New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-05-06
THE COURTS.
A PECULIAR STORY IN COURT.

W. p. BURCHELL FINDS THAT HE HAS SUIT
on HIS HANDS.
queer story is told by William p. Burchell. Of
No. 2s1 Hooper-str Brooklyn in the suit brought In
the Supreme Court by Thomas F. Norton and George
f. Weyl against Henry Dater jr, Charles r. Watson
and Burchc, to more than $4,000 alleged to
have been stolen from the plaintiff by the defendants
Norton g. Weyl were coffee merchants and were mem
bers Of the Coffee Exchange In June, 1887 Burchell
became contract clerk in the firms Office and at that
time the junior member Of the firm was named Bevan'
In affidavit which Burcheu has made and when
put before the court yesterday, he says that III
May, 1858, Mr. Norton introduced him to Dater'
The latters father had requested Mr. Norton to take
young Dater under his supervision and 90 what nc
could for him. Mr.. Norton promised to do So ana
turned Dater to Burchell. BurcheI represehteu
the firm in the Coffee Exchange, and Dater VINO oe
came member of the Exchange, was with Burcnen
good deal. Burche says that Dater dld not uiiuer
stand the business but he began transactions IN conee
nevertheless. lie did not do business with his own
capital however, according to BurchePs story Du1
carried all his transactions the credit oil norton
d Weyl with the assistance of Durchell and watson,
the latter of whom Norton e WeyPs booKKeeper.
When Dater began his transactions he went TO Burche
and had him sign his orders on the name OF norton
& weyl These orders had to be intorsed by mem
Der of the firm, and BurcheH induced
Mr. Bevan, who was the junior member
of the firm and not acquainted with the methods OF
business the Exchange TO indorse these oruerS as
though they were made by the firm. Burchell ana
Watson thus manipulated the books so that the iact
that Dater trading the firms credit did not be-
come known to the members Of the firm. Ihs sort OF
thing went on until Daer became indebted to the ex-
tent of $780, This the state Of affairs In june
1885, when the price of coffee suddenly dropped sew
eral cents pound. Dater was a heavy loser ana
his losses amounted To $1,000 Burchel became
scared and told Dater that he must take some steps
to make good his losses. Dater said that ne had
property In New-Jersey which he would sell ana pay
the amount He did not do so, however, and on June
IA. $780, he was short Ss,575. In the meantime
BurcheT had kept private memorandum OF all Da'erS
losses lie sent statement Of the account 10 Dater
and the statement fell into the hands OF Daers olo1er
in-law Finally it came to the knowledge Oh the nrm
and they made an investigation and discovered tndt
Dater with the assistance of Burche and watson had
traded on the firms credit to the extent Of nearly
S11 600 Burcheu has confessed the part he took In
the transactions and furnished the firm with copy
of the private memoranda he had made The nrm tor
the purpose of having the contents OF these private
memoranda nut in sworn testimony wanted 10 eA-
anime Burcha before trial. and they secured an ouer
for that purpose Dater's attorney Is now uS my "
get that order set aside, and motion mdue iol Oae
purpose was argued before Judge Lawrence, III tne
supIsme Court, Chambers, yesterday. DECISION Was
reserved upon that motion. Dater denies aDsoIuleIy
the charges by the plaintiffs, even In the tace Oh
the confessions Of BurcheL