The Topeka state journal., 1899-12-05
KANSAS NEWS.
Parsons Man For Three Years
SWindIes His Employer.
Arrest of Charles A. McLain
Brings Out the Facts.
A SHORTAGE OF $4,000
Forged Notes, Appropriated
Money and Changed Accounts.
His System a Bold Yet Simple
Effort.
How 1t Lasted Without Detec-
tiOn a Mystery.
A SHORTAGE OF $4,000

Parsons, Dec. 5.-The most extensive
forgeries ever perpetrated in Parsons
were brought to light in the arrest of
Charles A. McLain, the well known
sales agent of the National Mill and
Elevator company of this city, charged
with forging the name of Z. E Dele
plaine. station agent of the NJ, K. &
T. railroad at Labette City, to a note
for $40, in favor of H. H Brown, super
intendent of the mill and elevator COM
pany. The entire sum of McLain'S IL
legal transactions will amount to over
$4,000.
McLain was arraigned in Justice
NewtOn's court and his preliminary
hearing set for Wednesday. McLain
was required to give a bond for $1,000
for his appearance
The arrest of McLain created a
shock among his personal friends and
the business men with whom he has
had dealings. Three years ago he en-
tered the employ of the National Mill
& Elevator company. Through his in
dustry he secured the confidence Of
superintendent H. H. Brown, of the
mill and elevator company, to an un-
usual degree, and soon had charge of
the sales and collections. Not until q
few weeks ago was there a breath of
suspicion against the name of McLain.
superintendent Brown, in speaking of
the matter, said that the amount of
money McLain has collected and either
not accounted for or covered by fOrg-
ed notes, amount to five or six thOus-
and dollars. The discovery of Nc
Iain'S CrOOkedneSS was made on No
Vember II, when the mill company pre-
sented a claim against Mrs. NJ. E. Pet
erSOn. The account of Mrs. Peterson
on the books of the mill showed that
she was indebted to the firm over three
hundred dollars. McLain, it is said,
had been giving plausible excuses from
time to time for the non payment Of
the account.
A short time before the November pay
day, McLain had stated that Mrs. Pet
erson would pay fifty dollars on the
account pay day Just before the 18th,
although McLain plainly manifested a
desire to remain in the city, Superin-
tendent Brown sent him to the Indian
Territory on a business trip. During
his absence the office boy was sent to
Mrs. PetersOn's store to collect the
promised payment, when it was found
that Mrs. Peterson did not owe the
mill that amount of money, that her
Indebtedness only embraced the cur
rent months account, and that she had
settled her accounts promptly and held
DIcLain's receipts for the same.
McLain returned from the territory
q. day or two after pay day, when Su-
perintendent Brown asked him about
the Peterson account, and he frankly
confessed that he had not accounted
for the money collected. When asked
if there We're any more accounts in the
same condition he admitted that there
there We're two or three which would
probably amount to five hundred or six
In Parsons, according TO Superin-
tendent Brown, McLain's method seems
to have been to collect accounts, pocket
the money and report to the mill, with
great detail, the reasons for nOn-pay-
ment, and when these excuses would
not answer for an extension. he would
present a forged note for the amounts
due. Often when statements were
made out at the mill to be mailed Gus
toners for amounts which McLain had
already collected, he would gather up
the mail to take it to the pOstoffice and
destroy those letters.
McLain takes his arrest cOOlly He
says he hopes to make a compromise
with the mill company. He admitted
that he did not know the amount of his
shortage.
McLain further stated that as an
evidence of his intention to settle the
matter, that he had turned over to the
mill company his store at SavOnsburg,
which he said was worth about 81 600,
and which was purchased with money
belonging to the mill company and
appropriated by McLain.
The arrest of McLain created great
excitement and the question most fre-
quently asked was: What has become
of the money obtained by McLain ?''
The store at Savonsburg will not make
up the shortage, it is said. and he has
been living a comparatively quiet life
McLain has also confessed to forging
the names of a number Of individuals
to notes ranging in amounts from S25
to $50.