The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1901-11-14
Finance Keeper of Maccabees
Steals $4,000.
He Confesses His Guilt and Tenders His
Resignation Sureties Will be Called
On to Cover Shortage and Order Will
Lose Nothing.


Tent of the Knights of the Mac
cabees, is self-confessed de-
faulter in the sum of S57, 900.
He took the money to aid his
own imperiled business interests
and it is thought that almost the
entire amount was distracted
from the money paid in to him
during October. Large as the
defalcation Is it is less than
quarter of the months receipts.
His big defalcation will, how
ever, not cause more than a
moments ripple in the financial
affairs of the benevolent order,
for he is under bonds of S75. 900
from the Fidelity and Casualty
company.
Beyond this, however, the Or
der has surplus fund of over
200, 900 invested in govern
e and municipal bonds,
even a complete loss
int easily could be
and 1t has almost
members, so that if an
-.sessment were necessary it
would cost the individual mem
bers only about 20 cents each.
Tho news of the shortage
eau great surprise, because
Mr.. Thompson had always been
accounted man of great wealth,
and the confidence of his fellow
Maccabees in him was unlimited.
As supreme finance keeper he
handled all the monthly receipts
of the order, and since last July
when a change was made in the
business methods of the order,
he had had fuller control of the
funds than before. He received
almost so, 900 day on an aver
in checks, postal and express
orders and cash. An audit Oct.
/, showed his accounts all right.
but after that time he apparently
deposited only bank drafts in
the bank to the orders credit.
and took the cash and the pro-
ceeds OF the postal and express
money orders for his own use.
The first intimation that the
supreme tent officers had of the
defalcation came Tuesday after
noon during the audit of the Oc-
tOber accounts. 1t was found
that $4,000 was charged up as
''amount in transit between
banks This was such a sus-
piciously large sum that spec
ial investigation was made,
which at once disclosed the
shortage.
The amount in transit" is
money beng transferred from
the Cor nercial Bank, the local
deposit y at Port Huron. to
the other repositories in large
cities, on which the checks are
drawn for the payment of death
benefits, OF these banks the
Bankers National Bank of Chi
cage is the most important.
When accused, Mr.. Thompson
at once admitted his guilt, and
after unavailing efforts to secure
funds with which to make resti-
futon he handed Supreme Com
mander Marley his resignation,
together with a letter admitting
his guilt He says he invested
the money in his business think
ing there was no chance of loss.
The order of Maccabees has
almost 100000 members and
their policies range. from $500
to $1,000 each. Their total in
surance is over 800, 600, 900.
No steps have yet been TAX
en- for the prosecution of the
confessed defaulter, and action
will PROBABLY be left to the
contemporaries. Mr.. Thomp-
son is at his home, repentantly
awaiting tue outcome. The APP
pointment Of his successor rests
with Supreme Commander
Marker
The Following statement was
given out by Mr.. Marley at Port
Huron:
Chas. B. Thompson has been
supreme financekeeper of the
supreme tent since it was organ
lied in September, 1883, and has
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