New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-27

ae,ant and snowy city mansion at No. -
West Seventieth-st.. and fine country home
at Sands Point who was found drowned in
Hempstead Bay on Saturday, Is the man who
drew the money from he Shoe and Leather
Bank fraudulently transferred TO his account
by seey The Identification Of Bakers body BY
Gilbert Sayres paying teller OF the bank, was
complete.
That Bakers suicide was premeditated was
shown yesterday by the new policies OF insur-
ance on his life which he was taking out ana
arranging for up to the very time or his drown
Ing preferring always the kind Of policies from
which the anti-suicde clause was eliminated
and refusing to accept those which contained
1t. The suicide theory was strengthened by
bringing to light yesterday Bakers recent trans
fers OF his real estate in this city, in Brooklyn
and on Long Island, valued at s454oOo, to his
wife, or to his sons. Frederick r. and George
l.. Baker or to his daughter. Florence Baker
These transfers were made through his busi-
ness associate, r. b. Merritt. and were evident
ly executed in the hope Of preventing the bank
from recovering the money he had been illegally
obtaining from it. The banks counsel believe
that they will have no difficulty in establishing
the banks claim to reimbursement FOR It's
losses out OF the dead mans estate
founding story OF fraud. robbery, flight and sui
eide was developed yesterday in the disclosure Of
the dead mans origin. II was learned that he
was the son OF a German breadmaker OF Brook
lyn and In his early youth learned the BARRIERS
trade He afterward opened a barber-shop or his
own In Brooklyn. and ter established himself
in the hair dressing line. opening fashionable
place. which was patroniZed by poth sexes.
Bakers ambition was not satisfied. however. by
becoming a hair-dresser. He studied law and
was admitted to the bar. and opened law office
in the building where he had carried on the
calling Of hair-dressing He prospered. dealt in
real estate and added the purchase and sale OF
landed property to his law business. his facilities
for making money increased and he began to
be a man of consequence. Then Baker secured
a pew In DR.. Talmage's Tabernacle. and grew
RAPIDLY in the estimation Of real estate men
and solid citizens. He had forgotten that he was
ever a barber, and had attained the importance
OF a of wealth and property wheh oeey
fell into his clutches.
Evidence accumulated yesterday showing that
Seely had for some time been in the habit OF
freauenting pool rooms in this city, though the
amounts that he usually wagered were not OF
sufficient size &c warrant the belief that any large
sum Of money was squandered by him by betting
on horse races. Ii is not thought That any timing
like the sum of $1,000, alleged 10 De Seey snare
OF the big steal was lost in bets or this KIND.
The officers and directors Of the feeced bank
had measurably recovered yesterday from the
shock which almost paralyZed them last week
when the fact OF the appalling rascahty was
broken to them, and business was transacted
there all day though nothing unusual hao
taken place There no run on Its deposits
and the banks customers proved in many ways
their entire confidence in the institutions solidity.
Instead of drawing out their money It's heaviest
dencsitors added 70 their deposits and offers OK
aid II needed came from different parts OF the
city State and country. ,s
Special meetings Of the directors were heIo
Yesterday at which the extent OK assessmens
of the capital stock necessary Tor putting tne
bank in its normal condition was discussed
A letter was prepared for transmission TO the
Controller Of the Currency, narrating the cir
cumstances and size of the robbery, and pre-
ssnting facts to show that the bank Is per-
fectIy solid and solvent. The amount for whicn
the bank stock Is to be assessed rests with the
Controller OF the Currency President crane
said that the directors had not suggested TO
Controller Eckels the per cent OF assessment
which they thought would cover the losses, ana
mt the bank where 1t was before the Seeiy-
I,aker embezzlement but he expressed the be-
lief that an assessment of 20 per cent would Do
ample Other officers and directors were OF the
same opinion. Controller Eckels. II was SAID,
would be largely guided I'm his conclusion by the
Of the United States bank ex-
aminer in his report to the Controller.