The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-01-08
Three Warrants Charge John
n. Harding With L arceny of
Funds of Commonwealth
Bank.
TOTAL AMOUNT TAKEN
Is MORE THAN $4,000
Peculations Covering Period
of Twelve Months Alleged
Against Bookkeeper of De-
funct Bank. Known for
Some Weeks to Receivers.


- -------
With warrants charging him with
larceny Of three amounts ranging from
$200 To 1,400 out for his arrest, John
H. Harding. former bookkeeper and
clearing house clerk of the Conn
monwealth bank. which was placed in
the hands Of receivers August 29tn
last, skipped town. the police believe.
late yesterday,
Harding il charged by the exam.
iners of the bank, the American Audit
com any, and by the receivers, James
w Gordon and John b, Lightfoot. ~.
in a supplementary report fled yes
terday afternoon in the Chancery
court by order of Judge William A.
Moncure with peculations of the
banks funds in sums ranging from So
te-s1 4a4- between petaAeF- 4yrtai2
and August Is. 1919, totaling $751;
461,72.
Wished to Make Good.
While the father of the young man,
John f, Harding. had expressed .
desire to make good the shortage,
and efforts had been made to have
tltt tAatiAitGAS anu AftSifPir ihAAV
their report to the court in q man
ner that would not show who was re-
sponsible for the shortage, and which
would not bring to the young book
keepers family the modification OF
publicity. the reports filed yesterday
laid bare the operations of young
Harding.
Though the report Of the receivers
accompanying that of the auditing
company. was in the hands Of Judge
Mcncure early yesterday, he did not
make IL a matter OF public record I'M
til a few minutes before . o'clock last
night. shortly before the office Of the
clerk of the Chancery court closed for
the day.
In the meantime, Judge Moncure had
laid the matter before the Commons
wealth's attorney. Minetree Foll<es. and
the chief OF police. Major Louis Wer.
ner. Major Werner appeared before
Magistrate J. A Purdie and swore out
warrants covering three of the nearly
two hundred cases in which Harding
had taken money from the funds of
the bank. The warrants were placed
in the hands of Detective kellam and
other members Of the detective bureau.
Could Not he Found.
When the. officers appeared at the
home of the Hardings the young man
was not to be found. having. II APP
pears, in some manner received an
inkling OF the movement that was on
foot against him, and left the city.
Friends saw him on Broad street late
as O'clock Last night efforts were
made to locate him. without SUCCESS.
and notices were teIephoned and tele-
graphed to the police of other cities.
The method followed by Harding in
securing the banks money Is shown
by the reports made to the Chancery
court yesterday to have been clever.
He. as clearing house clerk, received
daily from the various banks in the
city. checks of the preceding day ON
the Commonwealth Bank Among these
were checks he had drawn on the
Commonwealth Bank. in which he had
no account. These checks of his own
ire destroyed, though he saw they were
included in the list on the adding ma
chine on which the Commonwealth
Banks checks for amounts due other
banks were based.
First October, 1a1c.
Examination of the banks books and
records shows the first speculation was
on October 4. 1912 and that the discre-
pancy was covered up on the general
ledger carrying accounts from M. to
- The first covered up on ledger
"a to Il was on October I, 1912. The
last: the reports show, was on August
Is. 1919. The largest. single amount
taken was $1,000. and the smallest, So
When the examiners traced to him
the discrepancy between the general
ledger control and the individual ledger
accounts, the matter was reported to
the receivers. Mr. Harding and HIS
father were called in conference with
the examiners. Thomas F. Howard, Al
Ian Talbot and H. c. Proctor, and the
receivers,
Al this meeting young Harding adj
mitted he was responsible for tho
shortage and explained the method OF
his operatinn.-@H He declared that he did
not think the amount of the shortage
would exceed $4,000. His father agreed
to make the amount of the shortages
good and sought TO have the receivers
report recorded in such manner an
would conceal the name of the man
responsible for ii.
The receivers declared the report
could not be made In such manner.
but that they would report to the
court that the money would be made
good.
Young Harding confessed that he
had bought real estate and personal
property. among the latter couple
Oh al -SpfAOih, ukAu 800 11sA
to turn over to the receivers this title
papers To the real estate and q memo-
randa of personal property purchased
with the money taken from the banks
funds. Efforts were made by his par
ents to secure funds and give bond
covering the amount of the shortage
when the entire amount Of II shdutd
become known to the examinera j
Papers TurneA Over. Il
The rnfsarx riyfnr ffffa tn fffe ISzs615&
erty bought BY young Harding wef4
placed in the recsivers' banda and 1A&er ,
~ them given e JoAn A. LaxnA