The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-11-26
BAKER WAS THE MAN
The Dead Lawyer Identified
as the Robber of the Shoe
and Leather Bank.
EMBEzzLED TRUST FUNDS
Probably the Greatest swindler Of
the Detectives Expect to
Catch Seely Today.

NEW YORK, Nov. 26, 1S94-Inspector
Mclaughlin and his detectives are hot
on the track of Samuel C. Seeley, the
embezzling bookkeeper of the Shoe and
Leather Bank, and it is certain they ex-
pect to capture him before night. Not
withetanding the denials of the sons of
Lawyer Frederick Baker of No % West
Seventeen street, who was drowned az
Sands Point L. l., on Saturday, that ne
was Seeley's accomplice, it is certain that
he was the man.
Paying Teller Sayre, who paid out over
his desk the bulk of the money to the
bookkeepers accomplice. went down to
Sands Point last night and viewed the
body of the drowned man. He declares
positively that the Baker who drew the
money and the man who was drowned
are one and the same beyond a shadow
of doubt.
"There cannot be the slightest doubt
that that was the Frederick Baker VINO
stole the money! said Mr.. Sayre this
morning. 81 have been paying teiler
for eight years and knew the man wen.
He used to draw sums of from $3.50 to
$500 about three times week.
s'He nearly always came himself so
that 1 paid the money to him. never
knew him to draw more than $500 at one
time. His face was, of course, familiar
to me.
when I looked at the body last night
I knew it at once as the man VINO hao
taken the money. His son was with me,
and was positive that his father could
not have been the thief. 1 told him tnat
1 was sorry, but I had to declare that
they were the same. He took my state
ment quietly, but refused to believe it.
left the place as soon as I had convinced
myself"
EMBEzzLES TRUST FUNDS.
Attempts to trace the disposition that
Baker made of the money of which he
robbed the Shoe and Leather Bank and
the public announcement of his transac-
tions Herewith have brought to light the
facts that indicate that as far back as
fifteen years ago he began his pecula-
tions, and that his stealings will amount
in the aggregate to an enormous sum,
far above the amount taken from the
bank.
Baker, who had a good reputation for
honesty and business shrewdness, sue
ceeded in getting control, during the
latter years of his life, of number
of good estates. He was either executor
or the trustee of funds for the heirs,
These persons who trusted him are
alleging this morning that he appropriate
ed large sums of money belonging to
them to his own use.
A middle-aged man, who said he was
Augustus Kagel of No. So Taylor street,
West Brighton, S. l., arrived at the Of
fee of Baker this morning a few min
utes after it was opened by William V.
Shotwell, who has been the clerk of
the Bakers for several years.
Gen Robert Is. Merritt, who was the
notary public in the office and was 9TH
erwise associated in business with Baker
came in at the same time.
Mr. Kagel was evidently known to the
office people, and said that he had come
as the result of the stories in the news
papers to see if the estate of his father,
.Cfottiieb Kagel, which was in the hands
of Baker when he died, was all right.
He wanted Gen. Merritt to give him a
note of identification to the Surrogate of
Hudson County, n. i Baker was the
executor of the estate.
KAGEL ESTATE IMPAIRED.
Mr. Kagel said that Mr.. Baker had all
the rents of the estate paid into his Of
fee. He then paid the income to Mr..
kagel and the latter's sister, the prin-
cipaI under the original will going to
the grandchildren.
The estate, according to Mr.. Kagel,
consisted of house and lot at No. q
Mott street, a house on Jersey City
Heights, sixty-fve shares of Chatham
National Bank stock and $11,0G0 out on
mortgage with other securities.
Gen. Merritt apparently hesitated about
giving to Mr.. kagel the note he wanted.
ana the latter said he would in the
meantime go down to the Chatham Ma
tional Bank and find whether the stock
was all right.
lie came back greatly agitated, with
the news that the President of the bank
had informed him that the sixty-five
shares of bank stock had been trans
ferred back on May 6. 1879
The bark auth tics refused to say to
whom the shares had been transferred,
but stated that as executor Mr.. Baker
had the right to transfer them.
Mr.. Kugel was excited.
II am in nice FIX now" he remarked
to Cen Merritt. II would have trusted
Mr.. Baker as a father. Here he has
been paying me the dividend on the
shares regularly and he transferred them
fifteen years ago without our knowing
anything about it. The shares are no
longer in the name of the estate. 1t is
true that l have asked him to sell them,
but that was only three or four years
ago.
Mr. Kagel finally got the note he want
ed from Gen. Merritt and left for Jeracy
Very anxious and excited. fearing that
the entire estate had gone the way of
the bank shares.
Just how far Baker carried on such
transactions only his own books that are
now locked up in his safe in charge of
his son Frederick will show.
Ii these charges prove true, they show
Baker to have been not only one of the
most remarkable defaulters of the age,
but also explains to large extent why
it became necessary for him to enter into
a scheme with Seely to rob the bank.
Having misappropriated the property
entrusted to him. of course it would be
necessary to pay the interest and divi-
ads expected therefor to keep those
The Telephone Company now makes new
rate Of $55 80 and SIS per year to small users
os the Telephone. according to number of
messages sent and character of service Full
long distance equipment. Send postal card
to Erie street or call Telephone $40, Jersey
City.