The herald., 1894-11-27
BOOKEEP{R sEElEY'S STEAL,
He Had an Accomplish in His
Populations.
The Late Frederick Baker Charged
With Completely.
Sensational RevelatIons-sssley Said to
BIS Hiding Not Far From New
York The Banks Business
Not Impaired.
By the Associated Press.

National Shoe and Leather bank opened
this morning az unooncernedly 40 though
the institution had not been recently
plundered OF 1854. 900 by one OF it's
trusted bookkeepers. I'VE stand pre-
pared to pay out every dollar Of our in
debtedness as soon IS it is called for,
but the indications are we will not be
very hard pressed" said enc the directors.
The officials scout the idea that Seeley
and his accomplish. Bsker. were aided
by another confederate. Baker is cred.
tied with 5000 balance and 1t ia under
stood this credit is bogus. The sons Of
the late Frederick Baker insist that
their fathers business record was i'm
maculate, that it 10 absurd to charge
him with completely in Seelsy's wrong
doing, as he had no deposit in the bank
and left no papers as evidence that he
ever had bad any transactions there.
On the other hand, the bank officials
assert that Baker had been o deposition
Sc years.
1t is intimated that the directors are
in communication with counsel regard
ing proceedings to secure property left
by Baker. as indemnity for the banks
Losses through his operations with
Seelly. Paying Teller GilbertSayers said
today:
"There 10 not q shadow OF doubt that
the man found drowned at Flushing,
Saturday. was Frederick R. Baker, who
assisted Seeley to rob the bank, and to
whom personally paid money. have
known him at least eight years, and
during that period have paid him money
at least three times week.
Baker always presented his checks
personally. | never remember his
sending any by messenger or
clerk to be casbed. He generally came
about three times q week, and checks
would be drawn for odd amounts, never
over $500 ut time. In order to sscer-
tain positively whether the man found
drowned at Flushing was the same
Baker, l made q journey there last
night, and | no sooner saw the body
than identified it. His sons told mo
they would not believe it, a. they never
knew he had an account at the Shoe
and Leather bank, and could not find
the slightest trace to verify il among
the dead mans papers.
II Seeley Is alive the bank officials will
do all they can to bring him back, 40 his
evidence 10 absolutely necessary to re-
cover the losses from Bakers estate. If
Seeley cannot be communicated with. 1t
ia thought the bank officials will offer
him inducements to return, which will
be practically a guarantee Of immunity
from prosecution.
After a session OF an hour, the direc-
tors meeting adjourned until 2 O'Clock.
No authoritative statement was made a.
TO the amount OF the assessment that it
had been decided to levy upon the
stockholders TO meet the impairment of
the capital. Director Beach would
neither affirm nor deny the truth OF
the statement that it had been de-
cided 10 make the assessment per cent.
Offers of assistance from other banks
we're declined, with the assurance that
aid was not needed, az the bank had re.
ceived in deposits today more by so per
cent than the Withdrawals.
The directors decided upon the adop-
ton of a system OF bookkeeping which
they declare will preclude the possible
ity of the occurrence of wrong-doing,
such as Seeey's.
The family OF frederick Baker, the
alleged accomplice Of Bookkeeper Seeley,
had arranged that the funeral of the
dead man should take place ON Wsdnss.
day, but postponement is likely to be
necessary. The coroner insists that an
autopsy shsll be held in order to settle,
il possible. the question as to whether
death was accidental or OF suicidal de-
sign. There is q theory that An autopsy
will reveal the presence of poison in the
internal organs which would in part
explain the fact that the body was afloat
eoen after death.
It has now become q question as to
trustee or executor, have not suffered BY
his populations. August Kagsl. one of
the heirs of the estate OF Gottlieb Kagel,
reported at Bakers Office upon the au-
thority of the bank named,
that he had ascertained that IS
shares of the Chatham National
bank belonging to the estate had been
transferred by Baker May &. 1879. The
bank authorities refused to say to whom
the shares had been transferred, but
stated that, as executor. Mr.. Baker had
the right to transfer them. Mr.. Kagel
was excited.
Il would have trusted Mr.. Baker as a
father" he said. Here he has been
paying me the dividend of the shares
regularly, and he transferred them ID
years ago without me knowing q thing
about it. This shares are no longer in
the name OF the estate"
Director Beach said this afternoon
that the announcement that 10 per
cent assessment had been levied on the
common stock was premature.
Less than that will cover the loss
caused by the defalcatioDs," he said
"but we do not want to stop there. We
intend to restore the surplus to its old
figure, and in order to do this IL may be
necessary TO levy an assessment OF %
per cent or little more"
This afternoon representatives Of the
Shoe and Leather bank went to the Park
National bank and safe deposit vault
and with several officials of the latter
concern opened Bakers box. In it was
found lot of unimportsnt PAPERS. q
check for $40, 1910 in cash and will
executed in 1871.
Bueiness at the National Shoe and
Leather bank was conducted us usuil
all day and the receipts and dieb lree-
ments evincsd no extraordinary cond
ton. The bank officials asserted that
they have no doubt that the bulk OF the
money taken by Seeley aad Baker will
be recovered.
President Crane OF the Shoe and
Leather bank, who was seen after the
meeting OF the directors. said:
1.-THE directors did not meet to fix
upon an assessment of the banks stock.
We have no power in the matter. We
can only suggest 10 the comptroller OF
the currency tho necessity of such ac~