Omaha daily bee., 1895-12-04
DEFAULTERS WILL co FREE
One Has Paid Back His stealings and The
Other Cannot.
BOTH HAD BEEN IMPLICITLY TRUSTED
American Missionary Society Meets
and Listens TO the Report of Re-
firing OHiccrs-Ncw Hoard
for the Ensuing Year.

NEW YORK, Dec 3.-The annual meetinl
| Of the American Church Missionary society
| for the election Of officers and the transac
| tion of other business was held at the Mis-
sion house today. General Wagner Swayne
president of the society, presided, The frs
business was the reading of the annual re-
port, in which the alleged defalcation OF Sec
| retary William a. Newbod and Treasurer
Henry A. Oakley were commented upon.
! The report speaks OF the defalcation as fol
/ lows: The past year has involved the so
ciety in severe humiliation and loss An
overhauling of the societys finances disclosed
that the treasurer and the general secretary
had each of them taken for his own use a
large sum from the society's funds, received
for a sacred trust. The misconduct of each
OF them extended over a period Of several
years, and as is so often the case, even with
institutions organized expressly for handling
and taking care of money, was brought to
light finally by an accident. The amount
taken by the treasurer is computed by an ex-
pert accountant at 2l,S23. The amount
taken by the general secretary is computed
by the same person at $19,034, from Septem-
Der I, 1887.
"The society's principal fund was put in
the treasurer's charge, while the general sec
retary was put in immediate charge of the
designed TO be kept so each of these officers
would havs' full knowledge of both funds
The apparent result has been that each of
them relied for immunity upon his knowledge
that the other was in no position to bring
the situation to light. The treasurer was
person who enjoyed in the highest degree
the confidence of the community while the
general secretary had. for twenty-six years
been the society's trusted superintendent.
The treasurer found means with which to
hn m, IL - h; H.,
able The general secretary had nothing nor
had he any one who was sufficiently interested
IN MIN to make good the amount.
Ihe question of proceeding against these
persons as criminals was a serious one and
has been as seriously considered The morey
paid back by the treasurer came from an
other source. While no promise was made
II was found that the circumstances were
such that, having accepted It, there could
rightiy De no prosecution unless it were paid
back. If indeed there could be then
The general secretary has been deposed
from the ministry and was old, penniless
and publicly dsgraced To proceed against
him and not against the treasurer would be
justly open to charge that the prosecution
was not because he took the money bnt
because he had not friends to pay 1t back.
The executive committee was unanimous in
deciding that the society would not prose-
cute.
Rev. J. w. Morris, the society's mis-
siohaly at forto Allegro, South Brazil, ad-
dressed the meeting on the work that ia be;np
done in that country. He said the people of
the country were looking to the United States |
for guidance in politics and religion. and that
since the church had been severed from
government rule, the church there, in the |
short space Of four years, has grown wonder
fully.
The officers elected are as follows: Presi-
dent, General Wager Swayne; treasurer, An |
drew Seabriskie; secretary, Rev. J. Thomson |
Cole; executive committee, Rev. w. N Nc |
Vickar. Philadelphia; Rev. ]. S. Shpman |
Rev. H. l.. JONES' Wilkesbarre, Pa; Rev. r. |
F. Alsop. Brooklyn; Rev. r. w. Appleton
Cheltenham. Pa; Rev. A.. B. Kinsolving |
Brooklyn; Rev. j. A. Aspinwall, Washington |
D.. C.; Rev. l.. S. Orborne, Newark; Rev. l. |
~ Stangsr, Philadelphia; Rev. o. A. Glaze |
brook. Elizabeth, N. j.; Rev. J. H. Darling |
ton Brooklyn; Rev. l.. Bradley, Philadelphia;
George G. White, Brooklyn; w. B. Whitney
Pa; H. NJ. Oddie and l.. Nj.
Blackford Alexandria, Va.