Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-01-05

Trusted Bank Official Suicides in the Face
of the Charge.

Baltimore, Jan. 5.-Richard Cornelius,
cashier. and for forty-two years con-
nected with the National Farmers and
Planters bank, of which Enoch Pratt
was president up to the time of his
death, was discovered to be short in
his accounts to the amount of about
s60, 600 yesterday. About 10 o'clock yes
terday morning Cornelius was notified
of this discovery and left the bank.
At lis o'clock in the afternoon his
dead body was found in the duck pond
at Druid Hill park. He had committed
suicide by drowning. On Saturday last
the attention of the banks officers was
called by the bank examiner to an ir-
regularity in the accounts of a country
bank, for which the National Farmers
and Planters bank was correspondent,
ard the officers Immediately began a
quiet investigation of the cashiers ac-
counts. When Cornelius arrived at the
bank yesterday morning he was sum-
moned before the board of directors.
Cornelius, it is understood. claimed that
he could make satisfactory statement,
and he was allowed to go into another
He did not return, and after the
lapse Of some time the directors as
certained that nc had left the build
ing. Detectives were at once summoned
and they traced Cornelius to Druid Hill
park, where in a short time the body
was found in the pond. His hat was
first found above the surface Of the
water, in which Cornelius had sat and
deliberately drowned himself. Cornelius
left widow ard a daughter. the widow
of the late Charles l.. Carson, a we'll
known archite{. Mr.. Cornelius was one
of the oldest and best-known bank
cashiers in Baltimore and his acquainnt-
ance among bankers extended through
out the country. He was Of n cheer
full disposition and was prominent in
religious circles. and was also largely
interested in building associations in
this city. During the life Of the late
Enoch Pratt, the philanthropist. he was
one of that gentleman's most intimate
friends, and probably knew more about
Pratt's private interests than any other
man in Baltimore.
For many years Cornelius had been
one of the most prominent Methodists
in the city. He was local preacher of
the Baltimore conference, president of
the City Missionary and Church Ex-
tension society, president of the Emory
Grove association, one of the trustees of
the Baltimore Annual conference and a
member of the official board of Madi-
son Avenue church. Cornelius began
his career with the National Farmers
and Planters bank forty-two years ago
as messenger boy, and worked his way
up to the position of cashier. Until
Saturday there had never been even a
suspicion against his integrity. He was
never known to speculate and lived
very frugally.
The vice president OF the bank. Mr..
John A. Whitridge. talked freely about
the discovery of the shortage. we
have nothing to conceal" said he; the
old gentleman was very careless in his
accounts We requested Mr..
Cornelius to give us access to his books
and papers which he did without the
least hesitancy, saying calmly: There
may be some error here due to care
lessneSs, but there is nothing wrong
a few moments later he left the build
ing. Mr.. Cornelius was bonded for s50,-
600 by the Employers Liability Assur-
ance corporation of London and II is nv
impression that this amount will almost
cover the shortage