Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-01-11
HE STOLEN $4,000
Took the Money in Driblets 10 Pay
Living Expenses.
ONLY ONE WOMAN IN THE CASE.
And She is tho Defaulter's Wifo.
Ho Had Been With the Bank
Twenty- Eight Years and His
Stealing Had Been Going on
Moro than Twenty Years How
He Was Discovered.

fHlLApELruIA, PA, January To-
Theodore +. Baker, for twenty-elsht
years the paying teller OF the Consoli-
uauon National Bank, this city, con
fesscd to-day to President James f.
watson that during the past twenty
years he has stolen moro than s47. 600.
lie was arrested aud hold in $4,000
ha'l Tor trial Ia February. Tho man
who Is his own Sccuser. has had the
conhdence OF tho bank officials for
many years, and his dofalcation could
only be made possible by falsifyinR tho
Individual ledger accounts to which he
had access
The first ntimation the bank officials
had that anything was wrong. was last
night when physician. whose name
Is kept secret called upon President
Watson at his home aud told him that
he had learned that serious defalcn-
ton had taken place In tho bank. ue
told the President that Mr.. VanDusep.
the individual ledger book keeper OF
tho bank, was very ill as n consequence
OF severe nervous strain aud that he
had
ToLp M MEDICAL ADVISOR
that from certain occurrences In con
nection with the books at the bank, no
was certain that money was being stolen
! from the bank, and that Baker, thepay-
! ing teller, was tho thief
| Mr. Watson came To tho bank early
this morning before the arrival OF Ba-
! ker Tho latter, when ho came, was
called into Presidents private room,
whore MIR. Watson with much hesitnncy
related To Baker what he had been told
by the physician. The paying teller
changed countenance and his face be-
came ashen hue as he admitted that tho
story was true.
How much nave you TAKEN" he was
asked.
"Forty-seven thousand dollars" he
replied.
"Good God, what have yon done with
all the money" asked Mr.. George Wat
son, one OF the directors who was also
present.
at weut ia driblets Tor rheuAeAsr-Hsn,
penses," said Baker.
Shortly after noon Baker was arrest
ed and taken before l.. y. Commissioner
Craig, whore IA preliminary hearing was
had. District Attorney Ingram appear
ed In behalf OF the United States, while
Baker was not represented by counsel,
PRESIDENT WATSON,
the first witness, detailed the foregoing
facts. He also said that Baker had
been an employe Of the bank for the
past twenty-eight years. and he was fro
qnentlY entrusted with as much as
100000 at time. Several OF tho
directors testified as to what they had
learned during the day. The commits
sionor then fixed the bail at Sl5, 900 for
the prisoners appearance AT court.
"Will you get bail?' was asked the
prisoner.
"No, nor will try to DO so. am
guilty and will take my punishment.
have been under a fearful strain for
moro than twenty years. IL was
Ike sitting on keg Of gun
powder / have done nothing with
the money but spend IL Oh my family
They believe that have another
woman, but that is not so. / have a
good wife and we have been very happy
together. II is only on her account /
suffer have made no provision for
her. She owns onr own house, but
there Is heavy mortgage against IT,"
Asked how the discovery was made,
Baker said:
ivan Dusen, Plorsal and myself had
worked az the bank for nearly thirty
years and the officials had implicit CON
iidence la me and when / gavo them
the figures, aud they saw them In the
book,
THEY WERE SATISFIED
that everything was all right I went
along so for years, until a week ago,
! when / was sick. II was then that the
figures we're altered, and was called 10
account by Van Dusen. ! thought had
succeeded In making him believe that
| everything was correct"
An expert will be put TO work on the
! books Of the bank tomorrow.
The Consolidation is one OF the
staunchest financial institutions ln this
city.
REPUBLIOANs ~ POSSESSION.