Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-11-21
MASONIC FUNDS SHORT
Portion of Money Of Fredericksburg
Lodge Number ( is
Missing

Randolph Howard, formerly cashier
of the Conway, Gordon &Garnett Ma
tional Bank and well known in this
city. Later investigation shows thai
a large portion of the money which is
missing belonged to the Masonic Me
mortal temple to General George
Washington who was made a Masor
in that city. A portion Of the money
was raised in Alexandria.
The following account of Mr.. How.
ards arrest is taken from the Fred.
ericksburg Star:
"a. Randolph Howard, for years onG
of the leading bankers of this city, ant
until recently cashier Of the Conway
Gordon & Garnett National Banl
here, was indicted by grand jury II
the Corporation Court late Tuesday
afternoon on two charges of embnz.
element, one involving about $34, 900
alleged to have been taken from the
bank, and one about $4,000 alleged
TO have been the property Of the Ma.
sonic lodge of this city.
an few minutes after the indict
ments were returned Mr. Howard
voluntarily walked into the court, az.
companied by Messrs. W. j. Ford
Clarence r. Howard, W. D. Carter, {
O'Conor Goodrich and Charles H
Hurkamp, and surrendered himself
After consultation between Judge
Goolrick, Commonwealth Attorney
Butzrer and Messrs. Carter and Goo
rick, representing Mr.. Howard, ba!
was fixed at $4,000 and the accuses
recognized to appear in court on tn,
first day of the December term, being
Thursday, the 5th. He was then re
leased and left the courtroom in com
pany with friends.
"The indictment Of Mr.. Howard !!
sequel of exciting events which hay
taken place here in the past thre'
weeks. About that far back it wa:
discovered by the bank officials tina
he was short in his accounts to th'
amount of abou: $34 GOO, and it is I'm
derstood that when questioned =.
the board of directors he at once ad.
nitted the shortage. This was late II
the week and in the meantime step;
were taken to make the shortage goo'
AS a result early the following Mon.
day morning a deed of trust was OK
ecuted by C O'Conor Goolrick, tru.
tee, conveying ample real estate tt
completely secure the bank, and moth
ing further was done by the banf
officials, save to ask for an eXaml-
nation of the bank by the comptrol.
lers office, after investigation, wa:
satisfied with the security given tn.
bank by Mr.. Howard and no crlmlna
prosecution was attempted by th(
government or the bank directors.
:'he recording of the deed of trust Ii
the court ut Stafford and in Frede"
icksburg and the rumor of Mir. How
ards shortage, however, caused sc
ries of wild reports to be circulated Il
nearby counties and a severe run o.
the bank resulted. This run we
checked in a few days by the effort
of Fredericksburg business men ant
the Farmers and Merchants Stat
Bank and steps taken to merge tn
Conway, Gordon and Garrett BanI
Bank with The Farmers and Mer
chants State Bank. This was done an
the details have already been pub
lshed.
"In the meantime Mr.. Howard ha'
let it be known that the funds ne!'
nv him as treasurer of the Mason
Memorial Committee had been I'M
paired by him and investigation de
veloped an apparent shortage 0
about Sl4,OG and some interest.
"Some days since he had voiuntarl:,
furnished security for a portion 0
this fund which had been accepted
and the lodge had appointed com
mittee of three Of its memoirs, Mes
:rs. G. r. Swift, ". X. Goodrich, am
f. NJ. Chichester, TO make arrange
ments to get additional security iron
Mir, Howard. These gentlemen pro
ceeded promptly and after a confer
ence with Mr.. Howard announced tina
he had offered them additional secur
itv estimated at five or six thouSan'
dollars and Ishe deed to this was read.
70 be signed when the indictment
we're brought III.
.'In the meantime, as before stated
the bank officials had dropped the mat
ter of a prosecution and no action ma
been taken looking to prosecuio'
by Lodge No. 4, when it appearS tina
certain individuals made complain
to the grand jury, which resulted i
an investigation by that body on lue
6.v and the indictments followed.