The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-05-04
PERCIVaL'S METHODS.
How the Auburn Cashier Is Said to
Have Manipulated Affairs.

LEWISTON, May 3.-There is little that is
new in regard to the affairs of the Shoe and
Leather Bank of Auburn. The bank exam
liner denies that he is authority for a state
ment that the shortage would be S16O,0OO.
When that statement was made the condi-
.tion Of the bank was figured out from the
facts of the case which have been made pub
lie, as follows:
With a $4,000 bond, $53,CcO in surplus and
undivided profits, and the $40.0C0 in securi-
ties and funds made over by Mr.. Perciyal,
the shortage would not be excessive. The
bank has further the claim upon the $25,Cco
life insurance and the real estate of the ex-
cashier. 1t is understood that $45,CCo of the
life insurance was held as collateral in some
OF Mr.. Percival's other transactions and is
not available to the bank. Much of the real
estate, for evident reasons of not dissimi-
lar nature, is not Immediately available to
the bank, particularly If Mr.. PercivaPs es-
and and IN life Insurance. rs IS Sear By sta IsouS
val.
Concerning Mr.. Percivaps methods the
Journal says:
Several days ago we limited at Mr.. PercvaPs
methods but one fact as we learn from one who,
for years, has known the methods of the bank, as
perhaps new to the general public, and that is
that Mr.. Percival always took charge of the cash
book and the daily balance aud it IS in these that
he chiefly operated. If he went away from the
city IneSe were letG until MS return. III ne naQ
other business he always found time to see to
these, and upon these books are said to be found
many entries that have no basis and appear no.
where else upon other books Of the bank. Mr..
PercivaPs general method of bookkeeping was
similar to tnat of the other modern banks, al
though since this affair he has been reported TO
keep books after a system peculiar to this bank.
This, we are informed, is not so, but the system
(apart from MIR. Percival's individual hand in it)
was similar to others. Mr.. PercivalS devotion to
these two books, his daily balance and cash book,
explains his method more than any other fact,
at the bank did not necessarily know about Ir.
PercvaPs misdoings. 1t is in justice to all OF the
gentlemen who have been under the ex-cashier to
say that the books in which irregularities appear
are those kept by Mr.. Percival himself and no
one elSe His fne beautiful and characteristic
over them, and it is uoon one Oh these we are in
formed that the first oefcit of $4,000 was dis
covered.
1t is said also that this deficit was false bal
ance neatly concealed discovered several days
ago. for 1t is surely that length of time that 1t was
access to the news. Upon these books, as has
been stated, appear entries which no other books
In the bank carry, fictitious transactions evden T.
ly carried by Mr. Percival in a last extremity to
keep his books in trim. AS was hintsd several
days ago Mr.. Percival frequently made no entry
of the deposit of a customer but his account
stood to oyeIdrawn upon the books, and cases
nave occurred within few days of this soft rela-
tive to late transactions of Mr. Percival when he
was In the last stages of bis illness and did busi-
end which he believed to be approaching. A well
known Auburn man who paid in 81 ,0D there in
the last days of Mr.. PerciVarS attenance at the
bank found no credit, although he had paid it in
the presence OF witnesses. 1t was at once fixed
by the president and directors.