Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-05-15

that.
Q. You say you are the custodian Of the
public funds Of the city of Richmond.
want to know how they were kept.
Mr.. Childrey then repeated the question
"How they were kept--during Office
hours?" They were kept in drawer until
counted at night. There were two side
drawers
Q. Any locks on those drawers?
A. No. sir-Ayes. there was lock on
Mr. Grymes's, but he didn't have any key
to it.
Q. How many persons had access to that
drawer?
A. Well, when any Of us wanted ch.nge
we could go in il, but when Mr.. Grymes
wanted TO leave the room some one would
work his desk.
q. How many?
A. He got Mr.. Reynolds.
THAT was one,h said the prisoners
counsel You worked it-that's two.
Mr. Grymes-that's three.
Who else worked it9 Who else went
into it to take out change?
ANY ONE GOT GRANGE.
"Well," replied Mr.. Childrey again, in
his deliberate and rather perplexed man.
ner. there was no objection to any one
going in there to get change"
q. Well, how many were therep
A. There was Dir. Craig, Mr. Greenhow,
Mr.. Reynolds. myself. and young Mr. Rey-
holds at his (Grymes's) solicitation.
O. There were six persons who went in
there to get change!
A. They generally notified me when
they. were going, there, Just as he would
notify Mr. Reynolds or MIR. Greenhow.
Q. Suppose he (Grymes) was out of the
office-during that time there were five
who vent into his drawer What time
did he go TO dinner and how long did he
stay there?
A. He generally went at / o'clock re-
Gently and stayed about two hours.
During that time there were only one or
two IN there at time.
q. When money was paid for these gas
bills how many persons received the money
that entered it on Grymes's book?
A. Mr. Grymes, Mr.. Reynolds recently,
and myself.
DID ONE RECEIVE AND ANOTHER ESTER2
Q. Didn't anybody else receive payment
! besides YOU twop
A. No. sir no one that know Of
q. Did the person who received the pay
ment always enter it on the book or some
| times one receive another enter?
A. 1t was very seldom the case. | have
no recollection.
O. Was il not the case that the money
would sometimes be paid to Mr.. Grymes
and Mr.. Reynolds would enter it on the
book? Didn't you testify at the Police
| Court that that was done?
A. | have no recollection of any such
thing.
o. Well, isn't 1t factthat 1t was done2
A. Not that know of.
q. Did il always happen that the same
man who receipted the bill entered it on
the book?
A. That was the general custom.
Q. Now, Mr. Childrey. will you look on
| the book of the 9th and tell me how many
! different perEons made entries on that
| book of the receipts. / mean how many
| different persons.
A. Three.
Q. Are they clearly defined.
A. Yes, sir, clearly defined.
THE CASH WAS OVER.
@. Do you remember whether your cash
was over or short on that day on Grymes's
book?
| A. The cash was over S5.55.
| O. Was the business of your Office very
| heavy? Did mistakes often occur2
A. Mistakes occurred some times, like in
oil Offices.
@. Very often2
A. No oftener than IN banks. The cashier
| in a bank hardly ever settles up to cent
every day, they tell me.
| At this Major Stringfellow smilingly re-
marked: Il have been the director of
bank for twenty-five years, and that 10 not
| my experience"
Q. Three days in five didn't your cash
come ont wrong?
A. No, sir; don't think it was as often
| as that.
Q. Suppose you look at that cash-settle-
ment book and see.
| MAYORS REPORT SENT FOR.
At this iuncture Commonwealth's-Attor-
/ Il. \. E..w
| the Mayors report.
When Mr.. Childrey looked at the books
he read the amounts of the shortages for
the different days as follows: 10th, 81
cents short; 18th. 10 cents short; 18th,
| even; 18th. even; goth. 80 cents short (;
2lst. S1.49 short; 23d, Si.62 over; oath,
S5.A over; 25th, Ss.l0 short; 26th, even.
The counsel then put other puzzling in
terrogations 10 the witness, who finally
said to Major Stringfellow:
If you had TO run that book, Major,
take in the money and give change in a
hurry that we do, think that you would
be short. too"
There is no doubt about it," said the
Major, laughing, and Captain Wise re-
marked: " 1t IS the most natural thing In
the world"
When Mr.. Chldrey was asked If there
was an account on the Auditors book with
the Treasurer he replied " never look in
the Auditors book. have never been IN
there to look dozen times. My place is
out Of the Auditors Office"
O. Who made the account OF the deh-
ciencies?
A. Mr.. Grymes would come 20 me and
ask me to give him a check of the amount,
and the majority of times he would pay 1t
back. Sometimes, of course, L might make
mistakes as well as he did.
Q. You gave the check in the first in-
stance, and he would pay il back where
the mistakes were on his book?
| A. Yes, sir quite often.
CAME TO HELP GRYMEs.
"Mr. Childrey," said MIR. Smith, young
Mr.. REYNOLDS has been alluded TO. by
whose employment Is he in that office ?"
A. He is not in there by my employment.
Mr.. Grymes had him there time and again
helping him. | had no objection. He was
very competent. as far as | knew.
Mr. Childrey was then cross-questloned
closely regarding the cash.book. he SAID
that this was correct to the dollar.
o. Did that Thalhimer bill go to the
credit of the city Of Richmond. Did they
get that money!
| A. Why certainly not.
o. There are four bills aggregating S64
that the city didn't get. How did it hap
pen that the cash-settlement book came
out all r1ghtI VINO made tnat upF wen,
how could they balance to u cent every
dav If that money was never put on the
Treasurers book? mean if this money
e64-was put in the cash-drawer ond they
failed TO enter it on the Treasurer's book
how would your cash stand at the end oi
that day
Mr.. Childrey had some difficulty in giving
clecr and satisfactory response TO these
interrogations and seemed rather eyaslve-
50 much so, in fact, that Mr.. Smith said:
"You will get along faster if you answer
"fhe cash ought to stand S64 over.
couldn't see IT,"
Sir. Childrey seemed so hard to obtain
direct information from that MIR. Smith
remarked that the court was not under
taking any investigation OF the witness
himself but was trying Grymes.
o. You say your cash would be S64 over
Who made up the cash-settlement book
and deposit of that day?
A. Mr.. Grymes.
THEY DIFFERED.
A dispute arose at this point concerning
the cash-settlement book and the blotter
which somehow got rather mixed up IN the
minds of some of the lawyers, although
the two taken separately threw quite dit
ferent light on the case.
Captain Wise undertook TO question Mr.
Childrey for the purpose OF showing ina
|, Mr.. Smith had been mistaken IN some Of
| h;s rap,arka hut the JudQe remarked.