The San Francisco call., 1906-07-26
ALLEGED EMBEZZLEMENTs.

The complaints filed against Wines by
Breiling allege the following specific
embezzlements by the cashier: On July
% 1905, So. on the same date $40; on
August IS $50; August %, SIS; Sep
tember %, IS, and October 10. $40. The
total amount covered by the six com
plants is $3.50.
Breiling said today that the amounts
Of these shortages and the dates on
which they were shown by the books
Of the bank were furnished to him by
John Williams. an expert employed by
the bank 10 examine the books. He
says however, that a number of tags
showing that Wines had taken money
from the bank We're found IN the safe.
Councilman Hahn is highly incensed
a the action of Breiling in causing the
arrest Of Wines. whom he declares to
be absolutely innocent Of misappro-
priating a penny Of the funds Of the
bank In discussing the case today
he said:
This whole case is the result of a
successful effort TO freeze Wines and
myself out OF the bank. ] viii admit
that when the bank was organized in
October, 1904, by Charles Wines, Charles
Willard and myself we did not know
very much about the banking business.
Any apparent shortage that may ap-
pear now IS caused by a confusion re-
sulting from the changing OF the ac-
counts Of the Institution from the tenn
pOrary books Of the bank TO those now
IN use. ] viii stake my life that Wines
has never taken a cent OF the money
belonging 10 the bank.
When Wines, Willard and myself or
ganized the institution, we placed the
sale OF stock IN the hands OF the
Finance and Security Company of San
Francisco. of which Block and Green's
fielder are the head. and for a time
these men had almost entire charge of
The affairs OF the bank, as We intrusted
everything TO them. When the change
I'm the books was made all the items
on the old books We're called of TO
Wines by a representative of Block &
Greensfelder, and il is my belief that
any confusion in the accounts occurred
at that time.
GIVES DEFIANCE TO BREILING.
Breiling has intimated several times
that ] had stolen $3.50 from the bank.
but I only wish that he would make a
charge against me- / paid for the char
ter of the bank out of my own pocket,
and il was the repayment Of this money
10 me- which was paid in more than
one iustallment. that Breiling would
now like 10 make out a theft ] want
10 say right here that If we had known
as much about banking when we or
ganized the West Oakland Bank as
some people do about beating helpless
women, this trouble would never have
occurred.
Breiling is inclined at present to
stand on the accusations made in the
complaints filed against Wines. He
said this afternoon:
The officials Of the bank are prepared
10 prove all the charges made against
Wines and what is more, other charges
of a Tar more serious nature may soon
be filed against him. For one thing, We
can prove that he removed about a
dozen pages from one OF the books OF
the bank, and this is a felony. That
matter is now in the hands Of the Bank
Commissioners.
In brief the whole case amounts to
this When ] was elected president of
the bank I began 10 suspect that the
accounts were not straight, and / put
an expert on the cashiers books. We
found a shortage amounting to about
$4,000 and Wines was at once dis
missed. He promised TO make good the
shortage and failed 10 do so, and we
have determined TO take the matter
into court. OF the charges of Mr.. Hahn
that this action is the result of an ef-
fort 10 freeze out the organizers of the
bank, j may have something to say
later.
Wines stoutly denies that he has
misappropriated any of the funds of
the bank and declares that when the
proper time comes he viii prove his
innocence to the satisfaction of friends
and enemies alike.
Wines was arraigned in Department
] OF the Police Court this morning and
the case was continued to August 6 for
him to plead