New-York tribune., 1902-07-17
LAYS SHORTAGE TO SYSTEM.
TELLER ACCUSED OF STEALING $4,000 FROM
RIVERSIDE BANK ASSERTS HE GOT
NONE OF IT.

Harry g. Bell who as teller OF the Riverside
Bank, Eighth~ave and Fifty-seven hist is charged
with stealing 200. placed on trial yesterday
before Recorder Gon in Part II. General Sessions.
BEL has four indictments hanging him. but the
specific one on which he is being tried is the com
plant Of Frederick Egler who according 20 his
passoook, deposited the of SOL OS IN the bank
which was received by Bell, but was never credited
either on the credit books Of the bank Egler's
account in the ledger.
Bel had been in the employ Of the bank for six
or seven years. entering messenger boy and
working up to the place of teller His salary was
80 week He was member OF the Calvary Bsp
ust Church, and is engaged 10 be married.
The prosecution is in the hands OF Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Clarke. and Bells counsel is Edmund
r briggs, Of Brooklyn. Before the trial began Mr.
briggs said that his client would take The stand in
his own behalf. and IL was hinted that it was pos
slbe other officials OF the bank would be implicated
The cashier Of the bank. Henry G. Bizallon, pro-
duced the bank books TO show tha: the amount
shown 10 have been received by Bell on March "A
had not been entered, as it should have been. He
admitted that others than Bell had access TO the
money. and thar it was the to put the days
receipts in the vault at night and count them the
next morning When asked If he had any knowl-
edge OF other shortages than those charged TO Bell
he admitted that mistakes had been made
The witness told of meeting Bell in Philadelphia
at the time of his arrest, and asking him what he
did with the money. Bell told him. ne said that he
did not get all the money Witness asked Bell il
another clerk got any OF the money. Bell answered
according 10 the witness, that there was a clerk
who Was spending considerable money but that ne
dld not know whether he took any OF the banks
money or not
All OF the deposit slips which il was alleged had
been conscated by the teller were here put in evil
dence ana they amounted to about $4,000 The wit
ness SAID that Bell had admitted that he had stolen
ottWeen $4,000 and S4l.UtJ in the ten days from
March y TO March 30.
EX-PDlCe Magistrate Charles NJ Taintor. l.
rector OF the bank testified tnat he had talk with
BEL ana the lalter's uncle. Charles II. Roberts, in
which Bell said tHaJ he had rtceiVcd about s. by
hiS grandma Jher death. and had not spent so
much as was credited him He declared that ne
did not get more than 5000 $1,000 of the $4,000
that mad been stolen from the bank.
Mr.. DrlssS said thar Bell only a sCapeEOat
The defendant testified that four men had access
20 the money. and authorized % receive it
Bel, his assistant Huntington. named
Iompklns and William Warren De Witt the paying
teller.
In the Egler case" he said Il took the deposit
slip and placed II on separate spindle and turned
the cash over 70 De Witt. This money. however.
was never credited to Mr. Egiers account, because
He declared that the shortage occurred about I'VE
times week He was asked If ne had ever Oene-
Lted from taking cash, and he answered No ~
When he discovered a shortage he would make II
turned the cash TO the proper authorities. He
denied that he had acknowledged that the shortage
amounted to S4u.It1 He admitted that ne had two
bank accounts, IN the Riverside Bank in his
pany in the name OF Miss Matthews. his hancee.
he confessed that he was indebted 10 the bank for
the shortage in mis- accounts, and that ne had in
fOrmt O the bank that he short He had not
cashier that he short every time ne had found
MS cash IN that condition.