New-York tribune., 1899-07-16
VALENTINES OWN STORY.
PERTH AMBOY CASHIER TOLD HIS WIFE
AND FATHER HE WAS A BEGGAR.
A wRETCHED NIGHT SPENT ON STREET
CARS IN THIS CITY-TIPS ON SToCho
BY WHICH HE LOST FORTUNE.

BY WHICH HE LOST A FOhIONb'
George NJ Valentine defaulter and wrecker OF
the Middlesex County Bank. Of Perth Annoy
n. j.. seemed to feel refreshed yesterday a''e'
his first night behind prison bars IN the NC"
Brunswick Jail. His wife went to see MIN anu
spent several hours with him. the TWO dining 'o
.atber Of q luncheon served from Sheriff Let
ters,,s table Valentine smokes incessanty In
iail alternating several cigarettes with an occa-
s,ona, cigar When nobody is with him he reads
a novel Valentines counsel and uncle, Eu"aros
Savage. visited him at 1:3O o'clock yesterday
afternoon Mrs. Valentine was present al the
interview Mrs. Valentine and Mr. savage ieI'
o, Q o'clock Valentine will not talk. and de-
clines to say whether he will plead guh'y vi a.
lou, his case 10 go before the Grand Jury, IL
was stated yesterday that the old oahK VIII oe
wound nm and steps Immediately taken toward
the establishment of National oahK III rev"
Amboy. The exact amount Of Valentines oe-
facatons IS not yet KNOWN pu' VIII P'
reach S1oO.OO0.
Edward S Savage counsel for many years 10
the Valentine family yesterday told the story
that Valentine related to his father his uncle
and his wife. in Mr.. Savage's office. at NO 81
Nassau-st.. New-York.
on Wednesday afternoon Mr. Savage rece'eu
a telephone message from Howard Naieh'ihe' VI
Woodbridge the uncle of the oefauiter' saying
chat Robert n Valentine the father was In
trouble and wanted to see him. He took the
next train for Woodbridge There ne louiu
Robert almost Frustrated. Mr. Naien'ihe sa'u
that Mrs George Valentine had called upon MIN
and told him that her husband was missing
that he had not been to their country house at
ocean Grove since Monday, and she had learned
at the Middlesex Bank that he had not been
ov,d hp Ckp
10 belp her to find him. He told Mrs. Savage
that he had become alarmed and had been al
once driven. although very sick, to the bank
and there learned that there was deficit or AT
least $1,000 and that the cashier had tele-
nboned that he was detained in New-York and
would be down to the bank by noon, and that
he had not been seen. 1t was then late In the
afternoon. The shock almost prostrated the
father. Much fear felt for his life during
the first hour after the revelation
The senior Mr.. Valentine held consultation
at his home with his brother, Howard Nalen-
tine. Mrs George Valentine and Mr. savage
and II was decided that If the amount was not
too large they would make it good and hush
the matter up, II possible, before 1t reached the
newspapers Howard Valentine had always
called his nephew George by the nickname OF
"Dutch" and had been in return called by him
"Uncle Dutch" 1t was decided that the young
man would watch the newspapers, and the fol-
lowing personal was inserted on Wednesday
night in a New-York newspaper;
George Dutch-Dont be foolish. See me at
once Call telephone 1922 Cortland.
UNCLE DUTCH"
At Q o'clock Thursday afternoon somebody
called up Mr.. Savages office and told Mr.. Dob
bin, the confidential clerk, that he was Dutch"
and wanted to speak TO Mr.. Valentine. He was
told TO whose Office he was telephoning and
that Mr.. Savage would be back later In the day
He called up later and was told to come
straight to the office. At 8 o'clock. when he
reached the office. he found. besides Mr.. Savage.
his father. his wife and his uncle. Howard
Valentine who had been summoned. He was
pale and haggard and his clothes were disar-
ranged, and his general appearance was that of
a man who had suffered much.
Mr.. Savage said to him:
George. your father will help you II he can.
Unless you will tell us the whole truth. you may
as well go out that door at once"
Il will tell you everything and do as you say
can stand 1t no longer" he replied.
Very well George you a defaulter?"
Yes. l am"
He spoke with a forced calm and his hand
trembed violently. as he rested it upon chair
TO support himself. He stood with downcast
eyes and avarted face.
"Is it $4,000"
VALENTINE HAD SIX CENTS LEFT.
at is more 1t is twice that and more"
When he said that his father sank in tempo
rary collapse into chair. and remained speech
less and motonless for several minutes When
he revived his continued slowly:
II will tell you all and have it over. do not
know how much l have taken
He hestated and then went on:
NO. not taken-stOlen is the word do not
know how much. 1t is all gone and the stealing
has gone on for long time. But as there is a
God above me- l hoped TO the last TO make a
lucky gamble and win enough to pay back
everything. Then was going to stop. My ruin
dates back to when l obtained a gt-edge tip
on gas stock by man who should have been
in position TO know. and who said that it was
going away up. took $4,000 from the
bank funds. lost 1t all almost in a day. From
that time until made my last gamble, on Mon
day. when l lost $1,000 which took from the
Perth Amboy Savings Institution tried to
catch up on my losses. OF course. failed.
"All have in the world of my own as | stand
here is six cents.
For many months have not slept four con-
secutive hours. The nervous and moral strain
has been intense. l have been on the verge Of
prostration many times. Fer weeks. as I ap-
preached the bank mornings, expected to see
the bank examiners in charge. When left on
Saturday felt that the end was On Mon
day morning l left Ocean Grove and my wife
and little children, and started for the bank
When / got to Perth Amboy station had not
the courage to go TO the bank. and boarded an
other train and came to NewYork. I went to
an obscure MOTEL that night. after losing my last
dollar in Wall-st, and stayed there until
Wednesday morning. Wednesday night had
no dinner and no money with which to pay
hotel bills. / was obliged to walk the streets
I went from saloon TO saloon. stopping in each