The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-25
HUNTER DENIES A SHORTAGE.
WENT TO MOROCCO BECAUSE HE
BECAME R ATTLED.

Attributes the Shortage in Atlanta
and West Point Accounts to Col.
Albert Howell. sr., Grice and Mar
tin--SRid He Thought Col. Howell
Would Pay Up-Defense Put Up No
other Witnesses and VIII Com
cIude the Arguments To-day.
Atlanta, April 4.-The evidence In the
Hunter embezzlement case was concluded
this afternoon, and two speeches wero
made in the case by Attorney Aston for
the Defense and Gen. Harrison for ths
state
Solicitor HIN and Attorney B. H. HUI
will follow for the prosecution, and Judge
Tompkins will close for the defense.
The defense introduced no evidence,
merely contenting themselves with allow
ing the defendant to make statement.
He denied that he was guilty of embez-
Element, larceny after trust, or stealing.
He said there was no conspiracy betweeu
him and Col. Howell to rob the Atlanta
and West Point road He said II was
true he knew of Col. Howell's shortage.
and kept it from the officers OF the COM
pany, but that he had always thought 10
was Col. Howell's intention to pay uu
when he got the money.
Never Got "A Cent of 1t.
In regard to the city ticket office ed
the Kimball House, Hunter said he never
got a cent of that money He believes
It was taken by the cashier of the office.
and by hts bookkeepers Grice and Mar
tin. In regard to the $500 obtained from
| the Newman office, Hunter said Martin
| admitted that the signatures to the orr
der were forged. and returned to him S4S1
of the money.
Hunter said he borrowed $50 from hia
| wife to make up the full amount and re-
| turned II to the Newman agent. He said
the first he knew OF the West Point mat
| ter was when Martin confessed having
collected S2,S75 from the office there. He
admitted that the money had been paid
back to him by Maj. Barnard.
Made Charge Against Grice.
In regard to Grlce, Hunter said that
when the young man was transferred to
| the auditors office from the treasurer's
othee, there was no statement about his
| shortage mades II was more than year
| before Hunter discovered that Grice was
short. In conclusion. he said;
Il left Atlanta TO go to Virginia to sea
my wife. I did think when L left that
Col Howelrs shortage would be discov
| cred. expected to see the head of the
| firm Of Haskins & Sells and arrange to
| settle up the matter / knew he was a
good man. l left Virginia and went to
New York. When got to New York
| got ratified. / left there and went to Ire
| land, where l stayed a short while, and
then l went TO Morocco. That is all
have to say"
That s2,375 Check.
! Joseph T. Orme cashier OF the Lowry
| Banking Company, identified the check
| for 1886 Joe Barnard had given Hunter
to cover e. ]. Martins alleged shortage.
| The check was deposited by Hunter 10
the credit of his individual account July
| 7, 1896 1t was, paid in New York July 10.
| Before the $2,375 was deposited Hunter
had little more than 500 to his credit.
| From July 10 to Aug. q Hunter drew out
| s2400 by checks. The checks had been
returned to Hunter with his pass box
c. B. Barr, freight and ticket agent at
| Newman, examined the forged" letter.
and said II had been presented TO him
| by E. ]. Martin, and he paid Martin $500.
| Although the lester was signed by thu
auditor and approved by the general mans
| ager, he thought matter was Irregular.
| He compared the signatures that night
with others Of Mr.. Hunter and Mr.. Smith
| and they did not look genuine.
He called Mr.. Hunter up the next morn-
| ing over the telephone. Hunter told him
to say nothing about 1t. but to send tho
letter TO him under personal cover, and
he would send back the $500 by express1
This was done.
Expert on the Stand.
d. s. Ferro, the expert accountant who
was sent by Haskins & Sells to check
up thesbooks I'm the auditors office, testi-
fed that he and his assistant went
through all the books and traced out
every item of money received by Hunter
from Col Howell, and for which credit
was wrongfully given. Without going
through each item, Mr.. Hill asked the
witness to give the total amount Of the
improper credits. Referring to his sums
mary, Mr.. Ferro said the total amount
was $10604.23.
Whose money was that?" asked Mr..
Hll.
ut was the money Of thes Atlanta and
West Point Railroad Company. 1t was
collected by Albert Howell Sr from the
sale Of tickets. from excess baggage and
from conductors cash"
The amount for which Col, Howell was
improperly credited added to the balance
which the auditors books showed him in-
debted, s20,2125O. made a total of $780,
S16,7S which Col. Howell owed the CONS
many.