The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-10-22

JOHN YANLOANDEAD
He Robbed the Second Ma
tiona1 Bank and Fled
to Canada.
FOUND BY 1.-THE JERSEY CITY NEWS"
Fear Of Prison Haunted Him
Wherever He Went and FL
nally Drove Him Insane.
By 1.-THE JERSEY CITY NEWS

John H. Var Loan. who, fve years ago.
caused such a sensation in Jersey City
by suddenly disappearing, leaving behind
him q large defalcation in the Second
National Bank. in which he was en-
ployed as a bookkeeper, is dead. He died
Tuesday in the hotel managed by his
father, at Pine Hill, In the Catskills.
Ten years ago Jack Van Loan was
one of the most popular men in Jersey
City. He was a member of the Jersey
City Athletic Club and one of its leaders.
He occupied a prominent place in its
councils. and very little was done with
out consulting Van Loan. He had been
one OF the leaders of the old Arion Row
ing Association and at one time was the
champion short distance pedestrian. He
must have a a trunk full of medals,
for no matter what the handicap was
he would be pretty sure to finish first
or second He had a good bass voice
and was a member OF ST. Johns choir
and a quartettes which was very success
full.
IN society a Loan was also popular,
and after his marriage to the beautiful
daughter of the late Nelson H. Coyken-
dali he became even more of a favorite.
He was a royal entertainer and spent
his money layishly. He frequently gave
his intimates was considered something
OF a plunger on the races. 1t was well
known that the position he occupied in
the bank did not pay anything like a
large enough salary to warrant the man
ner in which he was living. He disarmed
all suspicion in that direction by causing
1t to be known hat he was the banks
checks Of the bank. This was known
to pay well, and no further questions
were asked But now the bank, which
knew that Mr.. Van Ioan did not get the
notary's fees, was satisfied has not yet
appeared.
Suddenly the crash came. and people in
Jersey Cit could hardly believe their
ears when they heard that John Van
Loan was a defaulter and an absconder.
II appeared that he had been robbing
the bank Systematically for years. and
ceive the Government Inspector. He was
on his vacation when he received a tin
from somewhere that a new Government
or two. He realized that he could not
banlboozle the new inspector like he had
the old one, and he knew that a thorough
inspection Of his books would disclose his
stealing. He did not hesitate long. Hur-
rying to this city, he got together some
money by getting checks cashed by sa-
Jersey City. AS far as known, he has
never been here since.
In the sunmer of 1890 THE News, re-
ceived information that Van Loan was
Canada, called Port Dover. Where Port
Dover was no one seemed to know in
this neighborhood, but THE News with
It's characteristic enterprise. sent one of
It's reporters to find the place and Van
Loan. It took the ticket agent of the
Grand Trunk Railway of Canada, at
Clifton station, opposite Niagara, a day
to locate the place and direct the re-
n0rfRv lhaW RI rQnnh fhnro H. Israo-1
the reporter wrong. but after almost an
entire days travel by rail, water and
stage. through the rural districts of
Ontario, the newspaper man found it. 1t
Is a little ona-horse sort Of picnic ground
on the northern shore OF Lake Erie. The
season was over and the place looked
deserted. It was g. most dismal. dreary
place, with one long street of discon-
solate looking houses and a general at
mosphere of gloom which was most de-
pressing. 1t the upper end of this street
Van Loan was found keeping q low hotel.
Almost every man would rather have
prison than that many months in
Port Dover. Van Loan was under sus-
picion there. He passed as an invalid
from the States seeking health, but the
reporter was not in the place long be-
fore he saw that the Kanucl5s had about
made up their minds that Van Loan
was a fugitive from justice, and they
were beginning to look upon the re-
porter as an accompiice. Soon after that
Van Loan left Dover. The presence Of
the reporter was q shock to him and he
frankly said that If the reporter could
find him the police could. He was very
nervous and talked in a rambling man
ner, which awakened suspicious of his
sanity. He was continually haunted with
the fear of arrest. From Port Dover he
drifted about Canada, never staying long
in one place. Then he drifted back to the
United States. The strain under which he
a been labortng for years broke at
- - 49, --ks1A - 49,
tariun for the insane in Connecticut.
He left fhere and went to Pine Hill re-