conversation
referred 70 on my veranda WIS for money stolen
shortly after D1bois Joined the Office.
This closed the evidence
Mr.. Dole, in addressing the jury in defercs Of
he prisoner, slid that this WZs not conf lclted
,ase, but simple one The ways of dong the
oostoflce business had been 50 fully explained
h. -nn=rrhe ri rid 7-ra-S-1ud the
lpsr1Hii. he asked them 70 keep IN mind that
MS defendant had not the custody OF money from
be Interior Department any more than any ether
ll1plcyee Of the posfotlce- The large safe, Win
he combination lock, they Rad little 10 do with,
11t the stamp safe had duplicate keys 70 all the
ocks, and kept on string always IN the postotace
md at the opportunity Of everybody IN the cihce.
According to the RoStmaster-Jenerai Is staten mt
KEYS we're lying loose IN drawers all the day and
FEVER locked The KEYS we're no more II the Gus
Ody OF the defendant than goods IN g store are II
he sole enarEe Qf one OF tue clerks Is Il not nee
.sssry 70 prove who II WAS ShO took tne money.
he Government cannot selsct a scapegoat 10
uffer for a tkefi- Some one has taken this money,
nd the defendant has been selected to satisfy the
l1blic good The Indictment says he did receive
,srtain large SUNS of money and did frz1duiently
TnbezZle the said money. Inc witnesses snow
'Ou thSs not dollar OF cent Is missing Stamps
re not uoaey- 50 that part Of the indictment has
Utterly failed The Only way 70 show the matter
.p vas TO take the books and show that stamps
7ers missing and 10 MONEY That Is Sufficient TO
nd this caSe- Defendant testified there had been
iscTeRneies- II the slate had been IN sole charge
{ the defendant, II world have been sufficient, but
ny member Of that Office could take stamps and
mar on that slate without cheek. The Govern
1ent only vas responsible for such loose system
"A standing temptation to steal was rotten state
Z Affairs. bat which cannot be charged on this de-
endant The defendant went 10 tie Inferior De
'srtment and had packages Of stamps counted,
which shOxed vigilance OF his part The learned
oansal referred to the occasional sbsence Of the
'ostmester-G General foE ten OF fifteen minutes