Evening journal., 1896-09-14
SYNDICATE OF ROBBERS
Seven Persons In the New Or
leans Steal of $6o2,o 900.
CONFESSIONS HAVE BEEN MADE.

Two Clerks Of the Union National, Col
comb aud Leone. Did the Work Inside.
Money Spent In Luxurious Living and
observation-disclosures TO BE Made.
NEW ORLEANS, Sept. l4.-There is only
enc more secres to come out in the wreck
lag Of the Union National bank and the
bank panic which ragged here last week,
and it Is announced that it will be disclos-
Id within the next "a hours. That Is the
names of the confederatcs, the moh on the
outside who drew out and appropriated
the 1902, 600 of the bank smoney. Colcomb
and Leone the bookkeepers, cooked the
accounts so az to keep the bank always in
debt to these confoderates
The bank was robbed by a syndicate
composed of seven persons, two on the in
side OF the bank and five on the outside
Fhe whole transaction was businesslike
and systematic, including an agreement
as TO the amount to be drawn out OF stolen
each day and the division Of the funds.
Coloomb, whose lack of nerve was shown
by his suicide the moment suspicion
pointed to him, was the organizer Of the
project and its director. IL is reported
that a confession has beon made; that
three members of tho syndicate have been
named, and that the only reason their
names arc not now made public is 20 pre-
vent any escape, as some Of them are out
OF town. The money went mainly in riot
Gus living, the balance on speculation,
with the hope of recovering the amount
stolen
In the big cotton speculation last year
when cotton went up so high the syndi-
cato was ahead OF the game. The sSdden
of fbf a
making good the banks money and rem
dered new rad necessary The bank
has been plundered more heavily than
ever since. The outside members OF the
syndicate are said TO 10 high liyers. Not
SO Colcomb and Leone; they could not
be so, for they were Kept all the day at
their desks working away to cover up the
crookedness IN their books.
Money Spent In Luxurious Living.
They had little time for spree. Col
comb spent most OF his share of the swag
on his family. He lived most luxuriously,
had ten servants and housekeeper to re-
lieve his wife Of the trouble Of domestic
nffairs, rather largo household for clerk
on a salary Of $3.50 a month. Ho had evi-
dently anticipated that the defalcation
would come out sooner or later and had
determined on suicide when it did, for he
carried the poison on his person TO be used
at moments notice. He had many
friends, and they all speak Of him as gen-
erous and brave. To commit suicide Il
the only thing a gentleman could do un.
der the circumstances, they say.
Colcomb was interviewed on Thursday
pight about the banks condition. He was
calm and collected then and apparently in
the best Of humor, although it was only c
few hours before his death. and he hat
then evidently determined on suicide II,
did not tell his family of his intention
and it was not until several hours latel
that he took the poison and was discover
ed In an insensible condition. Once o.
twice in the next 36 hers no opened hi
eyes and locked aro,1pp2ne room, but N
neither spoke nps seemed TO know an
one. Colcomb's death renders the work O
Investigating the defalcation very diff
cult and United States Bank Examine
Escott doubts -vhethor it will ever be pos
sible to know all the details.
The receivers Of the Bank of Cemmerc
and American National bank will tax
possession OF them today The other twl
closed banks the Mutual National an,
Union National, still rcmnin IN the hand
Of the United States examiners. 1t
thought that the panic Is over.
United States Bank Examiner KscOt
completed his first trial balance OK th
Union National bank and found th
amount stolen to be S602. 6S7.07. This
subject to an incrense when all the &C
counts are carefully examined.