The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-30
bKIPS AFTER A SHORTAGE.
John S. King Leaves Atlanta Under a
Financial Cloud.

He Was Soliciting Freight Agent ofthe
East T nnessoe, Virginia and Geor-
eia Road-Hs Was Once Local Freight
Agent Of the Road and is Said TO Have
Resirncd That Position at the Request
ofthe omoials on Account Of a Short
age. Which His Wife Made Good-Mrs.
King Refuses to Come to His Rescue
This Time and says She Has sepa-
rated From Him.
Atlanta, Ca. Dec. 29.-John S. King,
formerly local freight agent Of the East
Tennessee. Virginia and Georgia road. but
recently soliciting freight agent OF that
line. has left the city under a charge Of
rnisappropriating over 5000 from one
source and an unknown amount from
numerous others not yet fully developed.
King has been in the employ Of the
East Tennessee system for ten years,
starting at the bottom and gradually
working himself UP TO the position Of
local freight agent. This Office he re-
signed two years ago last October at the
request Of the officials Of the system.
and, it is alleged. that there was at that
time a shortage in his accounts. The
matter was never ventilated. but at the
time OF his resignation his wife gave the
officials Of the road a check for N.lO0 to
square an Indebtedness. King subse-
ouently accepted the position of solicit
ing freight agent. and it was while act
ing in this capacity that the Irregular
ties occurred that have resulted in the
present sensation. AS solicitor It was
Kings duties to attend to the outside
business Of the office. such as paying
claims allowed settling freight balances
and disbursing the funds for the current
expenses Of the local Office. w. S. Rich
ardson. who was cashier while King was
soliciting agent ard lost his position on
account Of Kings alleged shortage. says
that it had been the custom of the cashier
10 place implicit confidence in the
solicitors. If a claim had been allowed by
the official who has charge of that depart
ment. the soliciting agent would ask the
cashier for the amount, and the money
would be given. and a memorandum
placed IN the drawer until the vouchers
for the money out were returned. It was
In this way that King obtained at diff
ferent intervals something like 1900 for
which he returned no vouchers ana which
It Is now claimed be applied to his per-
sonal use When King was discharged
last July Mr.. Richardson urged him to
make good the deficit. King promised 10
attend to IL Immediately, but it ran on
to Nov. !, and he did not pay a cent on
that date the company's auditor was sent
20 the Office TO check up Mr.. Richard
sons accounts King knew that the opera
h.. =laf tea raFa1 en1I
Mr.. Richardson that he would settle that
day He failed to do so, however, and Mr.
Richardson claims that in the hope that he
would come to time he made the accounts
right. He admitted the shortage as his
own, saying he had lost money by Oscar
Hudgings. a broker who absconded, but
the shortages would be made good next
day by King The auditor, Mr.. Richard
son claims, agreed to let the matter rest,
but Immediately telegraphed the Fidelity
Surety Company of New York, which was
on his bond, that ne had confessed to q
shortage exoeedings $1,000. Mr.. Brannon of
this company was sent here to investigate.
He learned enough from outside sources
70 satisfy him that there was something
behind Mr. Richardson's story and finally
drew the whole truth from him. They then
had an interview with King. who gave
them8a check for the shortage and a note
from his wife, who has considerable
wealth, saying that she would protect the
check. Ii subsequently transpired that
Mrs. King thought she was guaranteeing
check for only S. The one really given,
which was for nearly $500, was thrown
out Of the bank.
Mr.. Brannan. with Mr. Richardson, then
went to E. w. MaTshs residence, where
Mrs. King who is niece of Mr.. Marsh
was stopping and laid the matter before
her. Upon hearing the story, Mrs King
stated that she and Mr. King had parted
and that she did not intend helping him
out Of any further troubles.
King then left the city for the avowed
purpose Of seeing brother who lived at
Columbia, S. c., and getting aid from him
and has not been since seen. Kings
brother at Columbia was communicated
with, and said that he had already put up
$500 on a prior occasion and would not
advance another cent
The police department has been asked to
locate King and bring him back to face
the music.
Ex-Cashier Richardson intimates that
there were other shortages besides the one
mentioned due to the collection of charges
on cotton which King marked collect, but
the details Of this part of the affair are a
secret that the railroad people are not
ready to divulge, although the amount in
volved is reported to be large.
Mrs. King, who has announced her sep
aration from her husband, was a Miss
Aligood of Trion, whose family own the
Trion cotton mills at that point. She was
married to King about three years ago and
since coming to Atlanta she has been a
kept up the King establishment. Mrs.
King has gone back to her relatives in
Trion with her children.