The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-18
sEELEY TELLS HIS STORY.
Says Baker, His Accomplish, Drove
Him to Rob the Bank.
From the New York Press.

From the New York Press.
Bookkeeper Samuel c. seeley, who
helped Frederick Baker to steal 1854 600
from the Shoe and Leather National Bank
passed yesterday very uneventfully in
Ludlow street jail. He wouldn't see re-
porters, but his lawyer, Frank w. Angel
said that he was comparatively happy. He
ate three hearty meals furnished by his
friends, read the papers, and dictated a
long statement of his crime to Lawyer
Angel.
MY ENHANCEMENT with Frederick Ba-
kerr" said Seeley, began in 1885 with a
simple and natural mistake on my part
of which he took prompt and unsparing
advantage He came to the bank with a
check for sum which, as well as 1 can
now remember, was either LOO or 81 ,700
When he presented it to the paying teller
that officer brought ii to me and asked
if Bakers account warranted its pay
ment At the moment l had no doubt
that it did, and answered in the affirma-
tive
THAT night, when I balanced my ac-
counts, l discovered that l had made a
mistake, and that Baker had overdrawn
his account considerably AS alone was
responsible for this, and as it would GER
tainly appear to the officers of the bank
that / was at least negligent, while they
might suspect something worse than neg
ligence, 1 was afraid to report the matter
to them. So 1 covered it up on my books,
and as soon as l was released from the
bank went to Bakers Office and told him
of my error and of the predicament in
which it had placed me, asking him to
make at once a deposit which would rec
tify it.
HE expressed surprise, said he thought
his deposit had been equal to the check,
and unhesitatingly promised to square me
with the bank in a day or two. In the
course of the next day or the day follow
ing he came to me and said that he was
worth, chiefly in real estate, not less than
$780, 900, but that just at this time he was
hard pressed for ready money, and could
not conveniently spare the amount neces-
sary to make good what he had over
drawn.
"Then he added that what he impera-
lively needed to enable him to realize
promptly on his property was a small
amount in cash. and said that if he could
get that it would greatly facilitate his set
Ting with the bank and relieving me from
my unpleasant and dangerous position. As
long as he had already oSsrdrawn his ac-
count, he continued, it would not make
any material difference if he overdrew it
a little more. He could easily do that
ceal the overdraft for a few days. and
then undoubtedly he would be able to
make everything all right.
"Of course 1 violently objected to such
a scheme, but he was cool and firm. As [
had temporiZed over my mistake, in the
belief that Baker was a man of both
means and honor, who would not allow a
poor bookkeeper to suffer possible dis
missal for an inadvertence, / was more
afraid now than before to reveal the error
TO the bank officers. So, after Vainly OBJ
jecting and pleading, acceded to his pro-
position and again certified to the ade-
quaey of his account when he presented
another check. As l had now consciously
done wrong, confession was out of the
question. My fate from that moment was
in the hands of Frederick Baker, and he
knew 1t, and had no mercy on me
TT was over and over again the same
story. l would 90 to him and beg him for
Gods sake to make good his promise. He
would renew his promise, and ask that