New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-29
PRICE THREE CENTS.
AGAINST BAKERS ESTATE.
SUITS BROUGHT BY THE SHOE AND
LEATHER BANK AND OTHER
CREDITORS.
THE BODY OF THE SUICIDE BURIED-HD
STOMACH REMOVED FOR CHEMICAL AN
ALYsIs-A REWARD MAY BE
OFFERED FOR SEELY'S
ARREST


ARREST.
The body OF Frederick Baker was laid IN q
grave in Greenwood yesterday, and his wife ana
children, who were present at the burial, still
professed to believe that he had not robbed the
National Shoe and Leather Bank of sS54,oOO, with
the aid of Samuel c. Seely. the fugitive book
keeper Bakers body was found in the water
at Sands Point on Saturday, when he was to
have been arrested on the charge Of robbing the
bank.
With the permission of the family there nao
been an autopsy on Bakers body at Sands
Point and the stomach was removed for chem
ical ANALYSIS Bakers life mad been insured In
the Mutual Reserve Fund Life Association, and
DR.. Louis L. Seaman. representing the associa-
ton had asked for the autopsy because II was
suspected that Baker had taken poison. Bakers
body was floating in the water when it was dis
covered. and that fact indicated that he was
dead when he fell into the water If he had been
drowned mis- body would have sunk DR.. Esta-
brook who assisted in the autopsy. said yester-
day that no water was found in the lungs, and
that the vital organs appeared to be in a normal
condition He also made this statement:
1t has been suggested that Baker stood up In the
9Sat ana took ecs a1se OF b %e are o Practically
instantaneous in their action and these would nave
would nave nean dead when he struck the water.
Another theory is that he may have inhaled chloro-
form until ne became UNCONSCIOUS ana then raien
into the water.
The chemical analysis necessary 10 determine
II Bakers death was caused by poison may re-
quire several weeks.
STEPS TO RECOVER FROM THE ESTATE.
The National Shoe and Leather Bank yester-
day took the first step in the effort to recover
Of he etO Ol
In the afternoon Putney & Bishop, the banks
counsel. FLED in the Supreme Court the COM
plajnt in sly actions brought In behalf OF the
bank and all other creditors OF Baker, the OBJ
iect of which Is TO track the money which
came into the hands of Baker which he OBJ
tanned fraudulently from the bank through the
assistance Of Seely and recover as much OF IL as
possible. a large part Of the money taken from
the bank Is said to have been invested In real
estate in this city and elsewhere. and by these
six suits the lawyers will endeavor to show that
various pieces Of property which they nave
traced to Baker were purchased with the money
and the title placed in the names OF otner per-
The complaints In the cases are almost
Identical. and set up almost substantially the
Same facts. It is charged that previous 10 Janu-
airy 1 1891 Baker became indebted 10 the bank
in the sum Of at least 100000 moneys received
hv him belonging 70 the bank over and ABOVE
ALL credits and set-offs which he was entitled TO-
which he got in collusion with bookkeeper Seeiy'
and frauduen:ly appropriated to MS own uSe'
The complaints state that Baker dled ihsoNe"'.
and that he made transfers OF various pieces oi
his property for the purpose OF defraudihg nab
creditors
II is further charged that Baker left VIII oy
the provisions OF which he named MS VIZ .'.e."
riy n "
however have as yet been issued TO ner WIN
the filing OF these complaints is pendehs has dis"
been filed against all the property mehti9heu IN
Mr. Bishop. of the banks counsel said la,er III ~
the afternoon: There is no doubt that freaerlcK
Baker. the man who is dead. drew money I'oal,
the bank with the aid of See.y out thus lat We
havs been unable 10 f.d among Bakers eftects
anv papers which show that he had any deall"ss
with the bank. We have at the oank in,sr soiie -.
his checks on which he drew money "'"@'''
and there are other proofs. 100 -.
THE suits arr filed under Cnapter 49, Oh the
Laws of 1889 authorizing the creultors oi @ a "
ceased nsovent debtor to nave tne nnS Sea
of any property Of the latter set aside ana ue.
cIared null and void. and to follow the fuhds ot
the invested on property.
THE AMOUNT WHICH MAY BE REco'-
Erred.
Mr. Bishop said that he could not tell now
much money could be recovered from Bakers
property.
"Wiu it come near covering the defalcationT'
he was asked.
"Oh. no; it will not reach any figure ike that'
he replied -, 49,
The present suits are 1t is said, but only the
beginning OF a series of suits To be brought
against Bakers property. Mr.. Bishop would not
tell what time the remaining box in the saie-
deposit vaults would be opened.
..If I told the time going TO open the
box, said he 1--WE would have 500 reporters
around us | will not say anything until II is
opened .. =,
the box and the box cannot be opened until
she Is present Herbert 5. Ogden. the counsel
FOR the Baker family. said yesterday that he be-
lieved seely had several accomphies IN r"e .nI-
bery Of the Nationa! Shoe and Leather BANK.
Bakers estate the lawyer said. would not
amount To more than s60o00 and as the iamlly
had not lived extravagantly. II was aDsurd 10
suppose that Baker had taken $354,o0o from the
bank. The lawyer also declared that the pank
would have difficulty in showing that any OF me
money stolen from the bank had been useo py
Baker in the purchase OF real estate
so far as can be ascertained Baker held no
sa,d County clerk John II. sutphen. at Roslyn.
l. l. Yesterday. Early yesterday morning MI Su.-
phen forwarded list of the properly owned n Dy
the Bakers to the law firm OF f'ney ~ niS"Jp, ,h
counsel for the Shoe and Leather Bank All the
nronertv owned by any OF the Bakers In queens
County was free from debt. Inc reco,us % s.om
that the property at sands POINT Is III ',,,
- Rogers wife she also owns a lot In Maspeth'
,rbich she purchased from George H. vance
water and another in WoodnaVen' Inc te,olu'
further show that Frederick A. Baker. on Jahu-
ary > 1891. purchased TWO io's III " N'''
which he paid 5000. .o -, -, ,,s r.k.r
There is a record of $2,ioo paid by Mrs. sr Saksr
on May o. 1882 toward the properly .s al Sd"os on
Point November IL. 1883 she paiu soi' ,rn,se "ru
on April 4, $780, the last payment OF siV was
made to Adam Moss the original 9%msr S~sh, lot, in
on April s. 1892. Mrs Baker X, oS o9usS' ,Ss ,sT ,ss
;5a and sN and seven other lots in Maspeth from
Iohn Batersby For these she paid sSovo .
As far as ascertained. no properly III Sueems ,,ea
County was held in the name OF the DEAD lawyer
NO TRACE OF sEELY.
United States marshas. Pinkerton detec'Ne.
and the police were still searching Tor samue' y
seely Yesterday Frank W Angel seeiy coun-