The San Francisco call., 1901-11-08
Discovery of Shortage.

The first intimation of the shortage
came last Tuesday afternoon, when Su-
preme Commander Markey and Supreme
Record Keeper George J. Sigele were
checking over the finance keepers books.
An error was found and they called
Thompson's attention to it. He said he
would take the books and papers home
with him that night and look it up. We'd
nesday morning he went to Markey'S Of
fee and confessed that his accounts were
short $51 ,OOO. He then ana there signed
written confession of the embezzlement.
An examination of the books followed
and the shortage was disclosed. Supreme
Commander Markey this afternoon gave
out the following in regard to it:
Charles B. Thompson has been supreme
finance keeper Of the supreme treasury since
September 1ss3 and cash handled and dis
bursed during that time amounts to more than
s15, ,000 600, and until this time there has never
been suspicion against his integrity. The
of money in leading banks in several CONNER
cial centers on which warrants are drawn for
the payment of death claims, but all collec-
tions are made through the Commercial Bank
of Port Huron and it is a part of the duties
Of the supreme finance keeper to transfer from
time to time from the Commercial Bank to
these other repositories money for the pur-
pose Of keeping the account good at such
banks and the money that was used in this
case by Mr.. Thompson was a draft trans
ferrsng from the Commercial Bank to the
First National Bank of New York The short
age is S57.OO0 but no loss will be incurred by
the Supreme Court. as every financial Off
cial of the organization, including Mr.. Thomp-
son, is bonded in surety companies and the
bond held by the order as security for Mr.
Thompson's integrity is very much greater
than the shortage. But the fact that no pc
cuniary loss is sustained does not relieve from
regret the membership of the association who
have been able to say that no officer has ap-
propriated a single dollar entrusted to his
care The bond company has been notified of
the defalcation and the Supreme Court will
look to them to make good the amount. Pend
ing a settlement with the bond company, there
will be no delay in the payment of death
claims, as the Supreme Court has on deposit
throughout the United States a little more
than half a million dollars, besides having
bonds amounting to more than 81, 10000.
Expects to Be Prosecuted.
The companies on Thompsons bond
were notified Of the shortage to-day and
representatives of each are now on their
way to Port Huron. Thompson is not un-
der arrest, but says he expects to be ar
rested and prosecuted and is prepared to
pay the penalty of his breach of trust.
The heavy loss sustained by the Thomp J.
son Towing and Wrecking Company of
this city. of which Thompson is a member
on the steamer Harlem. which they
raised from the bottom Of Lake Superior.
is responsible for the defalcation. Thomp-
son said this evening that he used the
funds of the order in this enterprise
which proved very Improbable. as the
expense of raising and refitting the craft
was so great that she had to be sold at
a loss. it is said, of $4,000, instead of a
profit
1t is expected an effort will be made bv
Tnompsons friends to effect q settlement
with the bonding companies.
Career of Thompson.
The Order of the Maccabees on the
American continent was started in Lon
don, Ont, in 1873, and soon spread from