The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-09-25
THE TREASURER IS A
DEFAULTER IN
THOUSANDS
NO DOUBT BUT HE SKIPPED ON
THE A-CoNFESSED HIS
THEFT TO SECRETARY COOPER
ON TUESDAY.

Territorial Treasurer William H.
Wright, whose flight from the territory
by the Alameda yesterday, was an
nounced exclusively in the extra issue
of the Star within a very short time
after the Alameda sailed, is defaulter
to the territory to the amount of $17,-
949,91. This amount has been taken
from the so-called Chinese fund which
was on special deposit with the trea-
surer.
The news that Wright had absconded
spread rapidly and superseded almost
all other topics of conversation for the
remainder of the day and evening.
That Wright was a defaulter was
known to Secretary Cooper Tuesday
Wright himself having made the state
ment to the Secretary on that day,
voluntarily but promising to make
good by o'clock yesterday morning.
When he failed to keep his appoint
ment at that hour, at the request of
Governor Dole, Secretary Cooper took
charge of the treasurer's office. A little
later the High Sheriff was notified and
asked to keep a lookout for the alb
sconding treasurer. The Alameda was
searched for him but without avail
Considerable evidence of Wrights
movements during the day has been un-
earthed since.
The books of the treasurer's office
have been investigated and the cash
counted, and it is stated authoritative
ly that the amount of the defalcation Is
that given above.
1t was reported that Wright had
taken with him the draft drawn by the
Secretary of the Treasury on the sub
treasury at San Francisco for $14O,0O0
which was received a few days ago in
repayment by the federal government
of interest on the Hawaiian debt paid
by the territory after the time at
which the national government assum-
ed the debt.
This report aroused the most intense
interest. The draft was made payable
TO the treasurer of the territory, Will
liam H. Wright. 1t was payable at the
sub-treasury at San Francisco. w. H.
Wright aboard the Alameda would ar
rive in San Francisco six days ahead of
any news of his flight and defalcation.
His arrival in San Francisco as a pas
senger on the Alameda would excite
20 surprise or suspicion. He would
/haVe no trouble in establishing his
identity by score, perhaps a hundred
Islanders now resident in San Francisco
many of them of the highest financial
responsibility among them Charles r.
Bishop, Robert Levers, Col. George Nc
Leod and others. His official position
known, the -rumOr that he had taken
this draft with hlm at once suggested
the comparative ease with which, with
a plausible story invented for the pur-
pose he might have secured the money
on it. This would have made him al
most if not quite sui generis in the re-
cords of official defaulters, for he would
have been the single example of flee
ing defaulter picking up snug sum of
money after his flight and his defalca-
tion had become known to his own
government.
Inquiry at the treasurer's office this
moning, however brought out the assur-
ance that this draft had not been taken
by Wright, Secretary Cooper stated
that it bad not been taken, but was
safe. 1t seems that when the draft was
received here it was taken to the First
National Bank to be cashed. The
bank however would not cash it, be-
cause the draft was not drawn in du
plicate. If the bank had cashed it, and
then on sending the draft through the
mail it should be lost, it would be six
months before the United States would
issue a duplicate, thus tying up this
sum of money for that time longer and
then the bank would have to give per-
petual bond in double the amount to in
demnity the treasury department
against the original draft ever reap
pearing and being cashed. The hank
therefore took the draft for collection,
giving q receipt for it. 1t was sent to
San Francisco for collection and upon