Prisons Over Seas: Deportation and Colonization; British and American Prisons of To-dayGriffiths, Arthur
History
Prisons Over Seas: Deportation and Colonization; British and American Prisons of To-day
Griffiths, Arthur
Convict ships; Penal colonies; Prisons -- Great Britain -- History; Prisons -- United States -- History
Two cases of extensive embezzlement which were discovered almost
simultaneously, those of Robson and Redpath, will long be remembered
both within and without the commercial world. They both reproduced many
of the features of the case of Watts, already described, but in neither
did the sums misappropriated reach quite the same high figure. But
neither Robson nor Redpath would have been able to pursue their
fraudulent designs with success had they not, like Watts, been afforded
peculiar facilities by the slackness of system and the want of
methodical administration in the concerns by which they were employed.
Robson was of humble origin, but he was well educated, and he had some
literary ability. His tastes were mainly theatrical, and he was the
author of several plays, one of which, at least, "Love and Loyalty,"
with Wallack in a leading part, achieved a certain success. He began
life as a law-writer, earning thereby some fifteen or eighteen shillings
a week; but the firm he served got him a situation as clerk in the
office of the Great Northern Railway, whence he passed to a better
position under the Crystal Palace Company. He now married, although his
salary was only a pound a week; but he soon got on. He had a pleasant
address, showed good business aptitude, and quickly acquired the
approval of his superiors. Within a year he was advanced to the post of
chief clerk in the transfer department, at a salary of £150 a year. His
immediate chief was a Mr. Fasson, upon whose confidence he gained so
rapidly, through his activity, industry, and engaging manners, that ere
long the whole management of the transfer department was intrusted to
him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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