Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-09-13
H00FF INDICTED
BY GRAND JURY.
Nine True Bills of Grand Larceny
Brought Against Manager
of Mercantile.

Lewis Hooff, general manager of the
MercantileR Railway Building and Loan
Association, was indicted by the
grand jury this morning on nine counts
Of grand larceny.
The grand jury, which is composed OF
John, w. May, foreman, Courtney
Acton G. Page Waller, T. G. Howard;
w. B. Smoot, CHARLES H. Callahan, W.
E. Balm, c. B. Marshall and A. S.
Doniphan, has been in session since last
Monday making an investigation Of
the affairs OF the Mercantile, which
closed its doors last January, following
tue failure OF the Viraini Safe Deposit
and Trust Corporation. They have
had large number of witnesses before
them, and this morning Harry Kirk,
bookkeeper OF the Virginia Safe De
posit and Trust Corporation, and Doug
lass Stuart, receiver OF the Mercantile,
were cloistered with the grand jury for
several hours.
The indictments were returned 10
the court at one O'Clock and at tho
same time, the report OF the grand jury
upon the condition upon the Mercan-
tile was presented. There we're only q
few persons in court when the jury had
completed its labors and Mr.. Hooff was
not present.
The indictments against Mr.. Hooff
are as follows:
Fcloniously stealing 5000 OF the funds
Of the Virginia Safe Deposit and Trust
Corporation.
Feloniously stealing 500 OF the funds
Of the Virginia Safe Deposit aud Trust
Corporation.
| Fclonously stealing $1,000 OF the
funds OF the Virginia Safe DEPOSIT! and
Trust Corporation.
Felonously stealing $3.50 ofthe funds
OF the Virginia Safe Deposit and Trust
Corporation.
Fclonously stealing $500 OF the funds
of the Virginia Safe Deposit and Trust
Corporation.
Folonously stealing six shares OF the
stock OF the Mercantile Company.
Feloniously stealing nine shares OF
the stock OF the Mercantile Company.
Feloniously stealing thirty-threc
shares of the Mercantile Company.
Feloniously stealing three shares OF
the stock Of the Mercantile Company.
The result OF the investigation OF the
affairs OF the concern is contained in
the following report. presented by the
grand jury
The grand jury finds that the 18th
annual statement Of the Mercantile
Railway Building and Loan Associa-
ton OF Alexandria to the stockholders
from the directors dated December 81,
1909, examined and approved by Joseph
J.. Durkin actuary Of Philadelphia dated
January 10th, 1910, based on informa-
ton, furnished by the officers Of said
association and approved by the trustee
was misleading and deceptive. as the
evidence before the grand jury shows
that the association was insoIycnt at
the time said report was made.
We also find the system of book
keeping was entirely inadequate and
confusing. We furthermore find tlat
the directors we're ignorant of the opc-
rations Of the institution and the
methods applied. relying entirely upon
data furnished by the SCI tratsry from
which they made their reports.
Mr.. Hooff has been summoned to
appear in court tomorrow morning,
when the date OF his trial will be set.
It is expected that it will take place on
or about the l4th Of November.
1t was stated today that Mr.. Hooff
was bonded in the United States Fidel-
ity Co., # Baltimore. Nd, for $50, 900
to fulfill his obligations as manager Of
the Mercantile.