The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-01-22
Gambling Makes Embezzlers.

Gambling Makes Embezzlers.
A short time ago read an article in a
popular daily paper, published in one of the
prominent cities of this state. which as.
serted that society would be surprised if it
knew the large number of embezzlements
that occur annually and never become pub
lie. the matter, says the writer. being gen.
orally settled by the friends of the guilty
party making the embezzlement good; and
on account of the high standing. ETC., of
interested parties the law is not allowed to
take its course, and the matter is quietly
hushed up.
will not stop to inquire into the proba-
bility of the foregoing, but will say that if
the article was the work of an imaginary
brain it was. in my opinion. a very good
conjecture, for several cases of a relative
nature have come under my own Observa-
ton, one of which l will mention.
In an Eastern city there resided. a few
years ago. young man who arrived at his
majority with the most brilliant prospects
before him. He was the son of poor but
respectable parents; he had received more
than an ordinary education. and commanded
the esteem of the entire community. After
laying aside his studies he was engaged by
a large mercantile firm as a collector. On
account of his good habits and the reputa-
tion of his immediate relatives the most ex-
plicit confidence was placed in him; but,
Notwithstanding that he daily handled large
sums of money belonging to the firm, his
salary was small. His duties brought him
in contact with all classes of people; and
among other places he visited quite fire.
quently was Turf exchanges" Bucket
Shops" etc. Time rolled on and at the end
of year his greatest ambition was to be
a speculatOr. But one thing stood between
him and his ambition, and that was, lack of
a capital to begin operations. However,
he succeeded in laying aside small portion
of his salary. and. as starter. he COM
menced "playing the races" His efforts
met with marked success for a time; but
as he become better Informed on the run
ming qualities of EOrses, strange to say, his
luck failed him, and instead of adding to
his already small capital it dwindled away
until none of it remained. Well, to make
a long story short, he thought he had a
''cinch" one day. and he. like many other
brilliant young men. yielded to temptation.
and converted some of his employers
money to his own use. But the ''Sure
thing" failed to materalize in this instance.
and as result he found himself short in his
accounts. He soon found a way to cover
up his tracks. however, and the saying.
"Once take but single wrong step, and
you cannot be sure to what it will lead you" :"
held good in his case. for he continued to
appropriate the firms money. and he did
pof find untiI too 10 to hot hic r.,citior
a critical one-where, Ito stand still was
impossible; to retreat would be ruin. and to
advance would be destruction" The loose
business methods employed by the firm al
lowed him to continue on in his unlawful
practices until, imperceptibly. he had
sQuandered over one thousand dollars. The
inevitable disclosure soon followed; his
father was enlightened on the matter and
Immediately entered into negotiations with
the firm. who were disposed to be lenient
with their erring employe. The father SET
tied the difficulty by paying the amount en-
beZZled and the young man was forthwith
discharged. Although no publicity was
given to the matter, he knew he had blasted
the long anticipated hopes of his par
ents, and. being no longer able to look them
in the face. he determined to leave the
home of his childhood and youth. His steps
WcI0 OuCCCcu III WColOllv ulCCOiOus WAOlO
he trusted he would be able to redeem the
fatal mistake Of his life. But he soon found
that man without character was only
thing that floated with the current-an
echo, not voice. He drifted further and
further away from the teachings he had re-
ceived at his mothers knee, and to-day,
cloathed in the garb of felon, he may be
found wearing his life away in one of our
western penitentiaries. where he is pointed
at as verifcation of the assertion that ed
ucation is not preventative of crime"
Now here was young man who had
been raised in pure and moral atmosphere;
who stood at the threshold of manhood an
honest man, and in less than two years was
a criminal After all. who is really to
blame for his downfall? You may call 1t