St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-11-25
SEELEY's CONFESSION.
His Accomplice Got the Lions
Share OF the Booty.

His Accomplice Got the Lions
Share OF the Booty.
NEW YORK, Nov. 25.-The Press this
morning gives the following account of
the confession OF Bookkeeper Samuel
G. Seeley, of the National Shoe and
Leather bank, to his attorney. Frank
w. Angle. Mr.. Angie was seen by a
Press reporter at his Jersey City home.
He was formerly an assistant United
States district attorney in Brooklyn.
The last he saw Of Seeley was on Nov.
II. Mr.. Angle would not confirm the
story that Baker was Seeley's accom-
plice. During the course Of the inter
view, however, the reporter constantly
used Bakers name, and MIR. Angle
acQuiesced i'll lis use. He told the fol-
lowing story:
II have been for many years a per-
sOnal friend of Seeey and Baker,
acquainted with each other. l
have known Seeley for ten years.
Baker l have known in professional
way much longer. i saw Seeley Thurs
day ten days ago. Friday he called at
my office. | was out. He came back
again and said: i want to give you a
retainer as counsel, SO that Wnat tell
you will be matter Of professional
secrecy l laughed and said: Why,
Sam. it will be Just as much a secret
whether you give me fee in advance
or not.'
''He then told me he was in trouble
with the bank. He was very nervous
and told his story bit by bit. When he
mentioned the amOunt-Over $500, ,000-I
said to him: Sam, you are crazy. This
matter has been preying upon your
mind He proved iJ to me and then
told me mis- accOmplice got it all. |
pressed him tor the name of his accom-
plice, and he gave it to me at length
very reluctantly.
He Took Chances.
"Sam then asked me what he had
better do. l advised him to go over to
the Brown building aud give himself
up. He refused to do this l told him
that the chances were 1000 to against
his reaching place where he could hide
safely. WELL he said, 'Pll run the
chance asked him what his confed-
crate was going to do. He told me his
confederate would stay right in the city
and face it down. He is too old a man
to run away. l think, moreover, it
would be hard to convict him.. He is a
lawyer and knows what he is doing.
The system of the detalcatlon was such
that it will be almost impossible TO
prove that any person got the money.
The very books of the bank will show
against the charges that would be made
against the confederate.
Lawyer Bishop, the counsel Of the
bank, called on me repeatedly this week
to learn what Seeley had confessed,
particularly the approximate amount of
the shortage. l refused to tell him. At
last he came to me with this plea: He
said the bank examiner had threatened
to close up the doors of the bank unless
he was Informed approximately of the
amount of the shortage. This, he pont-
ed out, would mean ruin to the bank
and loss to great many people.
This argument prevailed upon me.
l told him it was over $300,000. then
attended the directors meeting and re-
peated this.
Il do not believe that my client profit
ed more than $4,000 in ali by the
fergeries. i have evidence in the shape
of some papers which L found IN
some insurance documents Of his
which convince me of the truth of this.
ME rest went to his confederate. The
confederate was known at the bank Tor
months and months past as $500 man.
That was the usual amount of his checks
presented nearly every day."