N MAITLAND, aged 42, bank manager, of the Bank House, High Street,
Market Milcaster, was formally charged with embezzling, on April 23rd,
1891, the sum of L4,875 10_s_. 6_d_., the moneys of his employers,
the Market Milcaster Banking Company Ltd., and converting the same to
his own use. The prisoner, who appeared to feel his position most
acutely, and who looked very pale and much worn, was represented by
Mr. Charles Doolittle, the well-known barrister of Kingshaven; Mr.
Stephens, K.C., appeared on behalf of the prosecution.

"Maitland, upon being charged, pleaded guilty.

"Mr. Stephens, K.C., addressing the Recorder, said that without any
desire to unduly press upon the prisoner, who, he ventured to think,
had taken a very wise course in pleading guilty to that particular
count in the indictment with which he stood charged, he felt bound,
in the interests of justice, to set forth to the Court some
particulars of the defalcations which had arisen through the
prisoner's much lamented dishonesty. He proposed to offer a clear and
succinct account of the matter. The prisoner, John Maitland, was the
last of an old Market Milcaster family--he was, in fact, he believed,
with the exception of his own infant son, the very last of the race.
His father had been manager of the bank before him. Maitland himself
had entered the service of the bank at the age of eighteen, when he
left the local Grammar School; he succeeded his father as manager at
the age of thirty-two; he had therefore occupied this highest position
of trust for ten years. His directors had the fullest confidence in
him; they relied on his honesty and his honour; they gave him
discretionary powers such as no bank-manager, probably, ever enjoyed
or held before. In fact, he was so trusted that he was, to all
intents and purposes, the Market Milcaster Banking Company; in other
words he was allowed full control over everything, and given full
licence to do what he liked. Whether the directors were wise in
extending such liberty to even the most trusted servant, it was not
for him (Mr. Stephens) to say; it was some consolation, under the
circumstances, to know that the loss would fall upon the directors,
inasmuch as they themselves held nearly the whole of the shares. But
he had to speak of the loss--of the serious defalcations which
Maitland had committed. The prisoner had wisely pleaded guilty to the
first count of the indictment. But there were no less than seventeen