The herald., 1896-05-24
copyright, 1896. by Bachelor, johnson an
Bacheller.I
PARr'I.

In new 1OrK, IN lNOVempor' 1871 was
one of the directors Of the bank at the time
and, in fact, continued to hold that ONCE
until the first of January OF the present
year when, as the banking records. show
the concern went into voluntary liquidation
and closed its doors.
The bank paid one hundred cents on the
dollar to its depositors, besides respectable
dividend to the shareholders, and all be-
cause OF the wonderful shrewdness OF one
Individual. l had a good deal to do with
the affair, first and last, so that l know
what I'm talking about, which Is great
advantage over most historians, and l pro-
pose to give an account Of it. for the pur-
pose Of showing the shrewdness of this
person and, also, of removing the cloud
which rested upon the reputation Of man
whom liked and esteemed.
The Jefferson bank was small institu-
ton founded upon the old state banking
laws. Its capital was not large but it had,
comparatively speaking. quite good sized
surplus and was considered sound and In
good condition. The bank building was a
small old fashioned affair." quite ways
down on the east side, near the river, on a
short street. running from Grand to
Canal; and its business was mostly with
the shipping interests in that locality.
The cashier of the bank was Lewis Nc
Keever; all old gentleman Of Scotch des-
cent and Scotch proclivities. He had been
In the concern, man and boy, for forty
years and at the time Of the disaster Of last
November, was looked upon as the very
embodiment of financial solidity and homes
ty. lie was a queer old chap, rather short,
and somewhat bald. He had gray twink
ling eyes, a rim of white whiskers under
his chin, which was double, and his great
est girth was at that point where it should
have been least. namely at the waist. He
was inclined to be near sighted, was some
what absent minded and was possessed Of
several very curious traits and harmless
ecccntricities. but perhaps he had no more
than any other Old bachelor OF fifty eight
or sixty.
He had got together a small property
adequate in every way to his wants, and
lived most comfortably in a rented house
on West 2Sth street, between 9th and 7th
avenues. His family was limited to a
niece, Miss Agnes Warren, the daughter
of q deceased sister. He was very much
attached to her and she. on her part, re-
garded him as father. These two and the
Flanagan. composed the household of the
old banker.
The banking hours were from ten in the
morning to four in the afternoon. 1t was
the cashiers custom to go home to lunch
At two O'Clock, whence he would return al
three; sometimes little later. He never
failed to be present at the closing hour, for
he himself always closed and locked the
door of the safe and the vault.
On the afternoon of Wednesday, the 2sth
Of November. 1894. he returned from lunch
at about half-past three. He was accom-
panied by a stranger a tall dark man, who
waited for him patiently outside OF the
railing with the evident intention of &C.
companyin8 him, when he should leave the
bank. 1t was afterwards found that this
man had called on him at his house and
had come with him from there to the Of
fee. The old cashier. on this occasion,
In his intercourse with the employees,
acted and conversed very strangely. He
made some ridiculous remarks concerning
the prices of certain stocks and startled
them all by talking excitably about some
great earthquake which had happened, or
was to happen. He then set the time lock
on the safe, fastened the safe and the vault
and went out with the stranger.
The next day was Thanksgiving and, 1t
being a national holiday, the bank was not
opened. At ten o'clock on the morning of
Friday, Nov. 30. Mr. Curtis the booReeper,
the other minor employees being present.
opened the safe and found that the bank
had been robbed of currency to the amount
Of about forty thousand dollars.
The cashier usually came in at ten or
fifteen minutes aften ten. The bookkeeper
waited for him half hour. then sent one
of the clerks to his house. In due time
this messenger returned with the startling
information that Mr. McKeever had not
been seen at his home. since he left there
at three o'clock on the afternoon of the
preceding Wednesday,
The directors and president were imme-
diately called in, and the matter was with
out delay put into the hands of the police.
Several Of the ablest of the official detect
ives were detailed upon the case. The
missing cashier was sought in every direc-
ton, and the employees of the bank and
the women of his household were subjected
to the most minute cross examination.
the result Of their lucubrations was what
/ knew 1t would be; was the only result
Grind your cashier" said they, land you
will have the man who took the forty
thousand dollars"
There was, in fact, no other supposition
possible. The safe was guarded with a
combination and time lock, and Mr. Nc
Keever knew the combination and had,
himself, set the time lock at the closing Of
the bank on Wednesday afternoon.
For the benefit of those who have not
seen a time safe lock will explain briefly
The mechanism of this, the greatest of all
hindrances to the operations of the bank
breaker.
This time appliance is simply very &C.
curate and durable clock placed upon the
inside Of the safe door, and SO connected
with the bolts of the door that the said
bolts can not be drawn as long as the
clock is running. In the very act of run
ming down, the movement Of the clock lifts
a small lever which frees the bolt, so that,
the combination having been worked. they
may be shot back and the safe opened The
clock. before the closing Of the door, Is
wound to run a certain number of hours.
II wound until the hand upon the dial
points to the figure AZ, the clock will run
for AZ hours and it will be AZ hours before
the safe can be opened.
On the Wednesday afternoon at four
o'clock, when the cashier last closed the
safe. he should have wound the time lock
to run for AZ hours, as the next day was
70 % holiday. and the bank was - re-