The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-21
SAFE BROKEN OPEN.
BROOKLYN DIME SAYINGS BANKS
ACCOUNTANT WAS MISSING.

MT WAS MIS6ING.
Shs $50 .Ooo.o o worth or Securities Pound
intact In the vauit-Arter an Assence or
Right Days. Head Accountant LopE Ro-
tarns, SUFFERING rrem Mental Alteration,
For seven days, ending last Sunday, two OK
pert safe breakers employed by q vault manu-
f~aoturer, hacked and ohisellod away at the thick
combination stool door to tho little vault In
which tho Brooklyn Dime Savings Banks bonds
and stocks are kept locked up in the bank build
ing at Court and Remson streets. This was
necessary because Thomas G. Long. the head &C
countant of the bank, to whom alone part of
the combination was known, had disappeared.
The safe-breakers finished their work on Sun
day afternoon, just q few hours before Mr.. Long
returned to his homo at 7ss Carroll street.
Brooklyn, from which he had been absent for
eight days. When the vault door was finally
swung open the securities It had guarded were
found intact.
None OF the bank officers had believed that
Mr.. Long had tempered with the securities, and
they wcro congratulatine themselves on tho
vindication Of their confidence in him when tho
news that he had returned to his homo reached
them,
Mr.. Long left the bank building after tho
books had been balanced on the afternoon of
Saturday, Doc. IL. None of his friends saw him
after that, except for q moment on Saturday
evening, until Sunday evening. when he went
to his home. His absence was due to mental
alteration. from which he 10 still suffering.
Mr.. Long entered the service of the bank over
thirty years ago. when he was q young man. as
q clerk. His ability was recognized and reward
cd by promotion until he was made the
hcnd accountant o number Of years ago.
His salary was one of the highest
paid by the bank, and from long associa-
tion with its affairs he became familiar with
all the details Of the business. His promotion
carried with 1t increased duties and response.
bilities. and his arduous labors in the last
few years told heavily on his strength. He
was able to do his work without break
ing down. however. and his family and
physician, while realizing the intense strain he
was under, had no idea that 1t would affect his
mind. Since 1890 no has had several slight at
tacks Of illness. which wero considered Of little
consequence. At no time did he show signs of
mental trouble until Dec. IL.
The securities owned by the bank, which Is
one of the richest in Brooklyn, are kept in n
vault in the bank safe. The door to the vault
was Of combination construction. consisting Of
seven plates. Each Of these plates was
made up of i've layers Of different
steels. Three Of these layers were of Bes-
semer stool. and between them wero layers of
chrome steel. In manufacturing the vault door
the thirty.fve strips Of metal were welded. into
one solid piece. Vault doors SO constructed
cannot BIO drilled. The sockets for the bolts ore
punched while the mass is hot. and the doors
are as nearly proof against violence as anything
made Of metal can be.
This door and tho vault, which was constructed
In the same manner, were built for the Dino
Savings Bank, and q lock of special c~onstruc-
tion was put in. To shoot tho bolts required
four separate operations. The President of the
bank. B.. II. Huntington. had n key that fitted
one of two slits In the vault door. j. L. Marcel
lus. the Secretary Of tho bank. had n key that
fitted another hole.
There were two combinations to the door. Mr..
Long had one of these. The paying teller Of the
bank. another employee who had been with the
institution for over thirty years. had the other.
II amy one OF the four operations was left I'M
done. or was not done properly, the lock would
not work. and the door could not be opened. SO
when the bonds and stocks of the institution
were locked up they couldn't be got at without
the cooperation Of the four mon.
n Monday. Dec. 8. the regular semi-annual
examination of the bank by n committee of the
trustees was made. The committee met in q
trustees room and sat around q big table. The
President, Secretary, paying teller. and head
accountant went into the big vault, cnch did
his part toward unbarring the chamber in
which the valuable papers of tho bank were
packed away, and when the vault was opened
a bank employee took the bonds and stocks into
the trustees room and spread them out on the
table.
The trustees went to work on the stack OF
papers and counted. checked and counter
checked them, and. when they had finished
added up tho totals. They had seen 800. 900. DOC
worth Of securities. Tho accounts were correct,
and tho committee meeting ended. Then Mr..
Mnrcellus called the banks ~janitor. a man who
has grown up with the institution.
Il want you to carry those papers back to tho
vault" said Mr.. Marcellus. mi. Long will be
there. and when you have taken them all to
him you sit down and watch him put them In
the vault where they belong. Don't leave hin
until they arc all put away"
This was the regular ceremony of putting
away tho securities, aud 1t was faithfully car
ried out. The vault was built when the bank
was not as rich as II IL now, and some ingenuity
was necessary to get all the papers into 1t. Mr.
Long had done the work for years. When he
finished 1t Mr.. Huntington and Mr.. Marcellu,
were notified, and they watched the vault door
Ohut and saw 1t locked. Then they went home
Mr.. Long appeared for business every da,
during the week punotually and performed hi
duties as usual. There was no occasion for tn,
Opening Of the security vault. On Saturday at
ternoon the books were balanced up as usual
Mr.. MSrcellus and Mr.. Long were kept bus,
until every one else had left tho counting room
Late In the afternoon they went out together
and the ~janltor locked the doors. Mr.. Long ant
Mr.. Marcsllus parted at the entrance. During
the day Mr.. Long had acted In his usual way,
and when Mr.. Marcellus left him no was to al
appearances in q normal state Of mind. MI
Marcellus went home.
What Mr.. Long did no one knows. 1t was hi
habit to 20 to his home and spend his evening"
Nth hta pvffa and Aanohtar Halld nat H. a.