Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-12-08
nOORE'S OPINION
As to How Brown Robbed the Newport
Bank.

lucky, has written for publication his
opinion of how Assistant Cashier
Brown robbed the Newport Bank This
is what he says:
As there seems to be a mystery as to
how Brown looted the German Nation
al Bank, of Newport, and the time oc-
cppled in doing it, desire to give my
opinion, based upon fiften years ex-
perience in the banking business.
The impression has been given out
by the directors that it has all been
done in the past six months, and Bank
Examiner Tucker says the books were
correct last Arril, when he and Cash
Ter Rome took trial balance from the
individual books kept by Brown
In other words. he found the total
amount OF deposits in the individual
ledger to agree with the amount called
for in the general ledger, and, there
fcre, no defalcation.
With all due respect to Mr.. Tucker,
l would say that he did not prove the
books correct, nor did he prove that
Brown was not defaulter at that
time, rs l have no doubt but what
Brown had then taken at least half, or
more than half. of the sum he stole
from the bank.
Mr. Brown being individual book
keeper, wrote up the days deposits re-
ceived and checks paid, the total am
cunt of each being given to the general
bookkeeper of each days business, in
whose books the total amount of indi-
vidual deposits show.
When a trial balance of the inuivid
ual books is taken, the total must agree
with the amount called for by the gem
eral books.
Now, there are two ways a bookkeep-
er can steal from the bank; one is on
the inside, by having access to the
cash, and the other by having a con-
federate on the outside. Brown hav-
ing access to the cash, would take. say
81 900 when he wanted it. and charge
to John Smiths account; another 81 900
and charge to John Browns account
and so on. These amounts were in
cluded in the total amout of checks
paid each day and reported to the gen.
eral bookkeeper, therefore making the
two sets of books agree. That is why
the trial balance taken by Mr.. Tucker
in April agreed with the general
books; but, as | previously said, it was
no proof that Brown was not stealing.
The only way to have proven whether
he was or was not. was by having all
the passbooks called in and balanced
hw some of the clerks other than
suspicion at that time was certainly
cause enough. Had this been done the
books would have revealed the fact
that the books were not correct and a
great amount of money would have
been saved the bank.
Some years ago, on accepting the POI
sitlon of Assistant Cashier in a ST.
Louis bank. was told by the officials
that they did not think the books were
correct, and requested me to examine
them. | found it necessary to go over
five years work, and when l got
through found that the general book
keeper, who acted as teller at times,
had stolen 1000 and had manipulated
the books so as to hide it. also found
that a depositor owed the bank $4,000
that the officials knew nothing of. A
few days after I concluded the exami-
nation, a man entered a saloon in Mar
ket street, called for a glass of beer,
was seen to pour white powder into
it, then drank it. and in two minutes
was dead. He was the bookkeeper |
had proven defaulter
The st%tement that Brown took the
$4,000 since last April is simply ridi.
eulous. 1t would be impossible to have
! taken that amount out of a bank oil
that size in so short time, as the
droin would have been entirely toe
rapid and would have been detected
very soon, even by the German Nation
al Bank directors.
1t is well-known fact that Brown
has been living a fast life for severa
years, therefore large sums of money
were needed.
Over two years ago | know of de
posit that was received by Brown tha
was not entered on the bank books
Another depositor called at the banl
after closing time one day over twt
years ago and Brown was counting tn
cash; he folded up several large bills
put them in his pocket and told the de
positCr that was his winnings for tn
week on horses; the deDositor took hi
account from the bank the next day.
If Brown had taken $4,000 sine
last April, then the bank statemen
made previous TO that time would shoy
the individual deposits to have bee,
100000, instead of about 100000; an
by going over the bank statements
few years back, it would have bee
found that they averaged about tn