The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-04-29
LXPERT ACCOUNTANTS.
Who Enter Into Codspiracies to
Ruin Men,
Boston Courier.

falcatiOns and irregularities among
clerks, book-keepers and bank cashier:
which from time To time startle the
mercantile community, has given rise
to class of individuals known as ex
pert accountants, whose sole Occura
ton Is to examine books and detect
fraud. Some years ago this work wa:
performed by book-keepers who had
won a reput ton in their calling and
who were lent by their employers t.
different firms whose accounts had be-
come complicated. But in these
times of expensive living, when q
young man endeavOrs To support a
$4,000 establishment OH a 81, 900 sal.
airy, the tendency to violate the eighth
commandment is increasing to an
alarming extent. So the fraternity of
mathematical detectives came ia
vogue, and the fifty OF more account.
ants in this city are generally overrun
with business.
There is no doubt but that these ex
perts are invaluable TO merchants i'm
trouble, and their quick eyes and ac-
cuIate reckoning have often averted a
serious financial loss. Still, on the
other hand, the accountant, in his
Zeal to keep up his reputation, often
oversteps the limit of his authority.
Like the detective employed in the re.
cent Maybee murder case ON Long Is
land, who frightened an Innocent man
into confessing the crime in order that
he might demonstrate his skill as
ferret, so the accountant fees that he
must detect some irregularity in the
books he is called upon to examine,
or he is an uDskilIful expert.
An interesting case that is now
pending in this city is but one of
many instances where an accountant
forces an appearance of fraud to pre-
serve his reputation. The treasurer
of a certain corporation doing business
in this city employed an old friend as
salesman, placing in him implicit trust
and confidence The salesman was in
rather reduced circumstances, when he
entered the treasurer's employ, having
been unsuccessful in his business ca
reer from boy. He was taken in
the spirit OF charity, but he repaid his
friends kindness by gradually turning
the different directors against the
treasurer. Affairs went on, and the
salesman forced himself on to a CON-
mittee TO handle the finances, tor, as
he was not a success in selling goods,
the directors gave him a trial at tinaE-
ciering. Then, filled with ambition,
he aspined to the treasurer's chair and,
by series of underhand maneuvers
succeeded in obtaining this position.
But the end was not yet. The book
keeper of the corporation had been
derelici in his duties, and the books
were in a somewhat tangled position.
The new treasurer seized upon this as
a weapon to attack the retiring
official, and insinuated that some
fraua had been committed. So ex-
perts were employed and four tried
their skill, but found no IRE gularity,
when atlast one was secured who would
do his masters bidding. He was in
the employ of the new treasurer, who,
seeming by being bent on revenge. init
mated that it would be as well to find
some crookedness. For days he scan
ned the accounts, bat could find
nothing wrong. when the treasurer
told the expert that he the (treasurer)
had loaned the corporation a large
sum of money, which, although not
down ON the books, he informed the
accountant that the item must be
inserted in his report as money unac-
counted for. So, with no other
authority but the word of this tricky
treasurer, without the slightest in
dication on the books be was suppos-
ed to be examining of any such
transaction, he inserted the figures
given him by the treasurer, virtually
making out the former official a
defaulIer.
1t may be thought this is an isola-
ted case, and that the accountant was
an unprineipled person who had his
price. But, on the contrary. he is
one of the most prominent experts in
Boston /; he has been called into some
of the most noted cases of defalcation
that have occurred in this vicinity,
and has been employed by a many of
the leading merchants yet when he
learned that the suspected man had
but little influence, while the parties
who employed him were within to
pay for finding discrepancy, he did
not hesitate to manufacture one and
brand an innocent man with the title
of thief. There are enough instances
of deviation from the path of honesty
to be found in the community to-day,