The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-03-15

some private business. That Mr.. John.
son replied that he VS. alone in the
Office, and could not IeSe it. To which
the man'in the buggy Bplied, 81 have
a lame Tor a game la but for that
fact would not have trIbled o
will detaln you only a moment, and
will be greatly obliged if 7ou will come
out"
Upon this request Mr.. Johnson left
the Office, and went out nto the street
Mr.. johnson had a few months be,
fore this time been elected secretary of
the Mechanics Saving ar1 Loan Com.
pany, and the dues were payable that
night He did not know all the stock.
holders and thought that the man in
the buggy was one a them, and
wanted to settle mis- DIES, and save
himself the trouble of v0ming down
town that night, and for klis reason he
left the office, and went i4t9 the street
to see him. That when hdleft the Office
he failed to fasten the dior and that
the stranger who first spdze to him in
the Office was a sneak thif. and an &C.
complete of the mar in thk buggy. and
this was the decoy use to get Mr.,
Johnson out of the office Ind while be
was in the street this man entered the
Office through the door left unfastenea
and robbed it. That MIR. Crimson soon
found that the man in tn, street had
no business with him, and returned to
the Office after a few minutes absence,
and discovered that it hadIbsen robbed
Of the amount claimed bI him in this
bill.
Mr.. Johnson was appointed to the
position of superint 3nd4nt of the
money order division of this Office upon
the recommendation Of Aauilla Jones,
jr., son of the claimant, And a promi-
nent lawyer of Indianapolis, That he
gave no bond, and that AAuilla Jones,
jr has told Aquilla Jonett ST., that he
was morally bound to make good the
loss in the event the postmaster should
be held responsible for it.
That this loss was Investigated by
two p~ostofice inspectors on the day
following, and they both reported that
there was gross negligence, and that
the postmaster should make the loss
good. These are uncontradicted facts
which will appear in the report fled
by the committee; and from them we
are unable to see how upon any process
of reasoning the government should
sustain the loss. Mr.. Johnson left the
Office unguarded and unprotected with
the money lying on the counter, with
only n door between the stranger
who robbed the office and the money,
and he left this door unfastened and
the money at the mercy of this mani.
His business did not call him into th E
street, and if it had been as he though t
that this man was one of the stOck\
holders of this new company and
wanted to pay his dues, it was his duty
to have required him to have waited
until the other employees had returned
to the Office. In opinion, he ought
not to have gone out of the office and
left it unguarded at a time when he
alone was Entrusted with it's protection
and care. We cannot see how he can
Justify this course of conduct when he
left the business of the government,
for which he was employed and paid,
to go out and attend to his private
business, upon any pretext; it would
seem TO us to carry with it the conse.
quences Of his own neglect.
If this is not a case of oss negh-
genCe we are not able to fir one. To
set the precedent that the g Vernment
is liable In such a case would place it
in the power of every interruptions
agent, whether he be a postmaster or
other government official, to make
proof of loss at any time that his &C.
counts u short, and have it allowed,
and his accounts credited Herewith.
Suppose this had been a banking insti-
tuition and they had faile6 to make
good the loss, and were to set up these
facts as a defense in a suit ito recover
the money, Would any court regard
it as a sufficient defense9 We think
not, and that Mr.. Johnsonl would be
required to make it good.
This would be true between nan and
man. Shall we apply another ruiz.
when dealing as the representatives of
the people, with their moIney9 We
think it would be unsafe to dI9 SO. We
are forced to disagree With the com
mittee and recommend that i ne accom-
panying bill do not pass.
B. II. BUM,
E. f.. LOUD,
N. N. Cox,
l. E. MCGANNf.
TOuN n PuvDT C11y