The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-12-09
Employers Were Suspicious and Were About
10 Make an Investigation.
CALDER PROBABLY KNEW OF THIS.
Has Not Been Seen al His Home or Elsewhere in
City Since Last Saturday, Amount of Short
age Not Yet AscertaInsd.

on saturday morning last. about 1C
o'clock. John B. Calder, bookkeeper
who had for the past three years been
in the employ 1of S. S. Sprague & Co.
grain dealers in the Industrial Trust
building left the office, stating that he
was going TO do some marketing and
would return i'm n short time. Since
that time Calder has not been seen at
the oihce, and neither has he returned
To his home at No. 440 Public street. An
examination of his books has, accord
ing TO the statements made by the firm,
shown many Irregularities.
Mr.. Calder was several years ago the
cashier OF the now defunct Grocers and
Producers bank. and he was arrested on
the charge of embezzlement from the
bank and placed on trial three times,
the jury being unable to agree in each
instance. AT that time IL was generally
believed that Calder was as much
Slhned against as SHINING. The prose-
cution was finally dropped and for some
time Mr.. Calder lived i'm fore or less re-
tirement and devoted his time TO
Strengthening out the books of various
firms. he being an accountant OF
marked ability, and his work was well
performed.
About three years ago he entered the
employ or ;. ;. Sprague * Co, and re-
mained with the firm until Saturday
morning, when he disappeared The
ilrm FOR some little time had suspicious
concerning the condition OF the books,
and there seems to be reason to believe
that Mr.. Calder was aware of these sus-
picions and that his hasty and myste-
rious departure from the office was due
to these causes. When he did not APP
pear at the office on Monday, and in
quiry at his home was met by the state
ment that he had not been seen there
since early on Saturday morning the
firm deemed IL advisable to have the
books examined, and ii did not take !
very long to demonstrate the fact that |
something was wrong.
The members of the firm have not |
much TO say about the case for the |
present, preferring to wait until more |
detailed examination is made One of
them said, however. ''the books are
crooked. The amount involved or the
methods pursued l can SAY nothing
about until experts have been over the |
accounts Experts are now at work on |
them, and / shall be i'm position To
know within a few days TO what extent |
the crookedness had progressed" The
same member OF the firm stated that
nothing involving large amounts had
yet been discovered. although IL was
quite possible that a number of com !
paratively small amounts added to-
sether may aggregate quite a large |
amount.
Mr.. Calder. whose whereabouts for !
he present are unknown. is about so |
years of age, and In very well known i'm |
business circles In the city. He has a
wife and daughter who are naturally
very anxious over his absence. The |
'eason for his alleged acts remains
louded in mystery. IL known at ALL and
IS far as can be ascertained Mr.. Calder |
vas not "a speculator and neither was
lis mode OF living such as would lead
me to accuse him of extravaganza
The case has been reported to the po-
Ice and the detectives are now work
ng upon it,
Mr.. Henry s.. Sprague stated this
norning that he believed the amount | 5
AIKEN would he quite small. and il did | {
OF cause the frm any anxiety at all {
rom n business standpoint. Mr.. Cal I
er's mode OF operation was to mani c
ulate the bank slips when he made |
eposits, and. as far as can he learned 5
ow, this was not commenced prior To | I
,st June, and only very small sums |
ere taken at a time. The firm does a a
lrge business in grain, handling IL by I
ne cargo and the car. and the deposits /
the firm were quite heavy. s
Mr.. Sprague says his suspicious were &
reused over certain matters only "A n
cry short time before Mr.. Calder's dis c
ppearance. and he is now convinced | {
lat Mr.. Calder realized that something a
as wrong. Mr.. Sprague had visited
he office in the evening in order to g
ave better opportunity TO inspect the 81
)oks and it was probably some mis- "
aced paper that gave Mr.. Calder the | h
ue which alarmed him. He kept n
ose watch on Mr. Sprague. and on | b
,turday morning followed him from n
e Office and saw him enter city han. IN
This undoubtedly caused him 10 dis 81
)pear and IL indicates that ne had b
ghtly guessed what caused Mr.
prague 20 visit city hall. IL will bc
veral days before the firm will know