Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-02-28
HAMMER - PANNILL.
The Deia!ltinS Cashier and His Rail.
road Accomplice Sent On.
NEITHER corLD GIVE MAI.
shortage. ss5.ooo-rasy Enough Z.
Evadc the Counting comms,see.
Hut FearfsI Of the Bank rr.w,.
Pannili's system Of Checks.

Special. 1.-The preliminary examlnati,n a,
Walker @. Hammer. the defauiting teller
or the First National Bank. and Il. N.
rsnnill. city ticket agent os the cbeza.
peake and Ohio railway, who l. ehsrsea
with being his accomplice. wa. held 10.
day before United States Complssion..
Tinsley. and resulted in both OF the as.
oused being sent on to the grand jury.
witch meets In this city on March iuh.
Neither OF them could furnish baij and
they were remauded to fail. District.
Attorney Montague. OF Danviile. Wa.
present. and conducted the prosecution.
Mr.. X. II. Adams, president OF the hsu,.
testified In Hammers case as follows.
Hs had been president OF the bank slncs
1921. Hammer had been teller for s.y.n-
teen years. MIR. Talley. the cashier. hal
examined Hammers account. and had a,s-
covered some discrepancy. which. owing
TO Hammers lame explanation. he re-
ported to Adams. After the other AZ.
taches of the bank had left on Saturday
evening Adams told Talley that he had
better examine the tellers cash.
HE OBJECTED.
MIR. Taliey went 10 the front Office "a
turned. and said that Hammer objected
declaring that II was an lmpltstion
against his character
Then Mr. Adams sent word 10 the teller
that he wished to see him.
walker" he said. as Mr. Hammer an
preached, II am surprised at thu post
tion you take in this matter. but | am
determined that your accounts shall bs
examined"
At this Mr.. Hammer threw up his hands,
and exclaimed. My Cod
Walker said Mr.. Adams 1T Is not
possible that YOU are shortg'
YES" he answered. more than you
think
HIS SHORTAGE.
Mr.. Hammer then produced a statement.
and showed the president and the cashier
that his shortage was $23.e0.
Mr.. Hammer made no statement then
as TO how he accomplished the emhexzie-
ment. The vault was locked At the time.
and the counting OF the money ON hand
had 10 be delayed until Monday. Me.
Adams stated that he was convinced
that Mr.. Hammer really thought that
s23 900 would cover the shortage and
that It's increase by the count on Monda,
was due to his failure TO take into ocn-
sideration some additional items on sa-
turday. In the count by The special ccm-
mittee on Monday the shortage was found
to be over twenty thousand d0llafs
At the time OF the discovery OF the dsfal-
cation MIR. Adams had expressed his snr-
prise as TO how the teller had avoided
. discovery. 1T was easy enough said Mr.
Hammer. ito eyade the counting COM
mittee. but ! always felt uneasy Tor fear
the bank examiner would drop In on mo
when | was not prepared for him"
HOW IT WAS DONE.
II was afterwards explained how Mr..
Hammer managed for 50 long 10 conceal
his shortage. when the dme for TIE
counting approached he woull utilise the
telers checks and draw from other
banks a sum exactly equal to what he
had taken. In this way the committee
would never discover the deficiency, sni
an hour after the count th. money would
be returned 10 the banks where II had
been borrowed.
AT this point Hammers counsel, n. T..
Manson. Jr.. waived further examination.
and the case was sent on 10 the srand
jury.
THE PANNILL CASE.
The case of R H. Panni was then
taken up, and President Adams testified
or IN the First National Bank. The
amount which Pannili In accused OF
having gotten from the bank was found
out by Il number OF checks which were
discovered I'm the tellers box In October.
1894. The Bank Examiner had reported
that "kiting' was going on In the First
National. and that he had noticed some
little Irregularities. An examination de-
veloped the fact that Pannill was due
the bank y2O0o on account OF overcheck
Ing, as per the bank ledger. This he had
promised to make good. but has never
done 80 The checks Of Pannil amouDi-
ing to over $500. found In the tellers
box, had never passed through Pannilfs
account, and the bank officers knew no.
thing OF their existence until the vault
was opened on Monday.
CASHED BY HAMMER.
These checks had been cashed by Ham.
ner. and Pannlll had received the money
on them.
Cashier Talley was placed on the stand.
and testified az to the irregularity OF
Pannilrs transactions with the bank. \
deposit OF ESQ was made by Pannill oE
February I'D, the day OF tho exposure.
all I'm checks on the Traders Bank OF
this city. none OF which were good
At this point Messrs. j. l.. Lee ani
Randolph Harrison, tAunsei for Panniil'
waived further examination, and comniis-
sioner Tinsley sent the case on 10 us
grand tury