The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-09-22
HE PLAYED
THE HORSES.
BOokkeeper COnfeSseS to
ENLIGHTENMENT.
TRUSTED FOR q YEARS.
PeculaliOns B gin With the Steal
ing OF Ten Dollars.
TRUSTED FOR q YEARS.
SHORTAGE NOW in THOUSANDS.

New York, Sept 22.-For upward OF
twenty three years Joseph Rogers has en-
joyed ths implicit confidence OF his en-
pIoyers, Fayerweather & Ladew, the leather
merchants, of No. 159 East Houston
street. From a small Office boy Rogers
has grown to be gray headed man. Lust
night this trusted employe was prisoner
in the Eldridge street station house,
charged with being thief by those who
have put their faith in him for so many
years. 1t was by his own admission that
the discovery was mado that he was short
In his accounts more than Sl5, OOO and
when an investigation was made It
than that.
Wasn Rogers was first employed by
Fsyerweather q Ladew he was the Office
boy, but such aptness did ho show for Ito
business and so Interested was he In the
welfare Of the firm that he was soon ad-
vanced and the Office boy was put
20 work on the books. Fifteen years ago
be became the hoau bookkeeper, with lull
authority in the work Of the Office when
mem bers of the firm and John Hetzul,
the manager. were out OF the city.
So confident were the members of the
firm and all else in authority that the
bookkeeper's honesty was beyond dispute
that never once were any OF his figures
questioned. Last win or. when some
special report was wanted, an expert was
put TO work on the books, but be did not
discover single false entry. and after
making out his report, said that all was
straight in the bookkeeper's accounts.
IL was on Friday that the revelation
came. Rogers. pale and anxious, came TO
work at his Office ut the usual hour. lie
aemed i'll and when Il. X. Ladew asked
him If he was i'll he burst out crying.
The two men went into the private
Office and wnen the conference was over
MIR. Ladew was heard to tell the book
keeper to 90 homo and rest. Then he
said Rogers was overworked and needed
N rest. At the time Mr.. Ladew thought
his trusted bookkeeper had lost his mind.
Rogers had just told him he had robbed
the firm of many thousands of dollars
which he could never repay.
Rogers also told his employer no had
been thief for years, and there never
was morning when he came TO work
that he mad not determined To confess he
had stolen money from time TO time. He
told how no had first been tempted To
snke ten dollars and then TO make false
sntry. He meant to pay this back at
once; he only took it as "a borrow Then
he took SO more as borrow, and soon he
was several hundred dollars hort in his
accounts This has been going on for mr.
teun years, each year the false entries
growing larger.
This money Rogers lost on the races
As he got further and further behind, the
borrows got to be more frequent, and tho
man grew desperate In his determination
- k.olx hat x.,ht tnh a MI haln en-.
him. So expert did Rogers become in
covering up his track with false figures
that IL Ia probable he would have gone
on much longer with his stealing bad not
his conscience at last become so urgent
thar he could not help nonfessing.
As soon as Rogers left the office on Fri
day morning, Mr.. Ladew and Manager
Hetzel began an Investigation. They
found some things that decided them TO
call In an EXPERT The expert was not
long in discovering the many little steal
ings. The further back he went i'm the
books the smaller the populations grew,
but before he had gone over the ac-
counts for ten years he discovered
shortage of Sl5, 900. Three thousand dol
lars more was discovered the next five
years. The $4,000, it is thought, will
not sover the amount of the entire short
age by many dollars. Enough was discov-
cred to warrant the arrest of the man
who hsd confessed 10 the theft
Rogers went 20 the office yesterday af-
ternoon as MIR. Ladew had told him. lie
was looking pale and haggard. No sooner
had he entered the door than detsctiye
stepped from the private Office and placed
him under arrest. He was then lod away
TO Eluridge Street Station, ana was later
taken TO the Essex Market Police Court.
There Hetzel was the complainant
against him. The prisoner did not deny
his guilt, and he was held without bail
for hearing.
Rogers is forty-two years old and is
married. His wife and four little chill
dren live at No 40 Berkeley place Brook
lyn. Rogers trouble is said TO be- solely
due to his fondnoss for playing the races.
He ana his family lived we'll, but he drew
n good salary from the firm and Is not be-
lieved TO have lived beyond his means.