The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-10-27
II DEFAULrN
The Shortage Is Ned
and Doliars-He
with ~tn nnn

DEFAULTNS$ 81 ..,zl ~
The Shortage Is Nei -
and Doliars-He js & : s.
with $4,000 Cas- + s,
The Augusta Chi :
Following account of ;l< -
Berrien Walker cal : 9 ~
Royal and Aug usta y s s &
in Beaufort s t95
Berrien Walker sh| i.
to the amount OF nea = = a :.
piece OF highly sensa 81 E s i
ono OF the most astoutS< S s.
repeated in Augusta,
given out seemed inCret < = I'sgs6 1
j. Berrien Walker is j.
here, and his hosts of frieS
to believe tho facts. NoN
they are true, and Barrien WAN
now fugutive from justice, huntetScl;S
the detectives of one of the largest
surety companies in the world. Where
he is no one knows, though whep last
hoard OF he was in New York city. He
may not now be there, but it will be
merely matter of time before he il
caught and brought back to answer 70,
his defalcations.
}. 3erricn Walker was cashier OF the
Port R0yal and Augusta Railway under
the receivership of Col. j. Ii. Avcrill
and as such handled large sums OF the
company's money. He was appointed
to the position carly in 1893, ANA his
pecuiatlOns extend. it is said, from q
short while after he entered the ser
vices OF the receiver, though it was
not discovered by the officials of the
road until last Tuesday that he WAS
short. They kept the matter IL prC-
found secret until yesterday, when all
the information to be had us given by
| MIR. II. w. Mills, auditor of the Char
! lesion and Western Carolina, OF which
the old Port Royal and Augusta is now
| part.
Mr.. Mills said that on Friday, Octo-
Der 9th, q special train left Port Royal,
having on board Superintendent a..
| w. Anderson, and others of the road,
who were comitg g to Augusta. Mr.
Walker stated That as he desired very
much to go to Macon, his Old home,
for day or so, he would come to Au-
arrived here and registered at the
Arlington. He said that he had some
important family documents to sign in
Macon, and SO left Augusta
Enough 1T was expected that he
would put In his appearance again at
Fort Royal in Il few days no uneasiness
was caused by his stay from home. No
one OF Berricn Walkers friends, or
even acquaintanccs. would for mo-
ment have entertained an idea but
that everything was all right His
young and beautiful wife, who was in
Beau Tort, did not seem uneasy regard
ing his absence,
In the meantime cx Receiver Averill
of the old Pert Royal and Augusta
and Auditor Mills, OF the Charleston
and Western, were called away from
Fort Royal on business, and did not re-
turn there until Tuesday, the 18th.
When the receiver returned to Port
lioyal, or rather to Beaufort, where he
resides, Mr.. Walkers wife went to him
and showed him letter from her hus-
band written in New York. /. was d
startling document and caused the
eyes OF the receiver to start from their
sockets.
1t said that the ex-cashler was hope
lesSly involved In his acco lnts, and
that rather than face the consequences
ho had He'd. The announcement caused
more than CONSERVATION wher it was
discovered that the shortage was, in
exact figures, $2S,5l7. 1t is learned
from Mr.. Mills that on the day MIR.
Walker left Port Royal he took from
the agencies there and in Beaufort
$lOO 900, which sum he now has with
him in all probability.
1t is presumed that the road will
lose little by the dcfalca,ion, though
tho loss will fall heavily on the Amcri-
can surety Company, and they wilt, in
all reliability, be called upon for the
entire amount of the defalcation. The
Port Royal and Augusta Railwa, holds
bond of $4,000 in the American
Surety Company for Walker alone and
that amount will certainly be paid the
road.
AS receiver OF the road CO... Averijl
is heavily bonded In the same COMPANY
to the United States Court and the
State Courts OF South Carolina and
Georgia. it is ehought that the bond
OF Receiver Avcrlm. will thus be made
responsible for the action of his cashier,
and that the remaining $lS,5l7 will
be made good to the r&d in this
way. As soon as the shortage WAS
made known the American Surety Com,
pany was Of course informed of the
facts aud they have now their speciaI
detectives on the hunt for the young
man. The company will leave no stone
unturned to bring him to justice, and
will send to the ILtermoSt corners and
most out-of-the way places of the world
for him.
From the fact that Mr.. Walkers wife
left Beaufort this week for New York
1t Is presumed that OF course she ia
aware OF the whereabouts of her hus.
band, and so being advised the detec.
tives will watch her movements in
order to discover the whereabouts of
her hus hand. u Is hardly probable
that Walker wopld have remained long
In New YORK attrr having written the
letter, though NO one doubts that his
| wife 10 perfectly informed OF his move
ments.
). Berrien WA aker is,a member of one
OF the most prominent families in Gcor.
gia, ana Is hl9iy connected in this
clty as wen as + Macon, from which
iatter place ne 4iglnally came. When
nrst appointed eashicr of the Port
ltoyal ana AugNta MIR. Walker was q
"laower with twl very young children
ouC aoouG yearago no was married
10 Ml5s Whlte, o Beaufort, one of the
| handsomest youlk women in South
Carolina, and u treat social favorite
throughout the nate. Since his last
marriage Mr. walker has lived per
| haps in not so an dpcnsive n mannor
as be did previoSly, but he was bv
| no means ecOnOtcal in his habits
| he wore good oHthes made by the
best tailors in thb citv, and 9t his
nome In Beauiort lntertained friends
In asumptuous maner. He had poo3
horses in his stabl and in fact lived
royalty.
berrln walker ls\n exceeding hand
some man, about Tx feet ore, and
| WeiphS nnrhnps a llpdpa5yond x;sa...