Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-31
CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE.
Why the Bank President Will Never
Take knv Stock in IT

If L am ever on a jury I'll never convict
man on circumstantiai evidence, no mat
ter how strong 1t may be-" The sneaker.
who was president of leading bank, took
pull at his cigar, and, settling back in the
parlor car chair, continued. II have known
of two cases within the past month that
would ordinarily have convicted, and they
have proved to me that you can't count on
circumstantial evidence.
Several weeks ago a young man who
keeps an account in our bank came in with
the bank book of his mother who also
keeps an account there, and left it to be
balanced. Soon afterward his mother re-
ceived word that her account was over
drawn. The son answered the notice and
was very indignant. He claimed that when
he left the bank book he deposited a check
for S125. which had not been credited to his
mothers account, and he was so hot about
it that he accused the teller of pocketing
the money. 1t seemed such a serious ca Use
that the young man was promptly brought
to my private office, where he repeated his
charges.
That is very serious charge you are
making, young man-you are accusing one
of trusted employees with theft | said.
That is just what do he replied for
I will swear that ! deposited that check on
the Sd of May and mothers account is not
credited with it,
"'What kind of check was it?' I asked
"a dividend check of the National Car
Wheel Company for 1925
ON what bank?'
The Park National Bank of New York ,
II called up the Park National Bank on
the telephone, gave them the name, date
and amount and all the particulars. The
reply came in very few minutes that the
check was there-it had been paid to the
bank across the street from ours. where it
had been deposited by the proprietors Of
big downtown department store, where
the check had been originally Endorsed and
cashed. 1t had never been near our bank.
Further Investigations developed the fact
that the young man had deposited a SIM
liar check to his own account a month pre-
vious, and had got it mixed with his moth
er's account.
IF that had been money instead of
check that young man would always have
believed our teller to be a theft"
WAS he convinced of his mistaken" ask
ed listener.
Convinced! I should say he was. Turn
ing to me with tears in his eyes, he said,
Please send for that teller and when Mr..
- came in answer to my summons he
said to him: Mr.. -, accused You of
stealing. Now want to go down on my
knees before these gentlemen and humbly
beg your pardon And he did"
What was the other case?' asked an
other listener.
We'll, that seemed to be a clear case
too. bell boy from one of the leading no.
tells, came in and laid depositor's bank
book on the desk and went out. The teller
thought, as nothing accompanied it, that it
was to be balanced, and turned it over to
the proper clerk. In a few minutes the col
ored boy returned and asked for the book.
Not ready yet was the reply.
." 1T don't take that long to make a de-
post, does 1t? asked the boy.
No. but you didn't deposit anything
"''Deed I did. There was a hundred-dol-
lar bill pinned to a paper in that book, sent
by Mr.. - Of our hotel
+" Nothing in the book sternly replied
the official.
1.-THE boy seemed to be in earnest and be-
gan to cry, but those who had heard the
details had come to the conclusion that the
messenger was dishonest. Just then the
telephone rang and the bank was Informed
that deposit blank of our bank. with a
500 bill pinned to it, had been picked up in
drug store couple of blocks away.
"Of course. that explained the whole thing.
The boy had dropped the deposit but If an
honest man had not picked it up. that boy
would have come pretty near being proved
guilty on circumstantial evidence. It seems
to me that there are two pretty clear cases
knocked sky high"