Among the details of several cases of fraud in Savings Banks that were presented to the Committee of 1848, we find some particulars of the defalcations at Reading and Brighton, which we mention together, inasmuch as the same actuary related them in brief, and in fact was connected with both investigations to which they led.[125] In 1842 a fraud was discovered in the Reading bank through one of the clerks there noticing that a depositor's book did not agree with the ledger account. The books of all the depositors were called in, and great numbers were found not to correspond. Ultimately the frauds were found to have extended over several years, and to amount in all to 3,000_l._ They were easily traced to the secretary of the bank, who was also the accountant. It seems he took sums of money from depositors, entered them in their books, but not in the ledger of the office; and hoped by constant attention to the work to be present whenever any of the books that had been tampered with were brought to the office. So culpable in this case did the trustees feel themselves to be, that the secretary was allowed to refund the money he had taken, so long as his private funds lasted, and was then quietly dismissed. Being before the year 1844, the trustees were liable to the whole extent of the defalcation, and proceeded to pay off all depositors by means of a subscription amongst themselves, one of them giving 1,000_l._ Mr. Hatton, then a clerk in the Reading bank, was employed to investigate the fraud and bring matters to a settlement; and this he did so ably, that he was appointed actuary. * * * * *