The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-15
MRS.ARMOURSUES
Wealthy Widow Brings Action
Against a Former Employee
For the Recovery of $4,000
Stolen From Her.

Kansas City, July 15.-Mrs- Mar
garet Klock Armour, widow Of Sim
con B. Armour, the packer, filed suit
in the circuit court here today for
$142,00O against Miss Harriet Bying
ton to cover peculations alleged to have
been made by Miss Byington while
serving as companion and hOusekeep-
er to Mrs. Armour.
The first intimation the public re-
ceived concerning peculations against
Mrs. Armour came about three
months ago when a local newspaper
published stories saying that $4,000
in bonds and securities had disappear
ed from Mrs. Arm ours safety deposit
box at the New England National
bank of this city.
The fact that the majority of the
business of Mrs. Armour's household
was conducted by Mrs. Armour's com
panion, nurse and housekeeper and
the fact that this companion held the
kew to Mrs Armour'S safety deposit
box, was mentioned, but the name of
the companion was kept secret. Mrs
Armour refused to believe any charges
OF dishonesty against Miss Byington.
Meanwhile new discoveries increased
the amount of missing securities until
the Armour attorneys stated it at
S150,0O0.
Under pressure brought to bear oy
friends of Mrs. Armour and despite
the expressed confidence of her en-
ployer, Miss Byington several days
after the discovery of the peculations
confessed that during the three years
she had been in Mrs. Armour'S en-
ploy she had from time to time ex-
tracted securities from the safety de-
posit box and sold them to brokers on
the pretense she was doing it for Mrs.
Armour who desired the money for
private charities. Miss Byington then
directed investigators to dog ken
mel at the Armour home, where about
l. $4,000 of the securities were found
buried in a corner. She promised to
restore the remainder.
It developed that tho OESandS OF dol
lars had been spent by Miss Byington
for fine jewelry and works of art, for
which she had paid fabulous prices, in
some cases apparently with the use of
little judgment. From storage houses
in this city. under Miss Byington's di-
rection, Mrs Armour's representatives
recovered $40, 900 worth of jewelry
bought from one firm in the course of
IS months $4,000 worth of oriental
rugs and $4,000 worth CT mezzo tints
purchased from a local art dealer,
whose shop she had frequented a great
deal. Other gew-ga.ws and f1ashy art
works were found in Miss By1ngton S
apartments at the Armour home.
Miss Byington came to Kansas City
from Rochester, N Y and entered
Mrs Armour's employ about three
years ago Mrs. Armour IS 76 years
old. Gradually she came to lean more
and more upon her companion, until
eventually she gave her a large part of
the control of the financial manage
ment of the household When told by
her attorneys of the disappearance of
securities, Mrs. Armour refused to take
any action against Miss Byington and
for weeks afterward kept her in her
employ.
The amount named in the suit.
$4,000, is stated to cover the entire
amount of the alleged peculations, in
cluding the bonds and the value of
property returned. Vouchers showing
the amount returned must be present
ed in court and credited against the
entire amount