The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-15

might come when without having realized
personal benefit from any of this money, he
found himself face to face with a loss too
large to be longer concealed.
AN INSPECTORS DISCOVERY.
An inspector stepped into the cashier 3
office one day and took possession. From
Washington had been sent an intimation
that some irregularity seemed to exist. The
inspector worked and worked. At length,
with many figures before him, he turned to
the cashier and said:
How much is gone? About $11, 0O0?"
No" replied the cashier, true to his life
long accuracy, the amount is $4,000"
And so it was. Friends more familiar
with the ways of the world realized how
good name had been lost, how life had
been wrecked, when they heard the Begin
ming of the deficit. Their vigorous COM
ments awakened the cashier to the knowl-
edge of the trap into which he had fallen.
trial is coming. Shrewd lawyers will en-
deavor to trace the written combination.
They will show, If possible, in whose possess
sion 1t was when the two losses led the
cashier into a false position. Written de-
nands have been made upon those who are
supposed to know for statements in detail
about the combination. They have been
asked to tell what was done with the COM
bination when it passed into their possess
sion at the beginning OF the present
pCstmasters term, whether Others have had
access to the information, and where thel
written memorandum is now.
officials of the Postofice Department have
bestowed much consideration upon this
case. To them it has more than local inter-
est A double reason has prompted them.
In the first place, the manner in which thel
deficit was concealed on the books Tor al
period of months has shown the department.
something new in malfeasance. In additionl
to this there is sympathy for the cash1erl
so long regarded as the model. This SYM
pathy has stimulated a strong desire that
the complete story of the downfall shall bel
told, and that the chief guilt shall be placed
where it belongs. The trial is looked for
ward to, as one OF the most important IN thel
exposure and punishment of postoffice crime|
in many years. POStOff1ce officials Will fur
nish some of the sensational testimony.
There is a belief at the department that
the cashier did not realize any pecuniaryI
benefit in other words, that he did mott
make direct use of the money which dis-I
appeared.
In the banking business there is theoryI
that long and continual handling of large|
amounts of cash begets in some minds al
gradual weakening of the law of thine and
mine Bank officers go along for years with
out the error of penny in their cash ac-|
counts They come to be looked upon asI
beyond the pale of temptation to appro-|
pirate from what is passing through taeirI
hands, Then, after having established suchI
regulations, they sometimes fall. Ihey taxed
the money for speculation, expecting to rel
place it, become involved anG plunge deep~I
er and deeper until exposure follows There.
have been enough instances of this kind
to establish the theory as a principal APP.
plicable not to all, but to some. When theI
fact of this postoffice defalcation became|
public property those who had felt Unlimited
confidence in the cashier adopted this theory
as the explanation of what seemed other
wise an unaccountable lapse. Later camel
the knowledge communicated to few ofN
the two shortages with which the compllca-|
lions began. And now the feeling amongN
officials who know most of this unhappyt
affair is that the moral responsibility will
not appear so great when all the facts are'
made known.