New-York tribune., 1901-11-16
ROBBED BANK FOR YEARS
OFFICIALS CONFESSION I'M
PLICA TES DEAD COMRADE.
NO ARREST MADE YET-S60,OOO TAKEN
FROM BROOKLYN INSTITUTION
LOSS COVERED BY BONDS.

The Williamsburg Savings Bank Drlsss-d'e'
and Broadway. Brooklyn. has been vict1mlzeo 10
the extent of about 100000 by two of its Oldest
and most trusted employees, George Zollinhofer,
receiving teller and Harry E. Corbett, paying
teller. The men, it is said, operated IN con-
junction Corbett died on November - anu
Zollinhofer. realizing that the irreguiarltles III
the accounts Of Corbett must become known
within short time made complete confess
sion to the officials of the bank last Fri
day. The bank is fully protected against
any loss. 1t holds blanket bonds asgresauhs
$780, 900 and covering all the employees Of the
bank as follows: $4,000 with the American
Surety Company, of Baltimore. for 1899: So0ooo
for 1900 and $4,000 for 1901 with the Union
Surety and Guaranty Company. of Philadel-
pha and personal bonds of $4,000 against each
of the defauting teliers. The depositors are in
no danger. since the bank has surplus OF more
than SS, ,000.00 above the deposits of S4oOooGoo
Zollinhofer taken into the bank as a ooS
and had been in its employ for thirty-three
years: Corbett had beer. employed by the insti-
tuition for eighteen years.
On Friday Of last week zollinhofer went to
Mr. Burns. the cashier, and confessed to him
that he and Corbett had for the last two and
half years appropriated the funds of the oanh
to speculate in stocks. Some of the money hao
been invested with Brooklyn broker. but the
majority went direct to Wall Street. AS near
as he could figure about 100000 in all had been
taken. Mr.. Burns Immediately called In Fresi-
dent Meserole, to whom Zollinhofer relolo '"e
story of the thefts 1t was the hrst money
that had been stolen from the bank in the nifty
years of its existence. and General Mesefoie was
almost stunned He called a hurried meeting
Of the trustees of the bank and the surety coiii
NAMES were informed. On Sunday a squad OF
make an examination of the BOOKS OF 'he oe
+au1+ers Zoiuhofer assisted the experts IN
locating the irregularities. The examination was
not concluded yesterday. and it is likely that IL
will require several days yet The work Is oelhs
| done in the basement of the bank ana Holiiii-
| hofer has been in attendance every cay "iiei
| the examination is completed and presented 10
| the trustees full report Will be MADE
zoLLINHoFER. NOT ARRESTED
zo,Iinhofer has not yet been arrested. He has
been boarding with Mrs. Clancy at NO o't
vanderbilt-ave. His wife and youngest SON
have heen in the Adirondacks since early IN the
summer II has been his habit to leave bfooK-
lvn every Friday night and stay with MS FANNY
over Sunday.
when q tribune reported called at the board
ing house last night Mrs. Clancy said that Zoi-
1inhofer had left the house last night saying
he was going TO ion his family in the country
= ,ras learned however, that he had been III
the custody of detectives OF the surety com
NAMES ever since his confession ana sPehos MS
nights with them in hotel
General Meserole. tie president of the bank
made the following statement to Tribune re-
porter last night:
Harry E corbet paving teller M OF dd 5nif boo onnK n
the employ the bank eighteen year, on E4vs1
n the employ Of the bank for thrty-three years.
confessed to the cashier t2at ne en9 @ S ii s,
oeaq eiiT b mount at between $4,000 and 900
The bank h has ibe bonds IN sU5f$ Of ] and
bonds the amount Of sloG ne PanK @ mas mas pm beI,
received on deposit This IS The nrst uihe 'ha' any
thing OF this kind has occurred.
The State law provides for creating surplus
from It's earnings to meet any contingency or loss
in its business from the depreciation OF It's secri-
| amounting 10 more than $sOco.coo over and above
what it owes to its deposit9rs. WIN .he enFety t
books and otherwise .7,r every dollar we owe the
| depostors we have 81 ~
General Meserole added that Zollinhofer's sal
| ary was So 600 a year. and Corbetts the same.
| The former had been receiving that salary for
| four or five years while Corbeti had been
cevng it since last January. 1t was the Gus
| tom of the bank to take in young men. starting
| them with a salary of about $500 year, and
increasing it at the rate of 500 year. until
| s. 600 the limit was reached.
TRUSTED EMPLOYEES
Zollinhofer is about ffty-1ve years old while
Corbett was about forty-fve years old The
| former has a wife and three children one of
whom a son. Is married. and lives in Monroe-st
| Brooklyn Zollinhofer, ii is said was one of the
| last of the banks employees who would be sl,s-
pected of appropriating a cent that did not be-
| long to him. In his younger days he lived in
| the Eastern District and married the daughter
OF Henry Gilman. The first Mrs ZollinhofAr
| had been dead for many years. He left the
| Eastern District some years ago and moved to
Clifton Place later going to board in Wander
| bt-ave
| THE BANK STRONG
The Williamsburg Savings Bank Is recognized
| as Of the strongest institutions Of its kind
| in the United States. in April of this wear If
| celebrated its semi-Centennial having been Or
| ganzed in 1851.