The Express Messenger Who Borrowed the Company’s Cash
A Wells Fargo messenger in Tacoma finds himself in a pickle after a 'borrowed' funds scandal lands him in hot water with his superintendent.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A representative of the Wells Fargo Express Company in Tacoma came to Seattle yesterday to consult with the superintendent of the company under instruction from the general agent. He admitted that he had spent money he had received from a delivery in Tacoma. When a reporter called at his office to find out the truth, he admitted the shortage. He stated he had used the money for personal expenses but expected to pay it back. He told the superintendent that he had been expecting his commissions for four months and supposed there would be no excuse for a further delay now. He said, 'I told him I was worried, and he told me I should have done something differently as it placed me in a bad position and I would have to ask the general agent to investigate.' The company, however, is taking the matter seriously, and an internal investigation is currently underway to resolve the missing funds.
“I told him that he could have done otherwise, as it placed me in a bad position and I would have to ask the general agent to investigate.”
This 1889 report of a corporate employee 'borrowing' from the till feels like a precursor to the modern white-collar scandals that often rock Seattle’s rapidly growing tech and financial sectors. Even then, the tension between personal desperation and corporate oversight was a primary theme in the city's commercial life.
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