The herald., 1896-08-16
CH|LDRESS IN TROUBLE
Ex-Banker Again Making
Himself Heard
CHARGED WITH Criminal LIBEL
Serious Allegations Made by
His Employers
HE BETRAYED HIS TRUST
Accused by a Stakeholder Of the Wander
cook Wine Company
Took Money Belonging to the Company for
Ills Own Use
Also Appropriated the Forms Of the Company
HE BETRAYED HIS TRUST
Accused by a Stakeholder OF the Wander
cook Wine Company
Took Money Belonging to the Company for
Ills Own Use
Also Appropriated the Forms Of the Company
Which He Turned Over to a Business
Rival What Promises to Be
an Ugly Scandal

A. D. Childress, who will be remeber-
ed in this city as the head and front OF
the defunct City bank of this city, which
went to the wall during the last imam
cial panic has again been heard from
After the failure of his bank Childress
was made the manager of the local clear
ing house, which position he held tof
some weeks. This appointment caused
some adverse criticism, and Childress
finally resigned, saying that ne mao
been offered and had accepted respon-
sible position in San Francisco. He then
left the city with his family and nothing
has been heard from him since. except
from time to time reports have reached
Los Angeles that he was doing wei! ana
fast recouping his broken fortunes.
The following from the San francisco
Gail of Friday, however, would seem
to indicate that Childress is again IN
trouble. with the prospect of figuring
in the courts in anything but favorable
light:
criminal libel is a charge that a. d.
Childress, formerly resident and man
ager of the now defunct City bank OIL
Los Angeles. will probably be called up
on 10 answer in addition to the accusa-
tions of fraud and embezzement that
were recently brought against MN py
the W. A. Vandercook Wine company
in a suit for $1,000 filed in the county
clerks office. Certain letters that nave
lust come to light will be maze the OASIS
of the libel charge. 80
Coming. as they do on the trail of the
charges that were made against Child
ress in connection with the City bank,
the matter Is of more than passing IN
terest. After the failure of the Los An
geles corporation and the subsequent
legal difficulties in which Childress and
his associates became involved over the
transaction he came to san Francesca,
and in January, 1895. became identifed
with the w 4. Nandercook Wine COM
pany in the capacity of secretary.
The ex-bank president had influential
connections, through whom the drafts
of the company on its many eastern
agents could be cashed without the de-
lay of waiting for remittances from the
east, and such accommodations were
Just what the company needed at the
time. So Childress was made secretary
and bookkeeper.
I'D to August of last year Mrs. W. A.
Nandercook. who was one of the prin-
cipal shareholders in the company, was
satisfied with the manner in which
Childress end of the business 12s con-
ducted, and believing implicitly that his
reports of the fiourlShing conoltlon OF
affairs were correct.
.'One day when / asked ~ lst. the
books however" says Mrs. Vandercook,
"Childress refused me any information,
and I began to be suspicious. / insisted
on detailed statement. telling him that
I thought he had drawn more money
than he was entitled to. This he admit
ted, promising, however, not to take
more until profits had accrued. SO that
he could do so under the terms of his
agreement. About a month Sfer that
he violated that promise, and l CEN
sured him for so doing.
Then he threatened to wreck the bust
ness If l made any further complaint,
saying that he could and would do SO. A
few days later, seeing that he could not
continue taking money that did not be-
long to him. he left the company. taking
with him lists and addresses of our num-
erous eastern customers. He took copies
of all our printed forms, originated and
used by Mr.. Nandercook in the business,
and entered Harris, Kingston & Co.'S, a
competing house on a small scale, get
ting into that firm through his knowl-
edge of the Nandercook company.
Lacking the power to originate, he
copied all our business forms, order
blanks, etc, which are entirely different
from those of any other company, even
going so far as to use the same kind of
paper and wording them similarly
Then he wrote to our agents through
out the country on the stationery and
over the signature of Harris. Kingston
& Co, in such a Vindictive and lbelou5
manner that several of our agents sent
the letters to us advising us to prose-
cute him for criminal libel.
Il thought until the latter part of his
connection with the company that he
was an honest man, as he was plausible
and was always talking of his own hon
esty and the dishonesty Of Southern
California people in general. AT any
rate, he must settle with the courts for
taking money that did not belong to him,
for We don't propose that the money he
took from this company shall be used
TO pay for the house furniture and lawns
of such a man
A. D. Childress and his brother, w T.
Childress, owned 494 OF the 800 shares in
the City Bank of Los Angeles. They
borrowed $25 900 from the First National
bank Of this city on an unsecured note
shortly after forming the Pacific Invest
nent company and deciding their prop
ertY to that corporation.
The First National bank in it's suit
against the Childresses alleged that
these deeds were not genuine nor placed
on record, but merely held to be pro-
duced in the eVept of attachments by
creditors of the bank.
The complaint further alleged that the
bank magnates were inSolVent when the
deeds were made.
Since coming north \. ID. Chlldress has
been in minor as we'll as major legal