[116] A Mr. Fitzgerald was the manager who generally attended and did the current work of his office. His statement after the frauds had come to light was, that he made the best inspection he could of the ledgers of the bank. When asked why he never compared the ledgers with the daily cash books, he confessed he never thought of it, “there was the omission,” “that was where the link of investigation broke,” “that was the omission which concealed the fraud so long,” and other similarly shiftless remarks.
[117] Report of the Select Committee of 1848.
[118] Ibid. (Qu. 674).
[119] Mr. Pratt's idea was to make the trustees liable in a great measure for the deficiency, as guilty of wilful neglect or default. The advice given as to Lynch's property was of very questionable propriety, and very questionable, as it afterwards appeared, in law. The money, however, was lost to the depositors completely, and went to Lynch's relations.
[120] As usual, many persons had been allowed to deposit illegal sums on which they had no claim. One man was shown to have taken out 420l. from the Provincial Bank of Ireland, and to deposit it all in the Killarney bank in one day.
[121] Vide Select Committee on Savings Banks, 1858. Evidence of Mr. Jameson, actuary of the Perth Bank. (Qu. 2,906.)
[122] An estimable sect of Christians, they are not better known for the zeal with which they contrive to amass and keep in their immediate circle vast stores of wealth, than for the uprightness and conscientiousness they generally display in the conduct of their business. The transactions of Haworth, and another of their black sheep who about the same time committed, or attempted to commit murder, whilst assuming their character, is described to us as having spread consternation and dismay through their ranks. The way in which the Society of Friends has, as a body, taken up the management of Savings Banks is most commendable.
[123] A great part of our information relative to the Rochdale bank fraud is gathered from the evidence of Mr. Edward Taylor, a worthy and intelligent tradesman of Rochdale, who was examined before the Committee of 1858 in reference to the transactions in question; and no one is better able to speak of them.
[124] So prevalent was this impression, that for several weeks 17s. 6d. in the pound was freely offered for Savings Bank books in Rochdale.
[125] Evidence of Mr. Hatton, actuary of the Brighton Savings Bank.