Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-05-10
Copyright, 1896. by Bachelor, Johnson
and Bacheller)
PARTI.

Many OF my readers will doubtless re-
remember the robbery Of the Jefferson
bank in New York, in November, 1894.
] 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 bank
ing records show, the concern went into
voluntary liquidation and closed its
doors.
The bank paid one hundred cents on
the dollar 10 its depositors. besides a re-
spectacle dividend 10 the shareholders,
and all because OF the wonderful
shrewdness Of one individual l had a
good deal 10 DO with the affair. first and
last, so that I know what I'm talking
about. which is a great advantage over
most historians. and / propose 10 give
an account OF 10. for the purpose 81
showing the shrewdness Of this person
and. also. OF removing the cloud which
rested upon the reputation Of a man
whom I liked and esteemed.
The jefferson bank was a small in
stitution founded upon the old State
banking laws. It's capital was not large
but 10 had. comparatively speaking
uuite a good sized surplus and was con-
sidered 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 10 Canal;
and its business was mostly with the
shipping interests in that locality.
The cashier Of the bank was Lewis
McKeever. an old gentleman Of Scotch
descent and Scotch proclivities. He
had been in the concern. man and boy
for forty years. and. az the time CT the
disaster Of last November was looked
upon as the very embodiment of fnan
cial sOlidity and honesty. He was a
queer old chap rather short and some
what bald. He had gray t~inkling
eyes, a rim OF white whiskers under his
chin. which was double. and his greatest
girth was al that point where it should
have been least, namely: at the waist.
He was inclined 10 be near sighted. was
somewhat absent minded and was pos
sessed OF several very curious traits and
harmless eccentricities. but perhaps he
had no more than any other old bach
elor OF fifty-eight or sixty.
He had got together a small property
adequate in every way 20 his wants, and
lived most Comfortably in a rented
house on West Twenty-eighth street
between Sixth and Seventh avenues
His family was limited 20 a niece. Miss
Agnes Warren. the daughter OF a de-
-ce9sed sister lie vas very much at
tached 20 her and she. on her part. re-
garded him as a father. These two and
the cook. or. rather. the maid OF an
work. Maria Flanagan. composed the
household OF the old banker
The banking hours were from ten In
the morning 20 four In the afternoon.
II was the cashiers custom 20 go home
20 lunch az two o'clock. whence he
would return az three: sometimes a lit
tie later He never failed 20 be present
AZ the closing hour. for he himself al
WAYS closed and locked the door OF the
safe and vault
On the Afternoon OF Wednesday. the
2Sth OF November. he returned from
lunch al about half-past three. He was
accompanied by a stranger, a tall, dark
man. who waited for him patiently out
side Of the railing. with the evident in
tention OF accompanying him when he
should leave the bank. IL was after
wards found that this man had called
on him at his house and had come with
him from there 10 the Office. The old
cashier. on this occasion. in his inter-
course 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 eXcitedly about
some great earthquake which had hap
pened. or was 10 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.
Il being a national holiday. the bank
was not opened. AT ten O'Clock on the
morning of Friday. Nov. 80, Mr. Curtis
the bookkeeper. the other minor en-
ployees being present, opened the safe
and found that the bank had been rob-
bed of currency to the amount Of about
forty thousand dollars.
The cashier usually came in az ten or
fifteen minutes after ten. The book
keeper waited for him a half hour. then
sent one OF the clerks 10 his house. In
due time this messenger returned with
the startling information that Mr..
McKeever had not been seen al his
home since he left there at three o'clock
on the afternoon Of the preceding We'd
nesday.
The directors and president were I'M
mediately called in. and the matter was
without delay put into the hands OF the
police. Several OF the ablest OF the Off
cfal detectives were detailed upOn the
case. The missing cashier was sought
in every direction, and the EMPLOYEES
Of the bank and the women OF his house
hold were subjected 70 the most minute
cross examination. The result OF their
Mcubrations was what knew 70 would
be: was the only resultkpossible with
the facts as they were known: Find
your cashier said they. and YOU will
have the man who took the forty thou
sand dollars"
There was in fact. no other SUPPOSE
ton possible. The safe was guarded
with a combination and a time lock. and
Rir. McKeever knew the combination
and had. himself. set the time lock al
the closing OF the bank on Wednesday
afternoon.
For the benefit OF those who have not
seen time safe lock | viii explain
briefly the mechanism Of this. the great
est of all hindrances TO the operations
OF the bank breaker
This time appliance is simply a very
accurate and durable clock placed upon
the inside OF the safe door. and so con-
nscted with the bolts of the door thas
the said bolts can not be drawn back