Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-10-24
GARCIA'S GLOOM.
The Paying Teller Cries When
They Talk to Him.
WHERE DID THE MONEY GO?
Garcia Didn't Gamble, Didn't Dissipate and
Didn't Speculate.
He Was Always Found at Home at Night
WHERE DID THE MONEY CO.
He Was Always Found at Home at Night
and Had No Bad Hsbits-Has No
Money and Little Property.
A Mystery.
Garcia's Financiering.
Special to the Gazette.

Special to the Gazette.
New ORLEANS, La, Oct. 23.-The loss of
Sl90,000 b. the Louisiana national bank of
this city through its paving teller continues
mystery, How did Garcia {the teller) so
long conceal his deficits and what did he do
with the money! are questions everyone IS
asking, but no one Can answer. Garcia says
that the deficit has existed for fifteen years.
Yet the United States bank inspectors Went
over the cash fivS years ago and reported
everything correct, and the cash was again
counted when the present president of the
bank went into the Office, "a few years ago,
and found all right. Most of the fraudu-
lent packages were not in the vaults of the
Louisiana bank, but in the other banks of
this city, paid to them by Garcia through
the clearing house and sealed and repre-
scented to contain so much money.
The discovery that one of these said to
contain $40, 900 really had only 500 in it led to
the discovery of the defalcaton. It was
understood yesterday that Garcia gave the
amount he overDaid at the counter at $50,
900 and admitted that he had taken the
other $40, 900 TO try and make good his de-
falcation. In a statement to-day he de-
clared that the entire amount, less $40, 900,
was paid out through an error over the
counter All can say is that my con-
science does not reproach me. | did not
rob the bank. 10. did not and then the
tears welled up to his eyes. 'It was one of
those strange fatalities which sometimes
overtake the unfortunate 1t has been
going on for fifteen years and | nave tried
TO conceal ii. 1t was nothing but success
sion of errors which mounted one on top of
the other until at last concealment was i'm
possible and | confessed. | have never
specialized, never have been inside a
gambling house and never even played
cards. except an occasional friendly game
with my family or with some friends.'
1t is here that the mystery comes in, for
although the bank has had a number of de-
tcctives TO investigate the matter, ii can
not find the slightest flaw in Garcias state
ment and can see no evidence that he spec
ulated. gambled or dissipated in any way.
He lived very moderately aud apparently
well within his means, was home man
and seldom left his house in the evening.
What then became of the sl90000 that mas
disappeared is the mystery. Garcia had
reputation for counting money quickly and
sometimes made mistakes TO which his at
teution was called, but even with these
mistakes the experts say that it is impossi-
Bile to account for the heavy loss in the way
that Garcia does, of paying out the money
over the counter. According TO GarciaS
story. he first discovered he was short in
1873, when he found himself $4,000 behind.
This defalcation continued TO grow from
year to year, and had reached the large sum
of Sl50 600 five years ago
During all this period he says he scarcely
lived. but no one seemed to nave been
struck with the idea from his manner that
he had anything on his mind. Indeed he
seemed Il very genial and amiable gentle
man. Garcia has made a partial settlement
with the bank for his defacation. but appa-
rently has very little money. He owns the
house in which he lives, but it is not worth
over 5000. The president of the bank ex-
pressed the opinion that Garcia would
make good the defalcation if he could. The
disclosure had no effect as far as the bank
was concerned, and none of the depositors
withdrew their deposits. Garcia will be
prosecuted by the bank.