New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-01-04
FROM FAST LIVING TO RUIN.
TRUSTED BooKKEEPER DEFAULTER.

, cards reached a climax in the usual way yes'eie'
., a prson cell at Police Headquarters Inc o"oA
a, ,be drama this time Is Frederick tlshci' 'uo '
a., o,erk OF August, Bernheim Bauer, co'iefs' VI W.
ZIG broadway Fishel is thrty-two ears oiu anu in'
~. ou,b has been in the employ o. that hrm he Was
nN - d hriyht devoted himself to business and was
sorced from ono poston to another, until ABOUT n'e
rs AGO he was made chief Dookkeeper ana given
charge OF the confidential work OF his emplo9eio. "
ras Maid salary OF $500 ayear and on Now lear
.lva-s had presented TO him a considerapie sum "a
'aonov So rreat was the confidence Of the firm IN
Tnel nat they delegated to him the task OF drawing
all their checks These were signed py Joseph hio'A
,o n, ,he innor members OF the firm and then sent W
,heir destination by Fishe The firm have Tor a long
fine been in the nabt of carrying rather neaVy n
discounts for their customers and In order 10 10 Po
nared for any calls Of this natdre that might DC no "
them they kept large balance in the bank sometimes
as much as S2OooOO ,,,,
a. ,n. Iehreu, New Year Mr.. Bernheim called Fishcl
into his Office and gave him $3.50 as Ne"
Years present and at the same tlmo toiu MN
that he wanted him TO mako up Daance-sneet Va 'Ho
business and hand 1t in as possible Ihs was on
Friday in last September Business was suspehuc" ."
saturday and on Monday, when Mr.. Bernhe'n came W
,s office he found instead of the wheh no
n,d erdcred letter from Fishe stating that he hao
beeu systematically robbng his employers ior up""u
Of ayear and that he had lett the country MI Deih
helm was thunderstruck at the contents OF te hote anu
consultation OF the mcmbers or the nrlu was hei" d"
once Expert accountants put on the oooEs AT once
and as result OF their work according to the
of the police, it found that FISHERS ueiacaion'
amounted TO over $4,000. Hs method OF operation
WAS simple When he had lot of checks to DC ssneo ny
Mr. Klotz, he would have among the genuine oheoA'
one or more "okers" drawn to fictitious persons 30
great was the confidence IN him that Mr. ko1z sisheu
the checks without question. NO suspicion th"' AL!
thing WAS wrong ever entered his mind After securing
al
whose fv the check purported to be drawn ana ge
them cashed BY peculiar system OF transfers OH 'ne
cash and cheekbooks he prevented suspicion peins
aroused.
As soon as the firm found out the extent OF their losses
they pat the case in the hands OF private Ge
,ecf,ves Tbey were not able to find any
trace of the fugitive. on November 20 tue
case was reported to Inspector Byrnes' anu
DetectveSergeants Heidelberg and Doan were put on
the case When the story told to Inspector Byrnes
Mr. Bernheim gave him letter purporting 10 come
from Fishel at Havana, Cuba The Inspector came 70
the conclusion that the letter simply bhnd anu
maid no attention TO it, Circulars giving description
OF the u.tiyes printed and sent 10 the police au
thorties all the country and In the principal Euro
rean cities. little before Christmas word was receiVeu
at the Central Office that man answering tlsheIs oe-
scription was living Hamilton, Ontario. Heidelberg
and Dolan were sent on after HIM ArrVing at
Hamilton they learned enough 10 convince them that
they we're on the track OF the right man. he had e1
Hamilton, however, and had gone TO Gravehhuis', u
town some distance from HaTton. The detectives foi
lowe him there but found that he had left the place
short time before arrival Continuing the search
however they found that Fishel was at Raymonds
Station small place about thirty-three miles from
Grayenhurst. lie was living a ranch owned by man
named Beaumont He had with him man haineu
Myers, whom be had employed as guide to keep MN
out way the police When arrested fishei agreed
10 come back to New-York without waiting for roquis
~, agfada IN Nubg III.
the custody of the detectives on Saturday
morning.
Upon his arrival Inspector Byrnes sent for
Mr. Bernheim, who mad long talk with his
errns clerk which the full story of his ruin was told
Up part of 1854 lie had been perfectly hon
est About that time lie met young woman named
Nellie Fisher at THESIS concert hall in Fonrcenhst
near Sixtn-ave. Hc became enamored Of her and TO-
gether they spent his vacation at Long Branch. lie
then fitted UP handsome fat Tor her IN Sixth-ave she
was extravagant and her calls for money were constant
His salary was not enough TO satisfy the woman ana
Fishel began peculations in small way Ihen 10 cover
his losses he stole more and with the stolen money tired
10 recoup himself by betting on race horses HIS Jadg
ment and uek bot bad, aud he kept getnsdeep
and deepcr into the ire When the racing season was
over be tried his luck at faro with the same result AS
he lost nurc he became reckless aud his gan
bling ventures larger his losses Increasing In the
same ratio. His favorte game was that OF KIRBY
Johnson in West Twenty .eightist. lie states that In
this place alone he has lost than 10000 IN the
last year during the he followed the races
Long Branch Sheepshead Bay and Jerome Pars al
ways Will an unvaryng record OI losses He kept up
his connection with the Fisher woman ana she cost hn
great deal OF money.
The day he was ordered by Mr. Bernheim to make out
balance sheet lie knew that discovery could not De
he Jeff for Cauais. On arriving at Hamilton
he made the acGuaintsnce OF the man Myers, VINO he
slys business of meeting defaulters from tho
United states, aud keeping them unier cover he en-,
keen III % Ot "a wa
Grayenhurst rs but Myers did not consider that place
sufficiently secluded, aud took him TO
where lie nae arrangement with Beaumont TO board
Myers and himself for $50 month lie mad eiL Craven
hdrst III sleigh only TWO bous ahead OF tue detectives
their trst visit. He gave Mr. Bernheiin detailed
statement OF his peeuatOns and told him as nearly as
possible where the money had gone. As soon posi-
Bic hearing the story. Mr. Bcrnheim Instituted
against Kirby Johnson for the recovery OF the
$4,000 which Flshel said had been gamoied away In
their place Inspector Byrnes stated that warrants
against both Kirby and Johnson were sworn
day day in i"u civil civil suit. but was reeasod on bail.
Ishel cay. that johnson knew very well tnlt tae
CURED AS soon a: the case was reported TO inspector
indicted OH a charge of forgery He will DO taken to
Mr. Bernhcim who lives at No IL East sixty -aft-st
was not at home when a reporter called there last
night iis son. however, stated that the amount OF inc
eefslcaiiOn would not exceed $4,000 He added that
lie knew nothing about the matter and for further
particulars referred the reporter to Police Head
Mr. Kirby seen late last night at the Kirby House.
No West Twenty eigIth-st. He said he had no know
tmphsteally that any had beea served upon hlM. lie
thought that lie knew Mr.. Fishe slightly, but was not
Certain lie asserted that there had been no cardiay
ins IN his house for twelve months and hat therefore
iishel could not have lost his money through gambling
there. lie said he himself had money
OF Mr Fisho at cards. anyw or at any time There
used TO he card playing Ia the house., ho SAID, but
fonnd nothing In them gave them up and devoted my
sell TO the restaurant business lie thought that some
ifseling existed against him at Police Headquarters,
because he subod and thai because OF this ports
we're circulated from that quarter derogat0ry 10 his
character.
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