Imperial Valley press., 1940-03-27
Fantastic Story
Of Rise TO Trust
Barred by Inquiry
Continued From Page

Continued From Page ID
until the next year. No records were
found of any payroll checks issued
to Mrs. Richards at all during 1888.
The same inquiry into Mrs. Rich
ards past disclosed that suspicion
of previous defalcationS, in a private
business. crept into the grand jury
record, and revealed that she was
first given employment IN the city
hall on recommendation OF a Ma
tional Unemployment service EN-
poye. because she was badly in
need of employment. The re-em-
ployment agent, however, did not
recommend her for position of
responsibility, but only for part
time work.
Before the grand jury, Edgar B.
Mason, jr.. manager of the gas COM
pany in FL Centre, read letter
he received from a company official
regarding the time Mrs. Richards
was employed in the Ell Centre
office. Company mergers, Mason
said, made search of the records
difficult as they had been filed
away in San Francisco. The letter
was from R. N. brennan, general
auditor from the company, and
quoted r. L. Hayden, who was
manager in Ell Centre in 1881. The
letter said:
Hayden advises that he def
nitely knows of two cases where
records were altered Her methods
was to change previous meter read
ings, thus reducing the customers
bill. He states that one was her
boarding house and one he recalls
a beauty shop she patronized.
"InaSmuch as collision was neceS-
Sary with customers to divert funds,
we were unable to prove definitely
the under billings were intentional
rather than accidental.
Consequently, while we were sure
in our own minds. VIC merely let
her go. as We could not prove dis
honesty"
Reference to Mrs. Richards past
was made by her son while he was
in the grand jury room. He said
she was originally a nurse. When
he was about 6 or 7 years of age
he said his mother worked as CASH
Ter in the Huckins hotel in Okla
hOma City. Her mother put her
through DraWn'S business college
in San Antonio because she want
ed to get training SO she could get
better job.
After they came to the valley
they lived in Holtville. She worked
for DR.. w. S. Apple, he said, and
later was employed by the Pacific
Finance company as cashier where
she handed thousands of dollars.
On the fatal Tuesday Mrs Rich
ards disappeared and while City
Clerk Roy tombstone and an audi
tor were checking her records to
ascertain the shortages, Mrs. Little
went to Lee Nuffer. an Ell Centre
attorney and made her will, accord
ing to testimony given by her son,
Rex Richards. He said she gave
him power of attorney but did not
sign it as notary was not avail
able.
i He said his mother was flat broke
The phantom ranch of the inveS-
tigation, the property turned over
to the city of Ell Centre after short
ages were discovered. was bought in
1887, young Richards said, at a cost
of $1,000.
4 He said he and his mother had
some insurance money from his
late father and had been saving
the money for years They paic.
$1,000 or $500 down with yearly
payments of $1,000, Richards said.
In his testimony he said his
mothers salary was Sl35 a month
as Ell Centre water clerk.
The city of Ell Centre paid s375
year for so-called spot audit
OF the city departments, testimony
revealed.
Asked how she got the city money
! to Little, Mrs. Richards said she
j put it in an envelope and he called
at city hall if he were in town. The
STUBS she gave him to destroy she
rolled up in a bundle and handed
to him in the same way.