St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-03-20
The Chamber of Commerce
Goes Over the Old Subject
of Poor Gas.
st. Andrews Society Social
and Hop--Kicks at Street
Car Service.
Summary Of the Doings OF
One Day Gathered From
ALI Sources.
SHORT IN HIS ACCOUNTS.
Caleb p. Birchall's Books inul-
cate That He Was a Defauiter
70 Como EytRnt

Caleb p. Birchall's Books inul-
cate That He Was a Defauiter
to Some Extent.
Short in his accounts.
That is the explanation of the sud
den disappe arance March l of Caleb +.
Birchall. manager Of the retail depart
ment of the Lehigh Coal and Iron COM
pany, of this city.
Inst how much of the company S
money Birchall got away with has not
vet been computed. That his cash &C
count will not balance by considerable
amount is painfully apparent. otill tne
officers OF the company. VINO are lnVes-
tigating the affair, seem 10th to make mi;
public anything relating to IL. lhey
admit, with some hesitaney, that col
lectiOns to the amount OF. several nun,
drpds of dollars cannot be accounted
for. and state that it will take about SIX
weeks more to complete the IN
yestigation now in progress. a
dav or two after Birchall dISap-
peared. the company took hold OF his
t HU1 oyerhauling. There was an
able-b0died suspicion in the minds OF
the investigators that their work would
result in clearing up the mystery sur
rounding Birchall's unceremonious
leave-taking. Statements OF account
with the company'S retail customers
were prepared, and a corps of collectors
engaged to turn up the shortage, II one
existed. by comparing the statements
of account with the customers re-
ceipts. This work has been going on
for one week. The collectors have not
vet been able to call upon more than
one-ffth of the company'S retail Gus
toners. The result of their labors up
to date may be summarized III a rev
words. Burchalls cash account, IS
shy by nearly 81, coo. This much ana no
more will the officers OF the company
admit If, as some of them surnliSe VIII
be the case, the variance between the
statements of account as shown by the
books and receipts which customers
have in their possession is proportion
ate to the amount indicated by the first
weeks work of the collectors, thenthe
shortage will probably run into the
thousands. At present, however, no re-
liable figures can be given and the mere
statement that shortage exists covers
the case.
HE CAN CLAIM CREDIT.
1t appears that BirchalfS arrange
ment with the company relative to re-
enumeration included a lucrative salary,
as well as a commission on the retail
business. To a representative OF the
GLOBE all officer of the company SAID
yesterday:
Little can be said at this time re-
garding the matter. Not until the in
Vestigation is completed can we tell just
how things are, and it will take several
weeks more to cover the ground. Nor
do feel warranted in charging Birchall
to be defaulter, although there APP
pears on the surface to be shortage.
1t is Just like this. Birchall can claim
credit to the amount OF his commiS-
SiOnS, which have not yet been COM
puted, and this may be sufficient to
cover the delinquency i'll his cash ac-
count. TO tell the truth, we have been
expecting him to put in an appearance
here almost at any moment, and for that
reason the investigation has been some
what DELAYED. AS matter of fact, we
have not vet opened his private cash
box. There may be money ill it, and
perhaps it does not contain anything OF
value. 1t will, of course, be opened II
Birchall does not return soon. The
amount of the shortage so far as dis
covered | am not at liberty to state.
That is all there is to say on the sub
ject;" and with this the reporter was
dismissed.
The rumor is current, in fact it is
common talk among BirchalPS former
associates, that he managed to get
away with nearly all the private
means of his wife. What truth, if any,
there is in this report those in posi-
ton to know decline to state, and
Birchall himself is not on the ground to
clear himself of the imputation. The
one endcavor seems to be to shield
Birchall as much as possible, and it is
doubtful if the amount of his defalca-
ton is ever known, except those who
must suffer by it.