The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-10-28
The Teller ofthe Virginia State Bank
Absconds.

| RICHMOND, October 81. Financial and
commercial circles are violently agitated
here to.dsy-and, indeed. the entire com.
munity has been excited, over the mys.
tGriOus disappearance Of VIM. r. Teller,
the paying teller Of the Virginia State
Bank, under circumstances both painful
and startling. Upon the arrival of Mr..
John NJ GOddin, the cashier, at tho bank
this morning, instead Of finding the pay
ing teller at his post of duty, he was
handed the keys Of the vault, together
with q note, Of which the following Is an
extract, private matters and names being
left out:
RICHMOND, Va, Oct. 81, lS12
Nr. J. W. Godiin, Cashier:
When you read this letter | shall be
dcSd. cannot live and face the world
with the terrible black stain upon me.
care less for myself than Tor those who
love me. The checksin my drawer rep
resent tue deficit in my cash and were
cashGd by Inc for -. lie will tell you
that never received or was furnished
one cent for tue use Of the money. He
first nverchccked and made his account
good by checks ON the Merchants Ma.
tiOnal Bank. They were returned from
time TO time, and | was weak enough to
be persuaded he would yet make them
good. My life insurance and his real cs.
tate will more than pay this His real
estate speculation was entered to repay
me, but he has failed to sell as yet Had
! remained alive | should have made all
things right by November l.. To you,
John, / must say that / am 10th to leave
this world without arranging my aihirs
better; but il you have any charity or feel.
ing try and regard me not as thief, but
q weak, erring man. ! do not wish TO be
buried, but rather hope my body will
never be recovered; and now let me say
the last shall ever write. Before God, |
have never wronged or rather deiraud-
cd the bank out Oi one dollar ior my own
use or benefit. The "shOrt" is the debt Of
Others, from whom | never received one
dime. This you can easily prove. May
God forgive me, for lknowyOu never can.
Yours, &C., WILLIAM T. TELLER.
Almost with the speed Of electricity
the news spread over the city, and the
first impulse Of the bank officers, among
whom Mr. Teller was q great favoritG,
was, il possible, to prevent his selEdC-
siructlon, or, il that had been accomplish.
ed, 10 discover his body. simultaneously,
however, with the announcement Of his
defalCatiOn came the report that Nlr. Tel.
Ter had been seen taking the train at the
Petersburg depot going South this morn-
ing At halfrast five O'Clock. This fact
being established the public appetite for
news concerning the amount OF the duial.
cation and its accompanying details be.
came sharpened, but the officers Of the
bank were retiCenI, and no in
formation Of an authentic character
could be gained. The most scnsl.
tiOnal rumors were ailOat, and Tor
n time u run upon the bank was feared
though its solvency is unQucstionabe II
transpired that the paying teller had is.
sued large number Of certified checks
for which there was no funds in the bank,
and, by advice OF counsel, the bank re.
fused 10 pay any more OF its checks Ot
this character until the accounts and |
books Of the abscOnding teller were cX.
amned. An investigation was at once
instituted by the directors OF the bank,
and il was found that funds TO the amount
Of $4,000 were missing and large nun.
Der OF checks were still outstanding and
paid at other banks. The dcialcations
began about the 9Th OF the present month,
and, us Mr. Teller states in his letter, the
money was all paid to one Of his friends,
who was speculating largely in real estate,
and who, had he been successful would
have realized handsome fortune. Moth
ing has been heard of Teller since he
was seen going South this morning,
though the police have been euergctically
tclcgraphiug in every direction all day
lie is ayoung man OF respectable family,
good connections and excellent standing
in society, and in his misfortune has the
sympathy OF q great portion OF the conf
munity. Some parties estimate the De
lalcation at $4,000 and over that, but
think this is an exaggeratlor.