New-York tribune., 1896-11-16
ALLEGED TO BE 4 DEFii LIER.
ARREST or THE FORMER EOpkkEtfEE
nr BROADWAY FRUIT FIRM

r,u.es McGurk q booKk"cper. who had pe'n IN
IN. employ of II. ticks N Son was arrested som
days ago for a long series Of dciaica''nS' INC
orr, are dealers I'm fruits AZ 80 ll'3 Broadway.
NcGurk had beon omphyed with the house ~
lookk.oper Tor nine years. and unil month
.,-o uh.n he gave up his place. had enjoyed
tho implicit confidence 90 both members 81 IN"
firm Il f. alleged. however that he had he'h
abusrc his trust for good many months pre-
,t,,s IN his departure. ana it Is said that he
might have continued 10 do so for an indefinite
time II an accden; hal not led to 4 discovery OF
his methods.
nc, ,nonth a certain check. which had been
maid in hy a customer was returned 10 the frn
from the bank where it had been deposited Win
I'M. information that there was no balance OH
hand 10 meet il. A. the bookk'ep"r had charg" OF
IN. handling Of the nrm's money and accounts.
,ho worthless check was referred To him for 'N-
nlanatlon lie assumed an attitud" oi Nlriuous
Indignation and. when the subject was pressed
he resigned his place. on IN" grouhh mat MS
.mpIovers were questioning his honesty. His sud-
don d.parture aroused the suspicious OF Mr.. Hicks,
and an expert accountant was called IN to 10 oV''
m. hooks OF the firm and find out how McGurk
lad been In the habit of doing business. The re-
suit OF his report was that McGurk WAS taken
from his home In Brooklyn three or four DAYS
ago and placed In the Tombs. where he is at
present.
Mc,;urk's employers say they trusted him so
fuIv that they were not accustomed to inspect
his accounts and notice whether the amounts cred
tied to payments from customers tailed exactly
with those which he turned over 10 them as the
full payments When the payments OF each dhy
came I'm he would tabulate them according 10 the
usual custom marking the amounts paid in cash
and those paid I'm checks. a. he wa- 10 deposit
them next day i'm the Garfield National Bank.
with which the Grm does business. As mis- en-
nloyers knew the exact amount of the cash pay
ments the firm say he had to deposit them IN
fl or his stealings would have been detected
Hlt the amounts paid in checks were not strictly
accounted for. II therefore possib" for him
to stca, 4 check Of small figures. now and then,
NOT putting Il down the slip which he handed
i'm 10 the hank with the deposits OF each day. ana
when ne came make his deposit, abstract an
equivalent amount OF cash. and deposit the stolen
check which would be credited under the head Of
cash" in it's place one Of the checks which he
is alleged 10 have stolen thus happened to be
drawn on a credit which was, by a mere accident
exhausted. When this check vas sent back to the
firm they OF course, had never known of II. ana
made Inquiries OF McGurk as to the signature
The members OF the firm say McGurk was taken
nv surprise and had no good excuse to give.
that there was nothing for him to do but give
M his place He has been out OF work since
Although he has a wife ard four children de-
pendent cn him.
The Junior member Of the firm told Tribune
reporter yesterday that the bookkeepers steangs
would probably amount to over sl."0.