Los Angeles herald., 1891-10-30

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falcations in insurance offices of thil
city. Four such affairs have occurred
in the past few months. A peculiar
law suit arising out of the alleged
shortage in an insurance agency is the
suit of the New Zealand Insurance com
pany against George Bradbeer for re.
covery of money now on trial in the
superior court. This developed some
interesting points yesterday. Mr.. Brad
beer was the former agent of the COM
pany. The theory of the defense is that
the monies were not appropriated by
the defendant but by his bookkeeper, A.
f. Lawton. The prosecution intend to
show that Mr.. Lawton's accounts were
perfectly straight.
Hugh Craig, United States manager
of the New Zealand Insurance company,
testified that Bradbeer spoke in high
terms of Mr.. Lawton as clerk. This
was in 1890, when Bradbeer visited San
Francisco.
The following letter from Bradbeer to
Mr.. Craig was introduced in evidence
"Of late have studiously avoided re-
plying to your appeals for a remittance
from the Office until the burden have
been carrying has become greater than
can bear. Now comes the sequel. In
looking over Mr.. Lawton's accounts l
became convinced that something was
wrong, and found him short $3.50. [
Immediately went to my wife and asked
her counsel as usual. She replied that
Mrs. Lawton was about to become a
mother and should any serious trouble
overtake them it would result in injury
to her. The result was that we mort
gagged our home for 500 to paw up her
shortage. have just learned from fur
ther examination that he is still short
$500 and have made demand on him
for immediate payment. | feel that it
would be wrong in me to keep you in
ignorance of these matters. / will ask
you to be good enough to leave the mat
ter in my hand for adjustment, for in
securing the $500 unpaid it stands me
in hand to try and protect the item of
$3.50 also. Mr.. Lawtons' mother is in
Los Angeles now and has agreed with
her son to assist him. think I can
secure this matter in few days.
Mrs. Lawton has not improved or
rather recovered from her confinement
as nicely as could be wished and is not
able to be around much even now.
Their expenses are heavy at present and
Mr.. Lawton has not yet secured a
position"
The following is an extract from the
reply sent by Mr.. Craig, under date of
December 13, 1890: 81 note what you
have to say about Lawton. Your letter
has shaken my confidence in the man
agement at Los Angeles very materially.
To think that cashier in small one
horse Office like that of Los Angeles
could abstract $3.50 of the company's
cash and the manager know nothing
about it shows, at least, want of atten-
ton on your part. This man is one of
your own selection and has been receiv-
ing high salary, and there is no ex-
cuse for such condition of affairs"
A number of spicy kilograms were in
troduced. One sent on December 18th
to San Francisco, signed Bradbeer, is
quite contradictory of the report sent
out previously rejecting on Lawton.
1t is as follows: "Lawton still on paw
roll. His accounts straight so far as
checked up. Should l find anv discrep-
ancy will Immediately wire you"
On Decembrr 18th, Bradbeer tele-
graphed: "Cash account all checked nm
and has cash to balance the same.
Everything straight"
An amusing fact was brought out dur
ing the day. 1t was that while the books
showed that there should be $1,000 in
the safe, the Los Angeles Office had To
draw check for $40 to pay the running
expenses of the Office.