The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1902-10-29
WORK OF THE SHADOW.
MEN WHO ARE EMPLOYED TO WATCH
EMPLOYEES OF BANKS.


In the borough Of Manhattan every
day there are somewhere In the neigh
borhood of 500 persons shadowed.
none of whom knows ms he goes his
way that ho Is being watched. Nor
does he know that the sword hangs
over his mead suspended by thread
that may be cut at any moment by
his shadower. These men whose fate
is held In the palm Of the hand of
private detective are all employed In
banks. national. state and savings.
There are also other big corporations
which employ detectives to follow
their employees after hours, $50 as to
get n line on the life that they lead
after hours" n detective employed Ia
this particular line put II to-day. Many
bank presidents believe that by en-
ploying n detective to shadow every
lody employed In the institution the
chances for n defaulter are reduced to
n minimum. And yet the case OF Sam
uel G. Seeley. employed for eleven
years as bookkeeper in the Shoe and
Leather National Bank, might be cited
vigilance Is not infalllble. Through
Seeley the bank In eleven years lost
1854, 900. lie was model bookkeeper,
the real kind Of home man. That was
shown by the fact that he got for his
share In actual cash only $l1, 900 and
most OF this he spent In doctors bills
for his family.
Seeley, like every other employe In
the Shoe and Leather Bank, was sha-
dowed; his home life was known; he
was reported as n model man. Where
the vigilance OF the banks manage
ment went astray was In not shadow
ing Seelcy's accomplice, a lawyer wao
had many real estate transactions. The
accomplice one day overdrew his ac-
count. Seeley knew that II he notified
the cashier he would be discharged,
20 he called on the lawer and asked
him to refund the money (it was only
| 5000. The lawyer explained that he
| had big real estate deal on and he
| could not put II through in time to
| save Seeley unless he had more money
$4,000. That was the beginning of
Seeleys' downfall. The model home
man consented. When the lawyer on
the following day presented n check
for $4,000. the paying teller asked See
ley how the account stood. Seeley said
that the check was all right and the
lawyer got the money.
To cover up his tracks, Seeley de-
detucted from accounts that never
were touched, SO that at night his ac-
counts balanced He never took vaca-
ton, not even q day of In eleven
years. To all appearances he was mo-
del man. No one knew that he had an
accompllce who was drawing any
where from 800 to $500 n day out Of
the bank. They might shadow Seeley.
but that would not reveal the true
state of affairs. He was with his family
every night; he was sunday school
superintendent; he never bet on the
races.
And so even with the precautions
tions and big corporations to prevent
defalcations It is impossible to tell
where the next man will get million
or more dishonesty. In the system that
the banks have to-day there Is q
chance to learn where to look for n
possible defalcation, no matter how
cleverly the mans tracks are covered
up, and there Is also an opportunity to
find out all about employees A man
who has been at this work in the de-
tective line for more than twelve years
talked about his work the other day
II ON employed" he said, "by the
president of about the biggest bank
in this city, and that means the biggest
bank in the United States. Every day
in the year, neither Sundays nor holi
days excluded, / shadow comebody in
employ of the bank. No one knows
about my work except the president.
am not on the bank payroll. | receive
: my salary in a roundabout way.
have not seen the president in all the
years that have been in his employ
"On the ordinary work days begir
my labor at o'clock, the time of clos
ing the bank. / have list OF all the
employees and I know every one by
sight. I select each day the man thai
| am going to shadow. For five years
used to wait for my man, rain ol
shine, on the street near the banl
building. but now / go to an Office a
cross the street It's pleasanter. be
cause there's no telling when my maj
will quit work. Take the case of tn
! cashier He may stay until o'clocl
sometimes. When he leaves the offic
| must be on his trail. | watch hin
, come out, and from then until ne Il
g sound asleep keep on his trail. If n
9 goes directly home | trail him to tn
e door. Then | wait outside until abou
: 10 o'clock, and If he doesn't come ou
: at that hour leave. II on the othe
hand he goes out for night recor
a very carefully everything he does.
II remember about four years ag
the president notified me that hadn'
made a report to him on an assistan
teller in three months. AS matter G
| fact. l had been so busy looking afte