New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-26
1T MAY REACH a MILLION.
VARIOUS COMPANIES AFFECTED By ]. A.
MoORE'S DEFALCATION
ATTRIBUTING HIS TROUBLES TO SOME STATE
LEGISLATION oN-sPEoULATIoN IN NEwYoRK
HE DECLARES THAT HE WILL NOT
PIN AWAV
TBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TKIBuxE.j !

RUN AWAY.
GBr TELEGRAPH TO THE rEBUSE.l
indianapolis, Jan. 25.-The defalcation OF Jo-
seph A. Moore is much larger than the estimate
last night. Half million dollars is the amount
of his stealing from the Connecticut Mutual Life
Insurance Company alone. He banded money
for dozen or more other companies. and was
trusted with funds for investment by number
of capitalists. The amount of his pccnlauons
will Lot be accurately known for some time put
10 may reach 81 900, ,000 He remains at his
hons in this city, and declares that be VIII
neither run away nor commit suicide reporter
of The indianapolis News" succeeded In lndue-
ing servant to convey to him this morning
note that it would probably be greatly to his
interest to make statement regarding some OF
the rumors that were in circulation about his
affairs. In reply he gave orders TO admit the
reporter. He was found in a darl1snsd room, ly-
ing upon the bed, apparently in great distress
He was told that IL was reported that 100000
placed in the care Of his safety derosit company
by indianapolis people had been lost. lie was
emphatic in declaring that the rumor was false
and that his ruin would bring no loss to citizens
Of indianapolis.
When did your financial troubles begnn' ne
was asked.
Iney QdUo pdck 10 utUc HiOfc tnoh ~-'
aro. In 1879 a law was passed prohibiting for
eign corporations from bringing suit in the FEDERAL
Court That destroyed my business just be-
fore that a short time, had gone into bankruptcy
and an intimate friend, who had indorsed my
paper, was heavy loser. 1 always considered
that was IN nor bound TO repay him. and u
was in an attempt 20 do that that my present
financial troubles really began. had no business
and yet had heavy running expensesand at the same
time was striving to repay my friend money ne had
lost by me- Then there was another cause Oh
anxiety that almost drove me insane. had lent
great sums Of money for the company i repre-
sented taking real estate security After the
panic the borrowers were unable 10 pay OF the
mortgages and property fell back on our hands
Il had depresiated greatly in value. felt myself
more or less at fault in having placed the loans so
badly, though in reality / had done the best
could. was extremely sensitive on this point
saw the company losing thousands OF dollars on
investments that had been made on my iudg-
ment All these things piled upon me, and, as
time passed on, grew more and more burdensome.
Many a time 1 felt as though L should lose my
mind. 1 was beset ON every side and felt bound
10 do something 10 retrieve myself. and yet there
was nothing 1 could do
AT this time went TO Eew-Yort ond began to
speculate in stocks. bad fair sue
ones too, and made some money; but
whenever | came back here I lost my head
and everything went wrong Matters grew worse
and worse, and strive as ! would, | could not
turn tho current in any other direction. i spread
out in my business and tried various things.
Ny investment in the Desk Manufacturing Com
pany was n success and Is now proving highly
profitable
"How extensive were your sreculatiOns in
stocks?
II prefer NOT no talk concerning them. win
say that l did speculate and that that has some
thing 20 do with my failure. Whenever i carried
on my operations in person at New York, j
did well, but tho hour I came back hem, my
mind became confused, and everything 1 did
brought loss. My mind has been in a morbid
state for years and AZ times am certain have
been on the verge Of insanity. All the time,
too. / had 30 keep mp appearances and not allow
my business here 70 run behind. No ono onn
imagine the bardens and anxieties that / have
borne for tho last eight years
Tho companies for which Moore was an agent
in INDIANAPOLIS were the German American Of
New York. Firemen's Fund Of California, Han
over OF New-YoFs, City Of London, lmperial Of
London. Winslow, Lanier & Co, Of New York,
ara his correspondents. He represents J. d j.
Goodwin, bankers, OF Hartford. Dwight e. Terry,
OF bridgeport, capitalists, transacted business
through him. lie has agents in every county in
the State. How fnr his failure affects any Of
these concerns it viii be difficult at present 10
ascertain. Deeds TO all Of his property, which he
were hled for record to-day. The trustee who
axes charge OF the affniTs OF the Connecticut Nut
nal is Winfield Miller, OF Missouri. w NJ Ab-
bott secretary OF the insurance company, is still
here continuing tho investigation, but be Is sure
that his company's loss will not be more than
100000.