The Inside Job at MacDougall & Southwick

At a preliminary examination before Justice Caldwell yesterday afternoon, Alexander Duguid, manager of one of the departments in the MacDougall & Southwick Company’s store, was bound over to the superior court for trial on the charge of larceny by embezzlement. The specific amount of money named in the complaint was $2.50, yet there is reason to believe that the actual amount of the deficit in the department over which Mr. Duguid had control is much larger. The evidence offered by the prosecution brought out the facts that a week ago last Wednesday, Mrs. Carrie Faegre purchased from Mr. Duguid, in his official capacity as manager of the department, a bill of goods amounting to $2.50. She gave in payment $5, and received the change from Mr. Duguid. Mr. Duguid, instead of sending the goods to the proper place to be wrapped and the money to the cashier, wrapped the goods in paper he had at his counter, against the rules, kept the money and then sent the bundle to the delivery department, where it was secured by Mr. MacDougall. Mr. Duguid, of course, having been watched in his operations. A duplicate bundle of goods was made up and sent to Mrs. Faegre, while the original purchase was kept as evidence.