The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-10-03
SENSATION IN oRANGEBURG.
Bank Cashier Leaves For Parts Un-
known On Account of Shortage.


able excitement was manifested on
the streets this morning when<it be-
came known that Mr.. John W. Fair
ey, cashier Of the Edisto Savings bank
had left for parts unknown, and that
relatives and bank officials were in re-
ceipt of letters saying he would not
return, that his books showed a short
age for which he could not account,
and rather than endure the ordeal Of
suspense while expert examiners
were checking up the shortage, he
was leaving America for good. This
letter was written from New York,
and Mr.. Fairey said that within one
hour after writing. he would sail
from that city giving no clue as to
his destination.
During the past. three or four
years he has kept the current ledger
and it seems that in trying to strike
a trial balance a few days ago he ap-
peared to have discovered discrep-
ancy Of about 500 which he reported
to President B. H. Moss. Mr.. Moss
told him if satisfied with the discrep-
ancy existed to- charge it Oft the books
and gave no serious thought to the
matter. It appears now that Mr..
Fairey, having kept the current led
ger. was not satisfied to charge it off
the books. feeling there was some
mistake, and he proceeded to hunt it
up.
The bank gives its employees Is
days vacation with pay during the
year. Mr.. Fairey, instead of taking
his vacation at one time, has been
absent for two or three tays at a time
and still had two or three days due
him. On Sunday he rang up Vice
President Dibble, but Mrs. Dibble
answered the call. He told her to
tell Mr.. Dibble that he> would not be
at the bank Monday, and Mr.. Dibble
concluded he was taking the bal
ance of his holiday. Tuesday there
was some little comment among the
employees of the bank when he did
not return, and yesterday when he
was still absent and no one heard
from him it was feared that he had
met with foul play. 1t was known
that he went to Columbia Sunday
night and last night one or two OF
his personal friends, not connected
with the bank, went up to Columbia
to look for their friend, believing
that only his inability to write would
have kept him from advising the bank
of his whereabouts
Meanwhile, although the bank Off
cialS had no idea Of any criminal
action OF the part Of NJ. Faicey, tie
BOOKS were hastily gone Over and
everything appeared all right.
This morning, NJ Thomas Z.
Brantley and Capt. G. II. Moss, presi-
dent of the bank, received letters
from Mr.. Fairey, written in New
York, in which he said that his fur
ther work on the current ledger
showed discrepancy Of about s1O,-
600, but that he had not taken one
cent from the bank; that he had the
opportunity to take all the funds If
he so desired, but he could not stand
the suspense and was leaving for
parts unknown.
In his letter to Col. Brantley he
stated that he had taken only $500
with him, this being the profits on
real estate transaction recently made
to which Col. Brantley was party.
that he had not touched his bank de-
post and this together with his other
available assets amounting to $1,7O0
he turned over to Col. Brantley to be
used in the employment Of experts
to investigate the so-called shortage.
The officers and directors of the
bank are satisfied that no shortage
exists and so expressed themselves in
notice made public this morning,
and are as much dumfounded at
Mr.. Fairey's action as the public gen.
erally. He did not ask the assistance
Of the other bank officials in his hunt
for the discrepancy and the general
ly accepted theory is that owing to
the anxiety he became temporarily
unbalanced and that probably
after rest he will realize his mis-
take and return home.
Others, however, and among them
some of his close friends, seem to
think that personal matters. in no
way connected with the bank, were
the direct cause Of Mr.. Fairey leav-
ing, and that he has only tried to dl-