The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-12
N. M. NEELD'S DEFALCATION.
His Rascality a Topic Of Conversation
in Chicago Financial Circles.
Hints of Alleged Dishonesty in Connection
with the Burning Out of the Firm in This
City-Statement from Mr. E. E. Barnard.

CHICAGO Oct. IL The flight of Nathan NJ.
Neeld is the only matter tasEed of in financial
circles. The moro the matter of the embezzle-
tnent is stirred up, the more sensational it be-
comes Mr. Wheeler, the president of the
Continental National Bank, says: $50 far as the
liability of the Board of Trade is concerned
when it makes house regular, it is generally
considered and acknowledged that no liability
whatever attaches to them. The foundation of
oil business is commercial integrity, and when
these conditions are violated or disrupted in any
way, as in the case in point, individual losses
follow and confidence is more or less shaken.
But, happily, these cases are rare"
Among the insurance agents there is new
phase of Neeld's record which is being talked of
among them. just before the removal of
the firm here, there was a fire at
indianapolis, and the insurance companies paid
losses aggregating $500, ,OOO The companies
paid the losses promptly and with thetrnoney
the firm moved here. After the fra there was a.
little muttering of the men concerned as to Tie
amount Of stock destroyed. Neeld presented all
the agents with scarfpins representing boar's
head with largo diamond eyes. Said one agent
this morning ''l was always ashamed to wear
that pin. paid the losses of my company hon
estly, and did not put any faith in the rumors
that were ahoat at Indianapolis but am dead
certain that that house had been cleaned out be-
fore ever that fire occurred"
Regarding the statement as to the Indianapo
lis fire, the newspaper printing it contains, this
evening, the following
To the Editor.
noticed in your paper of this date a statement re.
garding the fire of j. G. Ferguson & Co., in Indanapo
lis, in February, 1881, wherein it vas stated that
some Insurance agents were talking now about that
fire in connection with their present troubles. AS our
firm placed that line of insurance feel it my duty to
correct the impression that has gained ground. The
firm of j. G. Ferguson & 90. had their packinghouse
in indianapolis destroyed by fire in February 1881
when it full of hog products, and many tierces
on the platform as6 in the yard. A committee
of insurance men was appointed to adjust the loss
every one Of whom WILL think, say it was an honest
loss and that Mr. Neeld handled the salvage invoice
in satisfactory manner and sold it to Chicago and
Cincinnati parties at good round figure The adjust
at the conclusion. Mr.. Need said in joking way
1T was big pork deal and he didn't want the
mittee to forget It," Whereupon he ordered six gold
wild boars made with diamond eyes, and presented
them to the committee. Large oaks from little
acorns grow, and the time to kick man is when he
is down. +. E. BARNARD.
President Nash, of the Corn Exchange Bank
at Nav York, is here, simply looking into the
methods of the fraud. It. may make a differ
ence in the chance of prosecution and recovery
whether the receipts were fraudulent from the
start, or whether the receipts were all right in
the beginning, but the goods removed later
Nobody believes that Neeld took much money
with him.
The members of N. NJ. Neeld's immediate
household have not yet recovered from the
terrible disclosures Of Saturday Neither of the
Ferguson brothers was to be yesterday,
and although Mr.. Howard has left New York,
he had not arrived in town at an early hour last
evening. A friend of the resident members of
the firm is authority for the statement that the
Ferguson brothers knew nothing of the fearful
gravity of Neeld's offense until Saturday morn
ing. when they received the information but a
trifie in advance of the general public Since
then they have been utterly unable to even take
the first steps towards solution of the
volyed, and nothing whatever in that lire has
been done They intend, as soon as possible
TO take the necessary steps in that direction but
nothing can be done prior to the arrival of and
a consultation with Mr.. Howard So far AS any
one outside the family knows ncthirg has been
heard from Neeld or his wife since their hurried
departure Thursday night for the East
After meeting OF the bankers, who are the
principal sufferers it was decided to prosecute
Neeld to the bitter end The Bank of British
North America engaged the services of W. A
Pinkerton. aud two operatives left Saturday for
Toronto Quebec and Montreal. The fugitive is
in position from which he cannot we'll escape
His cffense Is not extradita5e, but the Bank Of
British North America is O Canadian institution,