The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1903-01-10
SHORT IN HIS ACCOUNTS
Is Manager Harry Turner, Of the
Cumberland Telephone Company.

The many friends Of Mr.. Harry
Turner, who has been stationed
here for the past two years as
manager for the Cumberland Tele
phone Company, were surprised
and shocked few days ago to
learn that he was short IN his &C.
counts and had left town in
hurry, without waiting to even
say goodbye to his nearest
friends. Public rumor has it that
he wrote out and mailed his res
ignation to the company last Sun.
day; took the trait that might and
left for Tennessee AS soon as
the company became appraised of
the fact of Turner'S departure
they at once sent Auditor Todd
here to go oven his accounts and
ascertain their conditions. Mr..
Todd has been here for several
days pushing the investigation
and until his work has been com
pleted no information bearing up
on the subject can be obtained
from HIM. 1t is well known, how
ever, that Mr.. Turner is short to
some extent, but just how much
no one can guess. 1t is the gener-
al opinion that the amount is
small and that everything will be
amicably adjusted, Mr.. Turner
having wealthy relatives who will
make the amount good.
Mr.. Turner is quiet, reserved
and unpretentiOns man and was
considered by a majority of our
people to be of exemplary habits
and no one for a moment imagined
that he would ever be guilty of
such a thing. He had always
been honest and upright in his
dealings with the company and
had the full confidence of it's of,
ficers and managers. Not a word
of suspicion had ever been uttered
against him, and all who knew
honOred and respected him. But,
it seems, in an evil hour he heark-
ened to the voice Of the tempter
and fell. 1t is claimed that of
late he had taken to gambling and
betting on the races and,as is usu.
al, this resulted in placing HIM in
his present disagreeable position
1t is the old, old story, So we'll
known and so oft repeated. OF
course there was nothing wilful
about it. A few dollars Of the
company's money was risked and
lost. Then others were put up
with the hope of getting even,
and thus it went until the De.
nighted young man found him
self sin the depths" Then the
usual denOuement followed and
the victim sought safety and i'm.
munity in flight. There was moth.
ing wilful about It, POSITIVELY moth
ing. 1t was an accident. Yet
the result and penalty are the
same as if the act had been
done "with malice afOrethought."
Young Turner has blighted his
name, his life and his hopes. He
is, no doubt, a miserable and pen
itent man. Still this will not un
do what has been done nor restore
him his good name. 1t is sad and
distressing and many who were
his friends here deeply sympa
thise with him, and would cheer
fully do what they could to help
him. We know Mr.. Turner will,
and no one regrets his misfortune
more than we do. But the truth
must be told, and we have stated
it as mildly as possible.
The Cumberland Company has
been peculiarly unfortunate in
this espect of late. since this is
the third case of the kind which
has occurred within the past few
days. First came the incident
here; then it was repeated at
Alexandria and again at Jeaner-
cite. The party who committed
the act there is now in our Jail
awaiting trial, while the one at
Alexandria is supposed to have
committed suicide. 1t will soon
come to the pitch that the COM
pany will not know who to trust.