The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1882-07-27
TILL TAPPING.
Stealing S2, 900 with a String, a
Lead Plate, and a Bit Of
Shoenakers' Wax.

: a unique method Of theft was accident
= ally exposed in the State National Bank j,
: Elizabeth, N. j., on Monday last, and IL.
= = janitor, George Washington Ackerman
: alias Bennett, who was arrested, admitted
: that he had stolen more than $4,000 in the
past two years
= :. Edward Sherwood, the former Dayiuo
teller, strictly honest young man, could
not make his accounts balance. On july
l6, 1881, ne was short 5000; on Sept. 10 he
was short $40; on Nov. 81 he missed $500.
and Jan. s Of this year he was short $50.
lie conld not afford tolose the money, for
which he was personally responsible, and
ne asked the bank people to relieve him.
Joseph Mcclure, the bookkeeper, a BROTH
er of the cashier, also offered to resign.
lie and Sherwood had stood together at
the same desk, and the cash had been taken
during business hours only from the
drawer under SherWood's desk. Chief of
Police keron was satisfied that the thief
was employed in the bank, but he could
not fasten the crime upon any one. Sher-
wood and young Mcclure were, by their
own request, relieved from the positions of
paying teller and bookkeeper, and Charles
halseE, a member Of the Common Council,
was made paying teller, Frank NeWcombe
taking A1cGuire's place. On Jan. Is last,
Halsey was unable to balance his accounts
within $3.50, the largest loss Of all, On
June 10 he missed 1850, and he and the
bank officers, as well as ex-Chief Keron
and William d. Jenkens, the present Chief
Of Police, were puzzled,
On Monday morning last Frank New
combe heard q light s'tap-tap'' in the
drawer under the desk, and at first he
thought that boy who was leaning onthe |
counter had raped with his fingers. On
hearing the noise second time he saw
something move in the drawer, which he
quickly shut, and, thinking that q mouse
was in the drawer, he decided to remove
the bank bills. Then he discovered that +
his sudden shutting of the drawer had
broken finely woven fish line, and in the
drawer was bit of lead weighing two
ounces and shaped like the fiat seal used
by custom officers. On the lower surface
OF the lead was piece OF siloemaker's wax,
and fastened to the wax was a $40 bill.
NO less than thirteen bills, aggregating
ST26o, had been taken from the $50 and 500
pockets OF the drawer since the money had
been eousaled, half an hour before. Jani-
tor Alderman, who was known in Eliza
beth as George W. Bennett, confessed his
guilt when he was arrested. He was O I.
soldier during the late war.
Ackerman's method Of abstracting the
money was novel and ingenious. In the !
floor under the cash drawer is an old gas
pipe hole, through which Ackerman had :
passed the fish line from the cellar to the
drawer. Into the bottom of the counter, 9
directly over the centre of the drawer, he
had fastened a screw ring or 'dead eye" =
and another was turned into the face of
.he counter so that q cord running O
through both would work at right angles
o itself and without sound. The thin a
9iece Of lead was fastened to the end of the Q
string that passed through the dead eyes y
nto the drawer, and the contrivance was
10 arranged that by pulling on another q
tring the lead could be lowered on the fl
'llls and then pulled through the slit be- r,
Ween the drawer and the counter. Once
outside Of the drawer, it was easy to draw "
4
he lead and bill down to the cellar through r
he old gas-pipe hole in the floor. There lie
vas nothing in sight, and nothing could y
e seen BY anybody in the bank. The trap :,
vas arranged by Ackerman on Sundays or .,
Venings, when, as janitor, he had access 70
the bank. During business hours he d
rent to the cellar, and, guided by his ears, .,
ulled the string that let the lead drop on of
1e bills in the drawer, and then pulled =
le string which drew the lead and bill
1t. He could hear when the paying tel
r quilted the desk, and therefore he sr
)uld work the drawer with little fear Of
election.
Bennett restored 1892 which he had
aced on top of a wall in the cellar. Ben
stt's real name is G. w. Ackerman, and ~
1der this name he served in the navy. ~
e had been jauitor of the bank for five .1o
'ars, and had a good reputation. He re- =
ived no pay, but was given the rent of a ~
lall house in the rear of the bank. He e,sl o
IS believed to make his living by working -
his trade Of painting. Investigation -: -:
oWs that he did very little work the past &C..
ar, but spent good dealof money. He 49, -,
ught a piano, a yacht, and Il gun. and - -
It money in starting q fish market at -,
izabethport. When his wife asked him ~, :s1
lere he got 50 much money. she received aas 49,
use IN return. He was taken to Newark -
sterday and brought before United States -,
Whitehead, who held him 49,
81, 800 bail to answer before the United 80
ties Grand Jury next September. He -
s confined in the Elizabeth jail. - 80
Professor Fowler in Trouble. -