The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-11-26
GIGANTIC BANK SWINDLE
The Shoe and Leather Institution Is
Plundered of $354,O0O.
SUICIDE FOLLOWS DISCOVERY
Bookkeeper Seely and Depositor Fredcr.
ickBaker Pray Upon the Bank for Ten
Years Taking $500 at Time-Seely
Supposed to Have Sailed.
BY the United Press.

BY the United Press.
New York, Nov. %.
The National Shoe and Leather bank
Broadway and Chambers street has
been robbed of $S5inQ by Samuel C.
Seely, one of its book-keepers, and
Frederick Baker, a deposition
Seely fled week ago Saturday, leav-
ing confession in his lawyers hands.
1t Is supposed that he fled by steam
ship.
Baker was drowned yesterday after
noon at his country home at Sands
Point. There is of course q strong
suggestion of suicide. Baker, who was
u supposedly wealthy and respectable
lawyer in this city, past go years of age,
had told his accomplce before the lat
ter's flight that he was too old to run
away himself and would stay and face
the music. 1t is alleged by Seely that
Baker got all but $l1,0 900 Of the stolen
$354,O0O.
Baker was drowned from rowboat
in Long Island Sound just in front of
his country home. His two sons were
out on the Sound cunning, and he en-
tered a boat ostensibly to row out
after them to see what luck they were
having. He never reached them, and
when about l o'clock the sons started
for home they found their fathers body
floating face upward on The water be-
side his overturned skiff. They towed
1t ashore, and as there had been, so far
as known, no witnesses of the drown
ing, and the news Of Mr.. Bakers i'm
plication in the Shoe and Leather bank
robbery had not become publicly
known. the coroners jury found that
the death was accidental.
Hundred Accounts Tempered With.
The thefts have extended over a
period of nearly ten years, and were
accomplished by means Of fictitious
balances, false credits, and correspond
ing debts entered in the ledger, Seely
tampered with more than 100 accounts,
1t is believed, and credited the money
debited upon Bakers account, and the
money was drawn out of the bank by
Baker The bank officers had the ut
most confidence in Seely, who was a
quiet home-loving man, and the treas
urer Of the United States Guaranty
company, which was Seely's surety,
said, when told of his defalcation:
There was not man in the
bank about whom we felt safer than
about Seely" Baker had been a de-
positor in the bank more than twenty
years.
The stealing might have gone on for
an indefinite time had not the bank Off
GERS decided to institute new system
of bookkeeping. The new system was to
be put in operation on Thursday last,
and Seely knew it. The business of the
bank was moving on in the usual rou-
tine on Friday, Nov. 16. when Seely
asked for days leave of absence He
was tired OF living in Brooklyn, he said.
and wanted to go out and lopk for a
country home. His request was grant
ed, and on Saturday another bookkeep-
er was put at his work.
Seely had had charge of ledger A to
K. The accounts, of course, had to be
gone over every day. Seely's substitute
soon reported to President Crane that
ne could not make them balance. He
was told to try again, for Seely's repu-
tation was so good that no suspicion
was aroused in the officers minds at
first But the confusion of the accounts
could not be untangled, and when, on
Monday morning, Seely did not appear
at the bank, the officers went TO work
at once on his books and found them
hopelessly confounded. That money had
been taken fraudulently from the bank
soon became apparent, but how the
books had been muddled was puzzle,
so elaborate the system of Justification
had been.
On Tuesday the directors were con-
vened and they We're in almost continu-
Gus session until yesterday evening.
The bank force worked day and night
on the accounts and on the pass books,
which had all been called in. On We'd
nesday the amount Of the defalcatlon
was found to be 1884, 900.
Left Confession When lie Fled.
When Seely failed to appear at the
bank on Monday morning the bank Of
fleers sent to his house, 422 Halsey
street. Brooklyn, to inquire for him. He
was not at home, and had not been>at
home since Friday, and the messengers
We're referred to Frank w. Angel, his
attorney and confidential adviser. Mr.
Angel has offices at 10S Fulton street
and lives in Jersey City,
Mr.. Angel told u.s. said Vice Presi
dent George L. Pease yesterday after.
noon, chat. Seely had seen exposure
coming and had confessed his predica
ment and asked for advice. DO yol
want advice from me in thls?' said the
lawyer Well, go and blow your brain.
out
what Seely did," Mr.. Pease con
tinued, 1--WE know nothing about. II,
may have chosen Saturday to look fol
his country home because it was tn,
day that the steamers sail, or he ma.
be within thirty minutes of this ofIic,
now. Sometimes we think he is. Blu
We hope to get his accomplice, the de
positor."
Seely told Mr. Angel that from tn
large sum stolen he had profited to tn
extent of only 81 900, the depositor get
ting the remainder Of it.
Seely lived in Halsey street with hi
wife and one child. He is--or was-3
years old, and loved to stay at homo
He was not club man. He was
pewholder in the Rev. Dr. Behrends
church. but was not an active membe
of the church. His brother-in-law
who Is also a bookkeeper in the Sho
and Leather bank, said yesterday tha
Seely was a man of quiet life withou
known vices, and that no suspicion ha
ever attached to him. He was no
known to speculate, and his propert
consisted, the brother-in-law said of
half interest in the $1,000 house in Hal
sey street
Seely's salary was $1,000. i. He ha
been employed in the bank since 1888,
and the United States Guaranty com
pany was on his bond for 1880.
The system of bookkeeping in use a
the Shoe and Leather bank was a mod
ern one of daily ledger balances, whic
was complete in Its record, and a skeI