The Hawaiian gazette., 1902-09-30
WRIGHT HAS
HIS DEFENSE
Alleged That He viii
Ask for Man With
Key.

" Haywood wriehts defense TO the
charge OF embezzlement Of public mon
eys preferred against him by the Terri
torial government, viii doubtless be
the admission u his having cashed
the check Of the Hawaiian Electric
Company and placed the proceeds
therefrom in the safe in the Public
Works department, and that others be
sides himself had access to the safe and
moneys
on Saturday the prisoner, who has
been held in oahu prison for two
weehs. appeared before Judge Wilcox
In the police court. Several witnesses
presented proof that the Hawaiian
Electric Company's check for s32S9.5S
was given to Il. II. Wright, then chief
clerk of the Public Works Department,
and that the same had been cashed at
the Bank of Hawaii.
one OF the most important pieces OF
evidence brought out in the eXamina-
tion was that of Attorney General +. L.
Dole. He stated that on September 9
he had a conversation with Wright. In
formation had come to him on Monday,
september S. which caused him to have
a meeting with Wright, together with
the latter's counsel and certain officials.
This was at II a. m, at which time no
defalcation had been suggested. At
that time Deputy Auditor Meyers OPEN
ed the safe in the Public Works De-
partment i'm the presence Of the assem-
,bled officials. Wright and his attor-
neys. The cash was then counted.
There was a deficit announced by
the Deputy Auditor Of $52j0.1O,' said
MIR. Dole. He was asked If the deficit
was correct and he stated that there
| was no doubt OF II, and that he would
refund the money within four days. The
amount of the Hawaiian Electric Com
| pany's check came UP and | asked de-
PENDANT If he had cashed the check,
which he admitted. / asked him what
| ne had done with the money and he
answered 1t is gone Further he de-
! Clined to answer. | told him he must
be taken in charge until the facts We're
more fully known though ] could not
guarantee his not being arrested at any
time on a warrant. He acCeded to this
procedure.
Mr.. Ashford. counsel for defendant,
asked for a postponement at the open
| ing of the case which was denied by
Judge Wilcox. The first witness was
| Manager A. Gartley of the Hawaiian
Electric Company. The check in ques-
ton was shown to Gartley, which he
said had been signed by himself, being
the amount due on franchise royalty OF
21h per cent on certain moneys of the
gross income by the company for light
ing and power. Walter S. Binley, the
bookkeeper for the Electric Company
testified to having filed in the body OF
the check and presenting 1t to Mr..
Gartley for signature. He said he de-
livered the check with voucher to b.
Wright, who signed the voucher In his
presence Frank Anterior, cashier of
the Bank of Hawaii, recognized on the
check the banks mark of paid but
under cross-eXamination could not
state definitely whether IT had been
cashed personally by Il. II. Wright.
Checks were cashed in a routine way,
unless there was something extraordl-
nary about it, at which time perhaps
the incident would be more definitely
stamped upon his memory.
Manuel Cook, first bookkeeper of the
Public Works Department, testified
that the clerks there took instructions
from Wright. 1t was Cooks duty to
receive the cash during the day. He
could not state definitely whether
Wright mad the power to collect or re-
ceipt for moneys due the Department
Cook stated there was no entry for the
amount of the check on August 10 OF
subsequently, in which the Electric
Company had been credited. In the alb
sence of the cashier Cook sometimes
receipted for moneys and filled out the
stubs in the receipt book when Stem
sen, the cashier, was absent. Cook saic
that the cashier endeavored to hanc
over the cash taken in each day, but ne
heard Wright say to Siemsen, Never
mind wait day or So When the
cash was not so turned over it was held
in the cashiers private safe. Cool
said he had never received the check In
question or the money derived there
from.
The case was adjourned till mex
Thursday.