New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-31
PRICE THREE CENTS.
BETRAYED HIS TRUST.
THE PAYING TELLER OF THE FIRST ma.
TIoNAL BANK OF PATERSON. N. j., A THIEF.

he TOOK OVER $4,000 FROM MONEY PACkA6Du
AND HAS ADMITTED HIS LIABILITY-THE
BANK PROTECTED BY A 10000 BOND.
Abram Pardon, mildle-aged bachelor about the
steadiness of whose habits there has never been
"a QuestiOn-a type of the veteran and trusted
bank-clcrk who has grown gray In the service or
insttution-is in the Passaic County jail
charged with stealing SlO,650 from the reserve
fund Of the First National Bank of Paterson, N.
j.. of which he the paying teller, and In
whose employ he had been for twenty-five years.
Pardon is about forty-eight years old, Of quiet,
retiring ways. and cripple. lie cared little
for gayety was genial and courteous in his
ways, and lived modestly with his sister in an
unDretentious home at the East Side.
The discovery of the peculation was made by
United States Bank Examiner Stone, on his official
visit to the bank last Friday; the complaint was
made on that afternoon before United States
Commissioner Alfred A. Van IIovenberg, who is
also Lay Judge of the Passaic County courts;
TIE arrest of Pardon not made until Saturday
evening and the facts were carefully kept from
the kn0wledg 0f all except those immediately
concerned until yesterday morning. when tie ofii-
cias of the bank sent for the reporters and made
a statement OF the affair.
Examiner Stone, in looking over the cash re-
serve of the bank on Friday, counted all through
some packages of bills. He found that four OF
these bundles stamped by the paying teller as
containing s., 600 each, short, in the aggre-
gate by Sl0,650. The examiner Immediately
reported the fact to the cashier. Edward L. Bell.
Suspicion instantly fell upon the paying-teller.
lie is the only man in the bank who bundles up
the currency and stamps it. Pardon called
into the cashiers and informed Of the short
age He professed utter inability to explain it, and
| ~ tho
dent Of the bank, John J. Brown, is in Europe.
Pardon was finally ,loscted with of tho
directors, with whom he requested personal in
t"rview. Tie bank officials will only that, as
result. Pardon, while he did not confess guilt,
admitted that he alone was responsible and liable
| for the amount. The examination Of the banks
affairs disclosed no further defacation The net
loss to the bank il just $780, as the Fidelity and
Casualty Company, of this city. is on Fardons
bond for 81 900.
Cashier Bell, Director Garret A. Hobart and
other men of the bank unite in saying that there
is doubt of Fardons guilt, and that he is the
only person who could have stolen the money.
There was no tampcring with accounts it was
simple poclleting of money and falsifying Of the
stamp on bundles. The cashier says that no other
! kind of defalcaton can occur in that bank, as
no employe who handles money touches a pen to
books and no one who keeps books handles
cent of cash The money must have been stolen
recently, all the cash was thoroughly counted
| by tho examining committee on June -.
Pardon. in jail yesterday. told one reporter who
.aw him 1hat he had not a word 10 ,ay Tor pnnii"
( cation, and he declined 20 any other reporters.
| There are two theories as to what he dld WIN
the money. One is that he took it during the
heavy decline in stocks in Wall Street. hoping to
make a bold stroke and replace IL. The other ID
H. Nar, .aftr %
Company, a small concern consisting of Pardon
and his nephew, man named Butler. There u
no thought on the part Of anybody that fast
living or ordinary gambling entered into his case.
Faron's bail bond is fixed at $4,000. Up to
Yesterday he had done nothing toward trying to
! secure bondsman.
The First National Bank is the oldest financial
! institution in Paterson, and has a good reputa-
tion in the community for conservative methods.
II was chartered in 1864, and reincorporated in
1883. John Reynolds is its vice-presldent mo
directors of the bank are John j. Brown, John
Reynolds, H. B Crosby g. D S'orhs; aIinn A. 1am,s w;
noe,h' r r i,eil. (Iarret A. Hobart William
barbour and J. W Cleveland The following 10 Ing
statement was issued ny the directors oi 'n'
baak saturday for publlcat on:
First National Bank
Paterson n j.. July % 1888
de,alcatlon Of 80 discovered on Friday mo
oe., inst IN the cash Of this bank. The money was
h,,c,d in the form OF bank bills or currency "thih
! the PAST days o. ~.
! rbc loss wa. discovered by the United S'ates M
,,o,oi Rank Examiner in oncal examination "hlch
h ,rioacaly makes Of the National banks within MS
district. . -. a.. Mo..
! Tho ouiltv person has been suspended nv inc omce"
-, ,no hank COMPLAINT has been made AGAINST him oy
,h Examiner aiorc,ad and his arrest mas ioo"eu y"
,h,. con,pl1nt The liability has been admo'u' ih'
| ,.ds,en a perfectiy reliable and responsible nsuf,lco
or,.,v Will make good the bank .hc -'m oil siooVV.
LEAVING n p)s,ble loss nj the sum OF -c'o' ~ "''"'
, NJ ,hn hoard ~ held this afternoon 'ho
, ~ 500 was ordered charged t. proht-ahu'ioss ac'
unt and tho bank does not lose a dollar beyond uat
! nm Tho Bank examiner finds every other asset Oh
| the bank intact . -, a..
Thi. loss must naturally have been discoven oy 'nd
oo,or, of the bank in few days. cs shor1ec "
,,,encv To the extent OF sO.6jo when tho demand -
81 Great could not been covered up Tor any con'
siderable length Of tine. . =,
rhi statement Is made by order Of the board of Ole
rcctors 20 thai tie public know the exact fac~'
,d knowing them not be mf,ed by ony iae s'a.e.
rons or su srcons which In these trying da's h'tns
iore the Good name aud credit ofNthts or any o'hsS
Of our financial Institutions.
JOHN REYNOLDS. Vice-Presiden@