The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1903-03-20
THE SHORTAGE CoNUNDRUM.

The Star has revised It's statement
that the shortage of S2,33IS5 was
among the items of embezzlement for
which Il. II. Wright was indicted ana
finds that, although the shortage was
known to Superintendent Cooper, 1t
was not called to the notice OF the
Grand Jury. The Star might nave ad-
ded that 1t was not called to the notice
of the taxpayers. either; the first oficial
publication of ii save an obscure para
graph in the unpaid bill message being
in the supplementary report OF Supt'
Cooper, which is now being printed.
Ii Is made clear enough that the short
ace Is not new to Mr.. Cooper, but IL
is decidedly new to the community and
to the officials charged with the admin
istration of Justice And that Is new
enough for all practical purposes.
The question as it stand is, as Chief
Clerk White describes it-"one of re-
sponsibility between Charles wilcox
the man who was discharged summari-
~ from the Board of Health and then
n ade disbursing agent of the Board
IF Public works-"and b. II. Wright,
who may be described as the handy
srapegoat. The money was last seen in
the hands of Wilcox. He SAYS he gave
IL to b. II. Wright Now If some miss
ing private property was last seen in
the hands of John Doe it would be no
defence for John to say that he had
turned it over to Richard Roe: he
would have to PROVE THE FACT to
get rid of his own responsibility to the
law. If any different rule should apply
20 Charles Wilcox the public would like
IT, know why. But Wilcox has not even
been exposed to the Grand Jury search
light; and this despite the fact that,
when he was asked by his official su-
perior how, if he paid over the miss
ing money to b. II. Wright one of
the warrants came to be cashed long
after Wright had gone to Jail, he an
swered II don't know"
And further. Mr.. Wilcox is in the
Public Works office to collect money
for the road boards on their payrolls,
and remit it to them He has no bust
ness to remit to anybody else. If he
gave the money in question to Wright
he was no more justified in the act
than II he had given 1t to the harbor-
master. And is it supposable that he
DID make this disposition of it? At
best his story looks suspicious. He
knew that the road board vouchers
were for current eXpenses-for monthly
wage-and that he was responsible for
Immediate disbursement. Yet he wishes
il to be thought that he deposited the
funds with Wright where they remain
ed for weeks until Wright was removed
from office, never asked for them, new
er attempted to put the money where 1t
belonged and considered himself pro-
tected by an old /. o. u. of the Chief
Clerks given for an entirely different
debt. Where is the logic of the trans
action? If Wilcox did what he says
what was there in it for him but trou-
BILE and danger? AS Wilcox tells the
story he puts himself in jeopardy
which, on the mainland would be seri-
Gus: but here he isn't even suspended |
from duty.
1t seems to the Advertiser that it is |
incumbent on the law officers of the |
Territory to make an arrest. They |
would certainly do so If this were the |
first shortage instead of one of a tire
some list but it should not be forgot
ten that the second shortage, or the
fifth or the tenth or the seventeenth
merits punishment just as much as the
first. Respecting embezzlements 1t
ought not to be said that 1--WE first
abhur, then pity, then embrace"