The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-11-16
On Trial For Embezzling
The Sum of $22S.
UNION PACIFIC TEA CO.
Officials We're the Principal Wit
nesses Against Him.
DEFENDANT DENIES THE CHARGE

John Il. Radcliffe, who was indicted
for the embezzlement of s22s from the
Union Pacific Tea Company was tried to-
DAY before Judge Wilbur and jury. Rad
clitfe was for long time manager OF
the local stores of tho tea compony
named
ii. f. Pierce secretary and treasurer of
the Union Pacific lea Company, was the
first witness called for the State and he
testified that the company had two stores
on Westminster street and n third one
was sub blet 10 other parties MIR. Pierce
further stated that there had been in
structions given Radcliffe 20 deposit the
money received from rent separately in
the bank and this money was not ca be
drawn on any consideration. He claim ed
hadcliffe's : relations with the company i'm
regard To the rent OF the store. 1924 West
minister street. for the month of April
and May were not correct. His slowness
in reporting, or rather Ia putting the rent
money in the pank caused lots of tele
graphing and correspondence, and Rad
clifie at last put the rent for May on de-
poslt. bat sometime afterward wrote to
the company main Office saying that the
STA sent as rent should he credited TO the
sales of tea and other articles of mer
chandise in one of the stores.
NcSlUH Ol lHe OnlbD
Pacific Tea Company was the next wit
ness. he oorroborated the test mony of
previous witnesses a. TO the correspond.
ence In regard To the rent of store at 1924
Westminster street and the trouble aris-
ing therefrom. In regard To the failure
of Mr. Radcliffe to make up the def
cheney of 1928 in the rent, witness said he
gave Radcliffe two hours to do So Rad
cliife could not find the money ana then
Nevibs referred To previous alleged
shortage of S24O0 and said the company
would probably press tho case against
him very hard.
10 Mr. owen witness admitted that
shortages were very common in such
stores, but that they need not be so for
there was always AN allowance made for
the shrinkage of tea and other articles
sold. Rndclife's instructions were To pay
all current expenses daily out of the cash
receipts, but Mr.. Nevins and Mr.. Pierce
admitted gas bills and some other debts
could not be paid that wav.
The tenants in the building testified
that it was the custom OF Radcliffe dur
ing the hard times in Olneyville TO allow
tenants "a reduction from s. to 50 "a month
from the face value of the receipts given
I'm the name of the company. One Of
these tenants was n Chinamsn who kept
a laundry and he stated Radcliffe used TO
allow him 81 fine or six times year
for removing ashes.
Though these tenants were called in
behalf of the prosecution their stories of
getting rebates on their rents proved To
ba the main ground upon which the de.
fendant stood, for his counsel, Franklin
T. Owen in his opening address to the
jury, said IL would be proven that Mr..
Radcliffe had paid over to the Union
Pacific Tea Company more money than
he had received from the tenants and
that this unbusinesslike action was what
got him into trouble. The defendant al
so claimed that he paid out n good deal
more than the amount he had been
charged with embezzling for the com.
pany's stores I'm this city. Tor which pay
ments he produced vouchers
Assistant Attorney General Charles +.
Stearns conducted the case for tho prosecu-
tiOn,