The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1855-04-06

SUICIDE OF THE TELLER or THE MFR
cHAxrs BAxr. The Boston papers OF
Wednesday state that the accounts OF Mr..
Hooper, the paying teller ofihe Merchants
Bank, who committed suicide on Tuesday
Of las, week, are found 10 be minus s73,.
600. The Courier relates the circums'an.
ces as follows -
at seems that in examining the ,eller's
/" cash account" on Monday, The President
was induced lin consequences OF the pres
ence Of an unusual amount OF bills OF one
or two other banks, Ito question: him with
regard 10 the matter. The teller replied
that his cash was correct, and, upon exsm-
inaiion, his account with the bank was
found 10 be'so. The President was at the
bank early Tuesday morning, being still
suspicious that sll was no, right, and 70.
newed The inquiry Of Mr.. Hooper, why il
was that he had on hard 90 large an amount
of bills Of the Grocers' and Atlantic Banks.
The reply was not entirely satisfactory, and
Mr.. Hooper seemed displeased that the
matter should DO pressed, in view OF the
fact that his " cash account" had been
found 10 be correct. This was about nine
o'clock in the morning. Mr.. Haven said Il
was his duty as Presiden. 10 demand close
inquiry, and Mr.. Hooper replied that this
was true, and expressed the hope that the
inquiry would be pursued without delay
He seemed cheerful about the matter. Al
the close Of this conversation, and without
returning 10 his desk, he lefi the bank, and
nothing was heard OF him until about half
pas, Ten o'clock, when the porter found his
lifeless body suspended from beam in The
cellar Of the bank building. Tho porter.
greatly frightened, and without having rec.
|ognized the body, informed the officers OF
The bank that . "man had hung himself in
The cellar" Il appeais that Immediately
upon leaving the bank, he proceeded 10 a
store on Commercial street, purchased
clothes line, and with il returned 10 the
basement Of the bank. He doubled the
cord, and having made moose In one end,
tied tho other 10 u beam in The ceiling
The halter thus adjusted, he 90, upon
stool tied his legs fast, put his neck in the
moose, and allowed his body 10 suspend
Three strands Of the rope were found to be
broken, and il il supposed that this was oc-
casioned by the frs, shock.
Inquiry was now instituted as 10 the pres
ence OF SO large number Of the bills Of
other banks. and II Is supposed that on Mon.
day afternoon, when Mr.. Hooper knew ,ha.
The cash was 10 be examined BY the direc.
tors, he obtained, on certified checks,
through the agency Of broker, Mr.. Angus.
,us S. Peabody, The sum OF s25, 900 from
the Atlantic Bank, and an equal sum from
the Grocers' Bank. II was also asceraned
,ha, he borrowed $4,000 from friend, aud
$4,000 from two other parties, so that The
whole deficiency is $4,000.
The directors Tuesday re.examined the
''cash account" OF the late teller, aud found
it 10 be correct, and SO far as they have been
able to ascertain none Of the Merchants
i Bank funds have been embszzled. The
ielers OF the Atlantic and Grocers' Banks
who loaned $4,000 OF their employers
funds on unauthorized and illegal cerif.
Gates, and that, TOO, in the face OF the slale-
men, Of the broker, Mr.. Peabody, ,ha, lhe
directors of tho Merchants Bank were
abon, to examine their ieller's cash account,
and that Mr.. Hooper wanted the money in
order 10 make il goodwill find il diflicnl,
TO give an explanation which shall be salts.
factory for CONDUCT so unwauaniable.-.
What has been done with the money raised
by Mr.. Hooper does mol yet appear TO any
degree Of certainty, but il is supposed that
he has been dabbling in stock operations.
Had The teller committed self destruction
on Sunday, the burden which has now fal.
len on the Grocers' and A,lanticl Banks, and
individuals, would have fallen on the Mer.
chants Bank.