Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-03-11
Accused of Forgery by Which
Employers We're Mulcted
of $4,000.
MONEY WAS USED TO
SUPPORT HER PARENTS
Held in $4,000 Bonds-Telis
Court Immunity Was Or
fered for $1,000.


prised today when they learned of the
arrest of Miss Susan G. Macomber, of
1872 Maple avenue north, East Orange,
and her erraignment yesterday on a
charge of forgery. by which her for
mer employers, the John Lane Com
pany. a book concern at ia West
Thirty-second street, New York, were
mulcted of a sum of money that may
approximate $4,000. Miss Macomber
lived quietly and unostentatiously. al
though she, with her aged father and
mother, Mr.. and Mrs. Horatio Macom-
ber lived in richly Furnished home in
the attractive residence section. Miss
Macomber's telephone is under the name
of Mary 8. Macomber. which differs
peculiarly from her name generally
used. Her aged father last night re-
ceived several newspapermen at his
home and discussed his daughters ar
rest In the comfortable home, which
was equipped, his daughter told the
police, with the money she took from
her employers.
Given Clean Record by Audit Co.
"It is very strange the expert ac-
countant employed at $25 a day DID
not discover the alleged shortages.
said the father. when my daughter,
after less than two years employ, de-
cided to leave she requested an audit,
and, I understand. the audit company
gave a clear record My daughter
lived quietly, she made no investments
or property purchases, but the money
is all gone. My daughter has not been
convicted of any offense and is simply
held on a technical charge, mentioning
$500 My daughter had no expensive
habits of dress and was not identified
with any local societies and did not
entertain. She said nothing to me of
writing any letter admitting her
guilt"
The home is one of the prettiest in
the thoroughfare and an air OF retlpe-
ment and even luxury was apparent.
Mrs Macomber frequently prompted
her husband when he spoke with the
newspaper representatives and to some
of them she gave advice. Her husband
frequently asked her questions and
the father invariably followed her sug-
gestions.
Expert accountants are today going
over the books of the company to de-
termine the amount of money
misappropriated by their 4o-year-
old s1e-a-week .bookkeeper, who
admits stealing $4,000 to support
her aged parents, but the Investigation
will not end there. The district attor-
ney's office in New York is also IN
vestigatlng declaration by Miss NC
Comber, made just before she was
locked up in defaul. of $4,000 bail last
night. to the effect that she could nave
purchased immunity from prosecution
"Wednesday night by paying her bond
ing company $4,000.
Miss McComber declared that she
was told by a representative Of the
Employers Liability Company, of New
York. her bondsmen, that If she paid
$1,000 she would not be prosecuted. Al
this time the amount of the shortage
was not approximately known, 1t Is
declared, and 1t was apparently the
general belief that 1t would not exceed
this sum.
Could Raise Only $1,000.
II didn't have the $4,000" Miss Nc
Comber told the court, but l gave
them ST. 900 and asked for days time.
This request was granted. l tried
every where to raise the other $1,000,
but without success. Finally, in des-
peration, took over two $500 insurance
policies on the lives Of my parents.
NV father is "a years old and my
mother Is H. Neither can live very
long, and it is only a question OF a
short time. I believe, before the insur-
ance could be collected. told the firm
this, but they demanded the $1,000 and
said they were unwilling to take the
policies, so I was locked up"
Under the New York law, when
crime is committed, it cannot be settled
out of court except with the permission
of the prosecuting authorities. A
crime is regarded as a crime against
the commonwealth and is prosecuted
by the district attorney. If it is proven
that Miss McComber's declaration is
true an action may lie, lawyers de-
clare, against the person who made the
remarkable offer.
Arrested in New York.
Miss McComber pleaded for time
when threatened with arrest She did
not wish her parents to know Of her
disgrace, she said, as she feared that it
would kill them. She wanted the bond
ing company to wait until they died,
and then, she said, they could do with
her as they wished They denied this
request. but acceded to her plea that
she be arrested somewhere not in the
vicinity of her home, and thus avoid a
scene there. This was granted and she
was taken into custody in New York.
AS bookkeeper fer the Lane Company
for the past two years, Miss McComber
handled nearly $1,000.000. The tempta-
ton to steal was always confronting
her, just as the comfort of the two old
people. whose sole support she was, was
always before her. In their old age
they required many things, she de-
clared. that her meagre salary could
not purchase. She had led an upright
life until the temptation became too
great and she stole. not for herself. she
said but for them.
Her method of operation was simple
so simple that the accountants mar
fC"ntinned an second Pna--l