State v. Bogardus

78 P. 942, 36 Wash. 297, 1904 Wash. LEXIS 554
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 20, 1904
DocketNo. 4893
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 78 P. 942 (State v. Bogardus) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Bogardus, 78 P. 942, 36 Wash. 297, 1904 Wash. LEXIS 554 (Wash. 1904).

Opinion

Mount, J. —

The appellant was convicted of the crime of embezzlement, and, from the judgment and sentence pronounced against him, he appeals.

The record discloses that the appellant was, from the year 1898 till the end of the year 1902, the secretary of the Spokane Building & Loan Society. As such secretary it was a part of his duties to take a receipt for all moneys received, belonging to the society, record the amount in its books, showing when and from whom received, and deposit the same in the authorized depository of the society, notifying its treasurer of such deposit by sending him a duplicate of the deposit ticket received at the time of making the deposit. It was further his duty to make, to the trustees of the society, periodical reports of the business done by the society, showing, among other things, the total amount of money received, the amount disbursed, and the cash balance on hand belonging to the society. The appellant also acted as secretary of the board of trustees. All claims against the society, all applications for loans, and, in fact, all the business of the society calling for the action of the trustees, reached them through his hands. The treasurer of the society kept only a cash account. He charged himself with the amount of money deposited to his credit, and credited himself with the checks for payment of moneys which he was required to countersign. His books, however, showed nothing more than mere cash balances. They did not show from whom the money was received, nor to whom payments were made. In a word, it was made the duty of the secretary to keep accounts showing all of the business transactions of the society, and, if his books were honestly kept, [302]*302they would show at all times the exact condition of the society’s affairs.

Shortly after he entered upon his duties as secretary, the appellant began to appropriate to his own use the money of the society. These peculations he was able to conceal from the officers of the society and the accountants who examined his accounts at the end of each year, by the process of withholding from entry on the books enough of his collections, made on behalf of the corporation, to keep a balance between his books and his cash on hand. The amount so taken up to June 30, 1903, was something over $2,500. Some time prior to the last named date, the society called in its eight per cent interest bearing stock to an equal amount. One H. M. Whitehouse held stock of the character called in, and, pursuant to the notice sent him, called at the office of the company to make the exchange. His stock amounted to $2,046.67, and, on his surrendering his certificates, a check on the company fund for this amount was given him. On its receipt he immediately indorsed it back to the company, at the same time making an application for $2,000 in other stock, taking the difference between the amount of his application and the amount of the check, in cash. A receipt was then given him by the secretary, showing he had on deposit with the society the sum of $2,000. Ho record of any kind was made on the books of the company showing this transaction with Whitehouse, and the application itself was kept concealed from the other officers of the company. The check, however, having been previously countersigned by the treasurer, was passed by the secretary through the depository bank, and a counterbalancing deposit ticket for a like amount placed to the credit of the society.

When the check was indorsed to the society by White-house, he informed the secretary that he desired to use a [303]*303part, at least, if not the whole, of the snm so deposited, in other channels, and, between that date and October 3 following, withdrew, on orders in cash, amounts aggregating $1,000, all of which, with the possible exception of . an order for $350, was taken from the society’s funds. At the last named date, the receipt for $2,000 was taken up, and a new one issued for $1,000 of the society’s stock. At about this time, the president of the society, without notice to the secretary, put an accountant on the books, who, within a short time thereafter, discovered certain defalcations. It was discovered, also, that the secretary, in his endeavor to cover up the defalcations, after the accountant had begun his work, had misapplied other funds of the society; that is, he had collected outside accounts, and put the money to the credit of the society without making the corresponding entry showing the collections, and he also withheld from payment an order for $2,046.67, drawn on the treasurer, that his credit with the society might appear to be larger by that amount

The information upon which the appellant was tried was as follows:

“That the said defendant, Bomaine L. Bogardus, on the 3d day of October, 1902, in the county of Spokane and state of Washington, then and there being the agent of the Spokane Building & Loan Society, a corporation, said Spokane Building & Loan Society then and there being a corporation, was then and there by virtue of being such agent of the said corporation intrusted by said corporation with the sum of one thousand ($1,000) dollars in bank notes, money and currency of the United States of the value of one thousand ($1,000) dollars, the same then and there being the money and property of said corporation, and that the said defendant did then and there by virtue and on account of being such agent of said corporation, as aforesaid, and by virtue and on account of being intrusted with the said money by said corporation, [304]*304as aforesaid, receive and take into his, the said defendant’s, possession the money and property aforesaid, which he, the said defendant, then and there held for and in the name and on account of said corporation, and that he, the said defendant, did then and there wilfully, unlawfully, feloniously and fraudulently convert to his, the said defendant’s, own use said property and money so intrusted to said defendant, as aforesaid.”

On being required to plead, the appellant moved that the state be required to make the information more definite and certain, by stating the acts constituting the transaction by which the appellant converted the money of the society to his own use, as alleged in the information, so that the appellant might be apprised of the particular transaction relied upon. On this motion being overruled, he demanded a bill of particulars, which being denied, he demurred to the information on several grounds, among which was the ground that it did not apprise the appellant of the nature and causé of the accusation against him. This demurrer was also overruled, whereupon he pleaded not guilty. At the opening of the trial, the prosecution elected to base its claim for a conviction upon the transaction with Mr. Whitehouse above set out, and it was upon that transaction he was tried and convicted.

The appellant first assigned that the court erred in overruling his motion to make the information more definite and certain, in refusing to direct that a bill of particulars be furnished, and in overruling the demurrer to the informtaion. With reference to the motion to make more definite and certain, it can be said that it is not technically a recognized mode of attacking an information or indictment in this state. The statute, it is true, prescribes certain requisites for an information or indictment, among which is that it must be direct and certain as regards the [305]

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
78 P. 942, 36 Wash. 297, 1904 Wash. LEXIS 554, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-bogardus-wash-1904.