The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-31

$3.50 $3.50
"Good-by, Bob"
Turney's method Of stealing was like
that of Cornelius E. Alvord, who in 1900
was convicted of stealing $3.50 600 from the
First National Bank of which he was the
note teller and for which he is now serving
a sentence of thirteen years in Sing Sing.
The note tellers in national banks have
charge of outside collections. The checks
from banks in other places are mailed to
the New York bank.
In the Bank OF North America the en-
velopes are opened by the mail clerk. The
checks and other papers sent in for col
lection are turned over to the note clerk
and he enters them in his books. Some Of
them are collected during the day outside
Of the clearing house, and often Turney
had 5000 900 or more in cash in his possess
sion. After he balanced his books daily
he was supposed to turn over his cash and
checks to the paying teller.
On Thursday the four checks, aggregating
$s5 900, were received from the City of Mexico,
Cleveland st. Louis and Savannah. Two were
for S. 900, dne for $40, 900 and one for SIS, 900.
He put these checks in the drawer. Whether
he took out $34 900 to cover them or whether
he had previously taken the money and
used the four checks to cover 1t up the bank
officials do not know.
It was possible for Tuney to nave kept
up a running embezzlement by a constant
substitution Of checks for the amount he
had stolen. He could have withheld maxi
ing entries for certain checks for four or
five days. Their he could have entered
them and nave distracted others, these to
be kept off the books until there was likely
10 ha mn inquiry about than whan atill
Others could have been utilized in the same
manne
The fact that Turney wrote of the exact
amounts Of the checks and that he had
still 81 900 to steal to make his books balance
makes the bank officials think he stole the
$4,000 on Thursday. Whether he had
stolen other amounts before is not known.
To confirm his belief that Turney could
not rave been stealing large amounts for
a long time, President Curtis said that on
February Q the national bank examiner,
had made a thorough examination of the
bank and had found Turney's accounts
all right, Letters had been sent to out Of
town banks which were CORES pondents to
confirm the balances and they were found
to be all right,
Turney's salary was 81, 800 a year. He
DtRdh Ib Colttl Ill tIe duh dS dh OIiSC
boy thirty-three years G and never had
there been the slightest suspicion against
his integrity. In 1900 he was made note
teller, after having been an assistant for
| several years. He did not smoke or drink
80 far as is known, and no one suspected
that he had had other attachments than
those Of his family. He lived on the sixth
floor of the Arlington apartment house in
A. = mr. ra~N MN, hot,t
500 a year, which is regarded as rather
| expensive by the officials for a man on a
salary Of 81 800. His family was not ex-
| pensive, his wife being modest in her tastes
| The family usually went out to their meals,
but sometimes ate in the Arlington restau-
rant.
Turney usually left the house early in
| the morning and would not return often
until late at night. In explanation Of this
IL was said that he was absorbed in his
duties in the Twenty-second Regiment.
He had been a member Of Company F since
1877, and a Lieutenant for many years. In
January last he was chosen Captain Of his
company, succeeding Davis L~owenbein. He
resigned on Monday last.
When arrested he had the bank book Of
his company, having been its treasurer, in
nG POSSESSION. II fhUWtu lAhb III SOll-
pany had something like $500 to its credit
in the Columbia State Bank.
The social requirements Of a captain in
the National Guard call for an expenditure
of from $2OOt TO $500 a year. That, with house
rent Of 500, would leave Turney compare
lively a small sum out Of his 81 800 a year
for other expenses.
'Turney refused to see newspaper men in
- ~ - III L~, A 1 n ~
accountant, representing the bank, was
sent to him to ask for certain information.
He was uncommunicative, and the result
was that a thorough examination OF his
books for several years has been instituted
| at the bank. He was bonded for $4,000
by a surety company, 80 that II the bank
fails to find where the stolen $34 900 is, the
bank will lose, according to its books, only
S24, 900. President Curtis said yesterday;
$50 far as we know, Turney stole only
$3A, 600, and apparently he stole it on Thurs
day. He could have stolen it before then,
and he could have carried his thefts along
by a system Of substituting checks. We
hardly incline to this belief, because every
thing was found right on February 6 last.
He could nave walked out with 500, 900 If
he wanted to. He was the coolest man o
ever saw when he was arrested.
What became Of the money we do not
know. We nave put the matter in charge
of the Pinkertons. We must decline to
give the name and address Of the woman
on the gas bill sent to him here to-day,
because a grave injustice might be done to
a respectable woman"
The Pinkertons admitted that they had
sent o the address Of the woman inquestion,
but last night had not foundh her.
Vice-President Lee Of the bank received
word last night that he would probably
find among Turney's effects in the Twenty
second Regiment armory something that
would throw light upon his stealings. He
went to Capt. Langan Of the West Sixty
eight street police station and got Deteo-
! tive Devanney to go with him to the armory
and present the case to Col. Thurston'
The latter got thek key to Turney's locker
and the search wa fruitful. Mem
| oranda were found indicating that Turney
had been Juggling checks since 1895. when
| he was assistant note teller. The men,
oranda showed an accurate system OF
accounting and also disclosed that he had
kept back checks at various times Tor sums
,o ~-ino frop, az mn m cir nm.