Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-03-13
OOK-KEEPER GONE.
DISAPPEARANCE or A YOUNG MAN
TRUSTED BY TWO FIRMS.
Three Hundred Dollars ir Cash Missing
and Numerous Entries Of sus-
picious Character Found.

A young man. John T. Davis. aged about
80 years, of medium stature. and wearing a
black moustache, is wanted here by two
firms and by the Commonwealth on the
charge Of stealing and forgery.
Up to Thursday night week ago Davis
had for eighteen DAYS been book-keeper
for the firm of Harvey. Blair Il Co. Prior
to entering the services of that concern
he had occupied similar position with
the Southern Flour Company-Rand Il
| Barbee.
Davis came to Richmond from Raleigh.
n. c.. and accepted the position of book
keeper with the -four Arm about three
| years ago.
A COMPETENT AND POPULAR MAN.
He is o competent accountant, and soon
| won the entire confidence of both Mr..
Rand aud Mr.. Barbee He not only knew
| all their business affairs, but was fire.
| quent social visitor TO their houses-was.
indeed. like n relation in both families.
| He is widower with one little daughter.
and when he brought his child and his
mother to Richmond to live Messrs. Rand
| d Barbee raised.hls salary without soliclta-
| ton. Recently this concern or company
made some changes IN their business which
necessitated a curtailment of force. and
Mr.. Barbee advised Davis TO seek posi-
ton that would pay him better salary
than the company thought they could al:
| ford. Davis applied for the position OF
| book-keeper for Harvey. Blair 4 Co., and
so well known was he that he was given 1t
without any demand for endorsement
from his former employers. which endorse
ment would have been cheerfully given.
| HE NEVER FELT WORSE.
Thursday night the Sd Davis remarked to
| one of his fellow-Clerks that he never felt
worse in his life. Friday morning he did
| not put in an appearance at the store. but
| Mr.. Beveridge. the active member of the
| firm Of Harvey, Blair & Co.. concluded
| that he was sick and dismissed the matter
from his mind until the Monday following,
when he told one of the clerks TO
| 60 to Davlss house and see how
he was. The clerk returned with
mother said he had left town on bust
ness trip of q few DAYS. Mr.. Beverage,
still unsusplcious that anything was
wrong with Dayis's accounts. thought II
| probable that he was on a spree. though
| he had had no evidence that he was n
drinking man. Shortly thereafter, how
ever, he heard that the books kept by
Davis at the Southern Flour Company
were under suspicion, and upon inyestlga-
/
| it was discovered that false entry had
| been made on the check-book. This entry
represented that the $500 taken IN cur.
rency on the day that Davis was last seer
| at the store had been deposited in bank
which was not the case, although IL had
| disappeared from the establishment.
| THE FLOUR CoMPAsY's BOOKS.
In the meantime Mr.. Barbee, by the
| merest accident, had discovered that the
| books of his company were awry. In casu-
ally looking over them he came across 9
number of suspicious entries. For in.
stance, Oh item of exchange should have
been. say, Sl.35, whereas it was charged a:
| Sll.35. or n labor bill which should have
| been 1926 was put down as Sl4.25. Wher
Davis left the employ of the concern BIZ
| still had the entire confidence of his en-
| ployers. and Mr. Barbee was 10th TO be
| heve the evidence of his eyes. Further
not being q good book-keeper, he would
not make any move until he had employed
an expert accountant and satisfied himself
| as lie told DISPATCH reporter last night
| that these false entries extended back
almost to the time Davis came TO live Will
| him. He could not, he said, tell how much
| his concern had lost, as no large amount
| had been taken at any one time.