San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-11-21
TOO GOOD 10 HIS FRIFNDS
BANK CASHIER LENDS MONEY ON
THE SLY.
THE SUM OF $4,000 GONE. BUT
NONE OF 1T WENT INTO HIS
POCKET.
He Makes a Clean Confession and
,is Almost Demented ov+r the
Transactiou-No Prosecute n.

NEW YORK, Nov. 2l.--The Chem
ical National bank, one Of the most
prosperous and most conservative
institutions In the country, has for
the first time in half a century
been made the victim OF a default.
er. The amount involved, as far as
known. is $l5,7l5, and John r.
TAFT, who was the paying teller, is
the official who is accused. The
matter is peculiar inasmuch as the
officials of the bank declare that
not a cent of money went to his
own use. The proof Of this is that
he could have taken 800, 900 as
| we'll as a few thousand had he
been so inclined. Three-fourths
Of the money, they say, he lent to
personal friends, taking no collat.
eral and only in a few cases re-
ceiving as much as an 1. o. U. for
the money handed out. The rest, it
is said, is: due to errors made by
TAFT in paying cash. 1t is estimat-
ed by Pres't Williams and Cashier
Quinlan, that the excessive worry
caused by those loans reduced TAFT
to such a condition that he was
hardly responsible for his actions,
and made many mistakes. AL
though the first loans were made
more than ajyesr ago the shortage,
having been carefully hidden, was
not discovered by VIM. H. Kimball
the National bank examiner when
he inspected the institution in last
May, but it was he who unearthed
these peculiar transactions, having
in a private capacity been en-
| ployed to look over the books.
TAFT, who is nearly fifty years old,
has been in the bank employ for
% years, having first been a mes
senger boy. His salary Of $4,000
with a bonus Of ten per cent of that
sum every Christmas enables him
to support his family in nice style
at Mt. KiscO. 1t is known that he
never speculated and that he lived
within his means. Although it
could not be learned to whom he
made the loans, a check made out
by G. H. Babcock, on the Twelfth
ward bank for $l3,250 was found
among his cash. 1t was the first
day of the examination. Babcock
is said to be Tait's brother-in-law,
and is a contractor in this city
The bond given by TAFT is on.
ly for $1,000. TAFT will not
be prosecuted. VIM. HI. Kimball,
bank inspector, was employed in a
private capacity to examine the
affairs of the bank. After Mr..
Kimball counted the cash TAFT, 1T
Is said, took $4,000 Of the money
| and handing it to the examiners
assistant said that it should be
counted. Mr.. KimbalPs attention
being drawn to this his suspicious
| that all was not right were con-
| firmed. He determined to say
nothing but to recount the cash
items, the following day. This he
did much to his surprise the Bah
cock check for $l3,250 had disap.
peared; this made total shortage
of $l5,7 l5, the rest being accounted
business. When Tait's attention
was called to this he stammered
out some excuses but 1t would not
do. Mr.. Kimball asked him to
prepare another cash sheet. He
tried to do 80 but finally declared
that he was altogether to nervous
and sick to do 80. Then he went
to Cashier Quinlan and told him
the same thing, and was advised
to take his time. Examiner Kim
ball left him in the bank at half
past 5 o'clock. Cashier Quinlan
having promised to be on hand at
that hour. When the cashier
walked in he found TAFT with his
head bowed on his desk, look
ing the picture Of abject misery.
He said he was unable to make a
proof sheet, and then he blurted
out that he wished Mr.. Quinlan
would accompany him to
President Williams residence
as he had something important to
communicate to him. They left the
bank together and went at once to
the residence Of the president.
They found him at home. The in
terview that followed, President
Williams said, affected him as
much as 1t did the paying teller.
Bursting into tears, TAFT confessed
that he had done wrong. So crushed
and Inundated was he, aud so bad
ly did his mental powers seem to
be impaired that he could make no
satisfactory explanation. Admit
ting that he had wrongfully used
the banks money, he declared over