The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-09-02
STOREKEEPER
SCDvEL OF OEOMEA
HAS DISAPPEARED
Continued from Page g.,

his arrest last Tuesday. The police all
over the island of Hawaii have been
notified to keep a lookout for the miss
ing man, and to hold him at least I'M
til the books can be examined and his
guilt or innocence ascertained.
If it is proved that Scovel has really
absconded with money belonging to
Brewer & Co., received from sales at
their Papaizou store, it will be mat
ter of great surprise, for he has always
been looked upon as a most exemplary
employe, with no bad habits.
News of the trouble on Onomea
Plantation was first brought to Homo
lulu in the Claudine's mail. which was
placed in the hands of Brewer & Co.
yesterday morning. Letters from Man
ager Moir of Onomea Plantation told
the facts in the case as they had oc-
CURED up to the time of the Claudine
lSdNiiS IlllO tctSl SACCOIQiIlS "
these letters Scovel, who has been in
charge of the Papaikou store for about
three years, rendered his resignation a
week ago Friday to go into effect i'm
mediately. He gave no reason for this
sudden determination, which naturally
caused some surprise, and when he left
Manager Moir Immediately began an
investigation of the store books. From
the first many errors in accounts were
discovered, and after the examination
had progressed for day of so Mr..
Moir came to the conclusion that every
thing was not just as 1t should have
been. He went to Scovel's room but
lie was not there, and no trace of him
could be found excepting a statement
that he had made to a friend of his in
tention to go to Hilo. After consulta-
ton with attorneys Moir decided to
swear out an information against his
old employee and warrant was placed
in the sheriff's hands for his arrest.
Search at Hilo failed to disclose the
slightest trace of the missing mans
were then sent to every part OF the is
land to prevent him leaving. At the
time of the Claudine leaving Hilo on
Friday no trace of Scovel had been
discovered, and notice was sent to High
Sheriff Brown to look out for him here.
yes" said George II. Robertson,
vice president and manager If Brewer
& Co. yesterday, when questioned in re-
gard to the affair; there has been
trouble at Onomea. E. L. Scove1, our
storekeeper in charge of t. e store at
Papaikou, has disappeared and experts
are now going over his books. We do
not know as yet whether Scovel has
committed any wrong or not, positive
ly. When he threw up his position SO
suddenly the suspicious of the manager
were aroused and he began an investi-
cation of the books Immediately. This
examination had not been finished at
the time Moir wrote us, the letter ar
irving in the Claudine mail, and we
cannot tell just what is wrong The
hasty examination already made shows
the firm to have lost about $1,000 since
the first of the year, though a closer
investigation may make some change.
Scovel made weekly reports to us and
the store did not show any loss during
the year.
Many errors We're discovered in
ScoveTs books, on examinations but he
was always loose in his bookkeeping
Whether this money was really stolen
or not we do not know positively.
did not exactly like the inventory he
made at the beginning of the year and
we had intended to send a man up there
this month, not connected with the
plantation in any way, to me, a new
inventory. Scovel may have become
suspicious of this and sent in his res
ignation before the investigation could
be made. Much of the goods were sold
to the laborers on credit, and taken out
of their wages by the plantation.
Whether Scovel collected and failed to
turn in the money is not known, as the
examination had not progressed far
enough to say. There is, however. a
showing of loss of $1,000 according to
the stock now on hand and the amount
the inventory showed, and what stock
had been sent to him during the year
"Scovel was a man of regular habits
He had been working at Papaikou store
for about three years, and previous to
that was in charge of the store at Ho-
lnonu. He is about 40 years of age, and
unmarried. He never drank, played
cards or gambled, and dressed plainly.
If he took the money it was not spent
upon himself; he must have put it in
hole in the ground somewhere. SEQ
lvel was somewhat of an artist, and