The Adair County news., 1921-08-02
$4,000 THIEF
GIVEN 3 YEARS
Memphis Teller for IL Years
Missed Vacations to Shield
His Shortage.
COURT GETS HIS CONFESSION
Began With 500 HoIdout and Lived
In Hope of Making All Good-Nev-
er Missed a Day or Was Late
Strain Was Terrible.

Memphis, Tenn.-Alex V. Smith, for
merly note teller for the First Nation
al bank, stood convicted, but elated
with a three-year term, given to him
after he had confessed to a S66,O01.37
pecuIation and pleaded guilty.
During the l. years Smith was con-
nected with the bank he never took a
vacation, never was absent or late in
reporting for duty. He told reporters
in order to cover up the shortage he
had to be continually on the job.
John d. Martin, Smiths counsel,
read a copy OF Smiths confession to
the court in his plea for leniency. The
confession says:
Il, Alex V. Smith of Raleigh, Tenn,
do hereby make confession.
II was born in Liverpool, England,
on June s, 1888. / left England and
came to the United States when Twas
about twenty-five years old. After
short stay in New York city l came
to Memphis, Tenn, and became bank
clerk in the employ of the Bank Of
Commerce of Memphis, where worked
for about nine months. / then en-
tered the employ of the First National
bank of Memphis, Tenn, and was con-
tinuously employed there until Janu-
airy 13, 1921. / was note teller at
the First National bank for about L.
consecutive years. D1ring this time
j gave diligent attention to the du-
ties Of the position.
Began With 500.
About IL years ago, one day after
the vaults were closed, to accOmmO-
date q customer / took a deposit Of
about $780, That night / used this
money to pay a debt, hoping to re-
place it Immediately. 1t was never
replaced, and the shortage grew, until
January II, 1921, it amounted TO $685.
501.37.
MY method Of concealment was
throughout the entire period of short
age to hold for a day Or two, then re-
NIT, being in the manner always short
in my remittances.
Il married about eight years ago,
and at the time Of my marriage my
shortage was comparatively small. My
family consists Of my wife, aged thir-
ty-one years, and three children, Alex
V. Jr., aged seven; Jim Mangrum, aged
Six, and Jay Shaw, aged two years,
nine months.
1.-The moneys which 1 embezzled
from the bank were absorbed in my
personal expense and eXtravagances.
/ have not disSipated money in gam
bling or speculation. have, of course,
entertained the vague hope that 1 could
make restitution of these populations,
but have been crushed with the realiza-
ton that this was impossible.
Strain Has Been Terrible.
'The strain of my situation has, of
course, been terrible, and / have suf-
fered immense mental torture for
years.
81 have been unable to obtain suffi-
Gent sleep or rest except through the
use of intOXicantS, and have been COM
PEELED to resort to the same means as
a stimuIant to enable me to discharge
the regular duties Of my office.
at is my intention and desire that
in the event there should be an in
dictment returned against me on &C
count of my wrongdoing to immedi-
ately enter plea of guilty to the same
and throw myself without reservation
upon the mercy of the court.
'It is my desire TO receive such pen.
atty as may be inflicted on me as
speedily as possible, it being my deep
desire, after / have met my punish.
ment, to rise again and be a man. II
- will be my earnest effort to make good
In the fullest measure possible, the
loss which has been OccasiOned as the
result of my wrongdOing."
After the shortage was discovered
Smith says regarding his conversation
with bank officials:
81 gave them the exact figures, t.
wit, $66OO1.37, together with all data
and documents pertaining thereto
thereby enabling the officials of the
bank to make a speedy adjustment Of
their records. 1 gave the exact amount
of my shortage as stated above, 81
that the bank would not be put to the
necessity Of long, laborious and ex
pensive audit of my accounts.
Chained Hound Fed bv AjredaIe