The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-03-08
LOOTED LEXINGTON BANK.
Some Startling Developments as 10 ns-
sat'S StealiDSs.
AN OVERDRAFT OF FIFTY THOUSAND.
{. w. Irvine & Co. Charged With Getting
Large sums Through tlggat-ir'ihe
Indicted by the Grand Jury.

the complete looting OF that financial in
sttuuon by c. NJ, Ifggat the defaultins
and absconding cashier, which came to
light on tho 18th OF February, in which
il was developed that Figgat had robbed
. the bank of $4,000 or more.
The Rockbridge County News TO to-
night tells tho story. on the pile of
pass books, which for some days have
been piled up in the bank by depositors
for examination and verihcauon by the
trustee, were TWO books Of G. W. Irvine
d co. In the course Of his business
these were reached by G.. a, McClung,
who has been assisting the trustee IN his
work OF straightoning out the affairs of
the bank, and an examination Of them
made. 10 Was recognized by Colonel
Idmondson that u was his duty 30 give
these books an unusually thorough eX-
animation. for the firm Of 9. w. Irvine
q CO. was krCWn 10 he ucne other than
G.. N. Figgat. and IL was also known
that Figgat and Irvine had been intimate
ly associated In business transactions. cs-
pecially in speculatiOns at Buena Vista.
Tho pass books were different I'm the
following respect from the others that
surrounded them. They covered period
of four years. beginning I'm 1890. and IN
them were all the checks given in that
period. Most OF the pass books left there
contained no checks and the checks given
in the last few months, since the book
was balanced by the cashier or teller of
the bank. the others were found In the
bank.
HOW 1T LOOKS NOW.
The others had been i'm the past return
ed 20 the deposition. and lie did not
bring them back, but these books had
In them all the checks given since the
books were opened, and the accounts were
evenly balanced, and on their face show
ed that G. w. Irvine & Co. owed the
bank nothing. and the bank owed them
nothing A careful examination Of them
showed. however, that G. w. IRVINE q
co. were indebted 10 the bank for the
sum of a little over S5l500. $4,000 Of this
amount being overdrafts of G. w. IT.
vine g. Co. All the checks were signed
In G. w Irvine's handwriting.
McCung at first and Colonel Edmond
s11 afterwards went abo1t The eXamina-
tion Of the accounts with great system
ana thorOughness The amounts deposit
cd by c. w. Irvine q Co, as shown by
the pass-books, were not verified by the
bank ledgers as usually done, but by an
examination of the bank "scratcher,
that is the book on which the deposits
are iottcd down al the cashiers window
at the time they are received Inc
amounts Withdrawn By check as SHOWN
bv the pa s books were Vtrlied by the
checks of G. ". Irvine u CO., as louhd
on the books. -,
Irvine & co. deposited from time TO
time very different sums from those made
To appear on the bank ledger ana g w.
Irvine a. CO.'S pass-book. For instance
when the "scratchcr" on certain ua'e
showed deposit Of $500 10y G.. W. IT.
vine a Co. the bank ledger ana lhe -
w Irvine & CO.'S pass-book as hlied
,,n at tbc hank made IL appear that that
dsto the deposit of &. W. Irvine q 'o''
us SibOo. So on other dates by pretlNlhg
q figure a deposit amounting 10 nun
dreds of dollars was increased TO thouS-
ands and 10y this method OF preiNhs
figures. G. w. Irvine d CO. were ihaue
10 appear TO have credit on the DaIlh
Iodger and their pass-book for $ol5o0
I,.otc,, they had never deposited, and
thcir overdrafts. amounting to the sum
of S,t zoo were covered up on the hahk
ledrcr and G. w. Irvine ~ Co.'S pass
book.
THE MYSTERY OF THESE BOOKS.
How these books ever got TO be on Inc
table of j. *. EdmondSon. trustee Is Hot
lfnoUn. No books are wanted OF eNpecl'u
tbcre which show as these dld that lheN
O,e,c evenly balanced. tnat the oduk
owed their holder nothing ana ne oWea
,b, hank nothing The natural supposl-
~, a. tbst they were thoughtlessly left
tn the hank by G. NJ. Figgat after ne
nad sved them TO suit his purpose ana
,,.ora found there in some place Wnch
Colonel Edmoudson moved the pdHA
hooks and papers 10 the rear room III
The building, and being pass-pooks WE
naturally thrown in the plle WIN 80
nass-books which had been lett there py
depositors.
CLAIMED .BY IRVINE.
- " Irvine recognized an ownership |
q, ,bem for Tuesday night he sent TWO |
aieser.nt messages to Colonel Edmond |
Con and asked for possession of the books |
ColoneI ICdmondson declined to give them
Il
A. stated above the actual indebtedness
81 the account Of G. W. Irvine " co. 10 |
tbe bank is something over Sol'7OO-Sil'N
OF this amount was overdrafts made by |
The checks signed in the handwriting OF |
q W. Irvine. The balance, something |
over $500, was "a tel)ers check drawn |
ON q w. Irvine * Co. by c. Nj. Ftggat |
cashier, the amount Of which examination |
showed that the firm owed the bank. |
Colonel Edmondson had an Interview yes |
terLay with G. w. Irvine, and demanded |
that he make an assignment of property |
Tor the benefit OF the bank to cover |
IL
was mistake about his making over. |
drafts, ana declined to make an assign |
meDt.
INDICTED BY THE GRAND JURY.
The grand jury, which has been in |
session all the week, made its report TO. |
night with the following indictments:
G. Nj. Figgat. embezzlement and grand /
larceny. felony. Ave counts In all; X. X. |
Goodwin. assistant cashier. for making |
faige entries in the banks books, felony |
two counts; c. w. Irvine, business |
partner of c. NJ. Figgat. for receiving |
money knowing the same 10 have been
embezzled and stolen. felony. three counts.
Mr.. Goodwin and Mr.. Irvine gave bond
10 appear az the May term OF the County |
Court and were discharged
Mr. IRVINE said 10 your correspondent
that ne had done an extensive business
al bueha vista during the boom days
associated with G. NJ Figgat. and had |
been very successful i'm his operstions
That ne had from time TO time NM In the
hrm or irvine q co. large sums of money |
which f1ggat had agreedso cover with a
IKE sum- TO be Invested that he thought
the concern had been wound up and all {
debts paid and profits divided Figeat
had assured him Of this, and he denies
intention OF oyerdrawing the account and |
any knowledge OF figgat's methods and
charges that ftggat so manipulated ths
books as 10 show this overdraft when A.
never. 10 his Uryine's) knowledge. exist
ed.