The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-22
BOOkkeeper Robbed His Employ
er For 20 Years.
Accumulated a Fortune il
Property and Securities.
DISCOVERED AT LAST.
Able to Satisfy Claims and Stop
Prosecution.
Salary Never Amounted to More
Than $40 a Week.

Cincinnati. Jan. PIT is said that
Theo. Braemer, secretary and treasurer
of the J. and F. Schroth Packing COM
pany, of this city. is short in his ac-
counts from 100000 to $4,000 accord
ing to a story printed in all the local
papers Braemer and his wife -thave
turned all their estate over to the
Schroths and the shortage will be fully
covered without prosecution.
Until recently Braemer received $25
per week as bookkeeper. His salary
never exceeded $40 per week, and he
had been with the firm twenty-five
years. He has transferred one of the
finest residences in the city and other
valuable property and over 100000 in
stocks and bonds to his former en-
ployers.
His employers always believed his
statements about his fortunate specu-
lationS and investm entS and never ex-
amined his books. After the death of
John Schroth over a year ago, his
heirs instituted an investigation and
recently have had detectives co-operat-
ing with their expert accountant Elk
pert Munster claims to have confront
ed Braemer with $160,000 of the short
age, and he estimates that the short
age for over twenty years will aggre-
gate $780, 900. The firm does a business
of over 100000 annually, all passing
through the hands of Braemer. 1t is
claimed that Braemer did not enter the
cash collections from the wagons as
his family were noted entertainers, and
very prominent socially.
Braemer admitted today that he had
transferred his property to the Schroths
after he met their attorneys and the
expert accountant last Sunday. 1t was
then that he resigned, and an attempt
was made today to keep the matter
quiet.
Among the chattels turned over by
Braemer were $4,000 in Standard Oil
stock, $4,000 in national bank stock,
$4,000 in Cincinanti gas stock $4,000 in
school bonds and $4,000 in other good
holdings, with a bank balance of $12,-
600.
BRAEMER'S SIDE.
Interviews with Braemer and his at
torneys, Harland Cleveland and Joseph
Packing company are to the general eff
feet that published accounts of the al
legged discrepancies" will fall short of
the sum reported. That Braemer is act
ually shirt in his accounts is denied. and
1T is claimed that Braemer transferred
property to trustees and not to the
Schroth estate, pending a more definite
arrangement of matters between Brae-
mer, as secretary ard treasurer of the
Schroth concern and the company.
Rraemer said he had transferred to
the trustees $72 900 in Standard Oil and
Cincinnati Gas and Electric stock. This
he said would amply cover any errors
which might be found on the books.
'Ill tell you the truth of the matter"
said Braemer. THE other man and
have been fighting for about six months
and concluded to quit. Some of the
errors had been discovered in the books
and it was mutually agreed to have an
expert go over them. In order to idem-
Nifty the company, Attorneys Cleveland
and O'Hara were appointed trustees
of my estate and I turned over to them
$4,000 In stocks. If any shortage Is
found I will be to blame. My salary
was $50 a week and had been for the
past ten years. I owned $15, 900 worth
of stock in the company. In conclusion
/ wish to state that if there is any
shortage know nothing of it,