Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-12-02
TRUST FUNDS.
An Impressive Warning TO the Danger
of Tampering with Trust Fsnds.


Whole fleets of merchant vessels enter
the harbor of New York every week,
and attract no attention; but if single
ship, either through bad steering, or
fog. or tempest, should be wrecked on
Sandy Hook, ii would be telegraphed
all over the country. So whenever a
single conspicuous church member be-
comes defaulter, the fact flies widely
over the wires and through the press.
Genuine Christianity is not harmed by
the occasional fall of individuals, who
while processing il, yet violate its plain.
| est precepts
Two or three defalcations have oc-
CURED recently which teach most in
structive lesson. One of them-that of
the distinguished banker in Portland,
Me-, was of the most painful character.
To those of us who knew and loved the
man, it was almost incredible. He was
eminent as financier. as q citizen, as
a generous philanthropist, and as a
leader in Sabbath-school, missionary
and cvangelistic enterprises. The
young men of Portland loved him;
everybody trusted him. On the Sab
bath he often offieiated as an eloquent
lay preacher in some church. So COM
plete was the confidence of his business
associates in his integrity that the
directors of his bank left to him the
control of its finances almost without
examination. The shocking discovery
came at last that for three or four years
he had been embezzling the funds of
the bank, and using them for his own
purposes in stock speculations! Two
months ago he was one of the most
honored and beloved men in Portland;
to-day he is in the penitentiary. His
heart-broken family are crushed under
blow which brings to them the tender
est and deepest sympathy of the whole
community.
Did Mr.. G-intend to steal the
money of that bank when he began to
use it without authority No; probably
not. He intended to return it after he
had profited by the use of it. So have
scores of other defaulterS whose names
viii readily occur to our readers But
the very first unauthorized touch OF a
dollar of trust-funds, under any cir
cumstances, is deadly poison. 1t is
like the prick of the dissecting-needle to
the doctor who is conducting a ''post-
norton" One drop entering the veins
sends death through the system. The
whole moral sense becomes poisoned.
From that moment onward the tamper-
er with the sacred trust becomes as COM
pletely enslaved as the man is who tam
pers with the brandy bottle.
An officer in one of our banks MANY
years ago purloined sum of money
not very large-to enable him to paw
for his small and modest house. Like
the Portland banker, he was man of
most exemplary private life. He told
me that he had not thought of keep
ing the money, but July expected and
intended to return every dime. But
everything went against him from the
moment that he touched that fatal
money. Having been detained from
his teller's desk for just one day, the
discovery came, and with it the wreck
of his character. The touch of trust
fund. even with no attention of theft,
had been deadly poison.
We can imagine the distress of man
who is conscious of the deception he is
practicing and of the danger that yawns
beneath him. Each day he hopes to
make q fortunate turn in his specula-
tons and be able TO replace the pur-
Joined money. Rnt tha rope swings
farther and farther off from him every
day as he stapds with outstretched
hands on hil Esdizzy ledge of rocks.
Providence, wlIeh never deserts true
and loyal Christian, deserts him. He
dies a thousand deaths in the dread of
detection, yet excuses himself to himself
constantly by the artful plea, ''When |
can 1 a0itL return the money"
This whole terrible business of tam
pering with trust funds has been SUBJ
ject of close and careful observation
with me for many years. have made
some study into individual cases. They
are all alike; they all prove that any
man who, with even the most sincere
intention to replace it, ever lays his
finger on one dollar of trust funds. COM
mits moral suicide. With the tenderest
pity do l write these sad lines in regard
to my ruined friend in Portland; but the
lesson ought to be solemnly studied and
needed by every Christian in the land,
as well as by every man of business:
RevlIe him not, the Tempter hath
A snare for all;
And plying tears, not scorn and wrath,
Befit his fall.
Req. Theodore L. Cuyley. in Nea0
Evangelist.