The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-02
Theft BE(AHE A KING.
The Story of Frederick Banks, Who
Absconded With Wells-Fargo
Express Money.

WHICH lOllONS Is Llat Oh d IODDStS a.
ingenious as romantic and as success
ful as any committed within living
memory:
Frederick Banks was a trusted en-
ployee IN San Francisco of the rich
Wells Fargo Express company. Twelve
years age he gathered together a great
sum oe money belonging to his en-
ployers. sailed away with it, and placed
himself absolutely beyond the reach OF
American law.
To do this he became q. king
1t is we'll recognized that ordinary
Shieves are fools, who fall from weak
ness of body and mind. Far otherwise
was Banks. Up to the last moment he
was an exemplary business n an, with
out vice. Before ne broke the law,
he took the most perfect measures TO
avoid the possibility of punishment.
Today he is king of Raratouga, veal
thier than the Wells-Fargo company,
be. ,rTed by the numerous and amiable
people and recognized as sovereign by
the United States government.
In his San Francisco days Banks en-
Joyed d good salary, worked faithfully,
never diSSipated, never had any small
vices and displayed d great many vir-
tues, and, altogether, conducted him
self as a well-regulated business man.
He was a good clerk and knew the de-
tails of the central office perfectly. He
had access TO the moneys of the COM
pany under certain restrictions and
knew many of the business secrets of
that great corporation.
Banks saved some money out of his
salary and one day did his first sus-
picious thing. He bought a yacht. She
was not an expensive affair; just nice
little schooner, roomy and comfortable.
ANY man who works in confidential
capacity for Wells-Fargo must of ne
cessity be a man of deep resources and
fertile schemes. Banks was that. He
took his trips up and down the coast
when time was permitted him, and
from short cruises to begin with, he
heightened his journeys out to the limit
of office discipline. Banks was trying
his wings just as a young bird does.
He was finding just how far he could
get away from the big Office without
being looked after.
Banks knew the Pacific well and he
aceired some knowledge ~of sailing
from his yachting experiences. But he
worked on in the confidence OF his peo-
pie and seemingly used his sea knowl-
edge for the furtherance of his pleas
ure only. For more than a year he
coasted and worked and knew where
the moneys were and how they were
kept and saw them daily. He was in
line CT promotion and fought for it.
Some day in the natural order of things
he would be that man who would know
the combination of the big through
safe, and would have the locking of it
before he left the office at night.
That day came to him, as it comes
to the average man who labors for it.
Then he began to buy things for his
yacht. He provisioned her. He got
oat some sort Of papers for her and
anchored her at the foot Of Mission
street, where she passed unnoticed, so
quiet a craft was she in build and rig.
She was almost as much business in
appearance as her owner was in habit.
BANKS FLIGHT.
Late one afternoon Banks sent word
down that he wished to sail that night
with the tide. He wanted to have two
men call at the office and take aboard
some few bags yet needed. The men
went to the Wells-Fargo Office and
were admitted by Banks himself On
the floor were three bags Of something
personal effects, presumably. The
llen took the bags. Banks himself
cared for one, and the three went the
short distance to the yacht and got
aboard. Everything at the office was
and in apparent good order. !
That night the yacht went out
the Golden Gate, and the civ
ilized world has never set eyes on her
TO this good day. Banks sailed her out
Of the ken of white men and took with
him all the big through safe Of the |
people contained.
Next day, when Banks did not ap-
pear at the usual hour, he was sent for |
He YVES not a home. Other men knew |
the combination and the safe was
opened. There was not a dollar inside. |
The long yen Of the Weils-Fargo |
forces went up, and there was a hasty /
gathering of the forces. Banks had |
gone on another little cruise, and they |
knew he would never come back, un-
less, indeed, they found him and |
brought him back.
Every steamer sailing for a Pacific |
port carried a. Wells-Fargo detective at
the next leaving. Australia, Japan,
ChinS India, Africa and Europe were
n succession secured.
The little yacht had hidden herself
ike a scared quail down behind the big
sea, and all the dogs of the pack
could not nose her out or flush her into
view.
Banks had gone
Down in the southern seas, beyond
he equator, is a continent; not con-
inent in the strict sense Of the word,
1ut the remains of a continent From
he MarQuesas on the east of Austria
ia on the west stretches an almost con-
inuous chain of islands. There are
thousands and thousands Of them,
angling in size from mere spot, top
ling the wave, to an area equal to the
tate of New York. These islands are
arranged in groups like eggs in nest.
each group is inhabited, and in the
'lden days each was kingdom in it
elf.
Various European countries have
ent ships down there, annexing and
and doing all those things
which big countries may do to little
mes, until the entire territory today is
Inder some sort of foreign domination.
The last group Of southern islands to
urrender absolute independence were :
he Herveys-and there is the other
ide of the story.
The royal family of the Herveys are
he Tongas. They have reigned by the
Id divine right system from time i'm
memorial. They are higfl-bred, as ma
ives go, and are proud. They are a
'ure race as well. A Hervey islander
: an aTistocgat IN saddle-color. On the
slend of Raratonga, the largest in the
roup, live the king and his following.
lie is very old now-very old. ]
a SAFE HARBoR.
Before his eyes had failed him and j
e could sit in mis- bamboo doorway and
,ck out on the break of the sea, which I
ncompassed him and his, he one day 1
aw the white sails of a schooner belly I
lg towards him. Schooners were not {
D common as TO pass without Tonga
and out of the reef passage 7
wept a great Tonga canoe, freighted Y
18th an order from the king TO dis r
over what manner of visitor this wes. ,
Within two hours the schooner had 2