page_title: James Campbell Besley
section_title: Embezzlement and arrest
hierarchical_section_title: James Campbell Besley / Alaskan embezzlement, forgeries, arrests and trial / Embezzlement and arrest
caption_attribution_description: English: The headquarters of the Trading &amp; Exploring Co., Dawson City, Yukon, Alaska Territory, 1899
context_page_description: James Campbell Besley also known as "Handsome Jim" Besley, "Captain James Campbell Besley", "Captain Jim", "Captain Besley", "Colonel Besley" was an Australian explorer, amateur anthropologist, film producer, mine owner, polo player, rancher and entrepreneur who traveled the world.
  Besley was also a prodigious charlatan, spinning fanciful stories regarding his birth, upbringing and career. Besley manipulated the media for decades, lying to them during their efforts to report his exploits.
context_section_description: Besley's brother Brian Charles Besley invested in the North British American Trading and Transportation Company, founded by Pat Galvin, a former Helena, Montana Chief of Police and one of the first millionaires in the Klondike gold rush. Capitalized at $3,500,000 (equivalent to $107,562,000 in 2019), the company was organized to provide transportation and trade to the Alaskan gold rush and enjoyed virtually unlimited credit on the Bank of England. Besley was hired by the company as accountant and traffic manager. A local newspaper named Besley one of Galvin's "false friends" who had caused Galvin "considerable losses".
  In 1899 it was reported Besley had spent $40,000 (equivalent to $1,229,280 in 2019) of Galvin's money in Dawson City, Yukon, Alaska Territory providing food for a woman named "Lucille". Later, Galvin had to settle a claim made by Dawson Café Royal restaurant owner Jack Timmons for Besley's having ordered $1,435.00 (equivalent to $44,100 in 2019) for "female friends".
  Galvin's North British American Trading and Transportation Co. went bankrupt and was succeeded by the Trading & Exploration Co., chartered in London, England in 1899.
  The Trading & Exploration Co. invested power of attorney in William White and sent him from London to investigate the company's finances in Dawson City. White reported "I called on the general manager, James Besley, and arranged to discuss business matters with him next day. I found him settled over the warehouse with his living quarters there, a Chinese cook and a very comfortable apartment... That evening I dined with Besley and we had a talk about the company's affairs, covering the mining and commercial business, over all of which he appeared to have had control. The following day we got down to serious work, and it wasn't long before I ascertained that it was impossible to make much headway, as the books, vouchers, etc., had all been destroyed by fire, said to have been of 'an accidental nature'. He (Besley) had a set of books showing only transactions since the date of the fire. I remarked that there was no sign of fire in the office and wondered how the books could have been burned, but he could throw no light on it. After further investigation I came to the conclusion that Besley himself had made away with the books, etc., in order to cover up evidence of his guilt as the one who had destroyed the company's property and robbed it of its assets... I was obliged next day to have a warrant issued for his arrest on a charge of embezzlement."
  White further said of Besley "(he) was an Australian; tall, handsome and of an all-round "hail fellow, well met" type. In the dance halls he was called 'The Prince' on account of his generosity to the girls, and was usually found of an evening in a private box, surrounded by them, drinking champagne. His tastes in this and other ways were of the most expensive kind, the poor old company always putting up the money."
  Besley was finally indicted on two charges brought by J. B. Wood, manager of the Trading & Exploration Co. and Charles W. Thebo, manager of Galvin's meat syndicate. Besley was arrested, skipped a $10,000 bail and left for San Francisco. At the time, it was predicted he would not be taken back and stand for trial.
caption: The headquarters of the Trading & Exploring Co., Dawson City, Yukon, Alaska Territory, 1899
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