Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-01-23
ODD BANKING ERRORS
HEMEolAsiE MISTAKES AND SOME
THAT WENT UNREcTlFiEo.

ana the Sum Written Out In Full
Ars Fer Different Amounts.
A we'll known customer of bank
stepped to the desk and wrote n check.
eaiking meanwhile with the teller, with
whom he Vas on intimate terms. When
check. and the Ielicr counted him out
$500. When the check passed TO the
bookkeepeI he discovered it was hot
signed
That was a remediable mistake. but
the one Lhnt happened ut the Girard
bank, in Philadelphia did not have so
tri6ing En- ending. A customer asked
the teller to balance his book 1t was
found that he had credit for $1,000.
Il will draw that. Give me sight ex.
change on London he said.
When the bank balanced It's books IL
was S3l;500 short, the sum for which
the clerk had written the exchange and
which the cashier himself had signed.
Meantime the buyer OF the exchange
hud gone on u fishing trip and had FOR.
wsrdeu the bill of exchange 10 his COZ,
respondents i'll London. bur until the
bank could locate their customer they
could not ascertain the wherea bouts OF
the missing draft. All that could be
done was TO notify their correspondents
10 London NOT to pay its face. The ex.
change was presented In London for
the full amount and protested. When
ITS. purchaser showed UP he was able IL
nj -te i,, ..
that Strengthened ii out. bur tie bnnL
sacrificed the services OF a CLERK who
had. previously been valued EN-
ployee,
. Mistakes OF this kind are not fire..
Quent III financial institutions, but one
took place in the defunct Globe Ma
tional pank IN Chicago that never did
&c. Strengthened OUT. A customer drew
q check for 81 900, and confidential
clerk was sent for the money Ii was
an. oyerdrNft OF some $500 aud the
paying teller demurred AT paying Il.
Tie CLERK appealed 10 the cashier. who
consented lo pay the full amount and
put his initials on the check There
was a line OF people ut the tellers win.
DOW when the clerk returned He
waited until the teller wns relieved.
then TEote the check for $4,000 IN.
sSeRd of $1,000. The cashiers initials
were & guarantee. and the check was
paid without question. The clerk had
been trusted employee in brokerage
house, but the sudden chance TO get Il
large sum Of money was too great u
temptation. The bank stood the loss
= The ease with which a mistake can
beI made is illustrated by fraud ia
Jesththat was played upon William NJ
SthgeVly Of Philadelphia. He was.
among other things, president OF the
Chestnut Street National bank. and
among his particular friends were
Frank Moran. the old negro minstrel
and Richard Lennon. politician and
merchant all of them members OF the
Benevolent and Protective Order Of
Eiks and full OF practical jokes \
man up in Erie hnd Issued facsimile
Of q; certified check as I'm advertise.
ment. 1t was for $780, drawn upon
the Bank Of Good WIN" and Endorsed
by the cashier OF the National Bank
OK Good Fortune" 1t was stamped
and looked like bona fide commercial
of,ahlorRn and Lennon. who strayed
Into tine presidents Office just before
banking hours were over and asked
him to cash H. Mr.. Sngerly with IL
glance at the amount. appended his in
ittals afid, calling a clerk directed him
to bring bin five $10U bills for The
check. The clerk took il to The teller,
who COUNTED OUT the money and re-
tarned 1t Ia Singerly, who passed 1t to
lennon. Moran invited the president
TO meet him at road house on Wis
sahickon drive in TWO hours and went
away. Next morning in making up
checks for the clearing house tile
''phony" one was detected and referred
ITO Mr.. Singerly. who simply said: Il
Thought Frank was spending a lot Of
money last night He gave us a
mighty good supper" Rut the lodge
of Eiks had fun over that check at
many n subsequent session.
1t not infrequently happens that Il
MaE writing check enters one sum N
figures and another sum in writing out
IN full. This is. OF course. mere mad
vertence, and If The check reaches the
D. Ni' "'N' ~ 10 VIZ " the lcsSeI
einount Is the one that Is paid.
The other day grocer Ia New York
cnshed such n check for customer for
500. the amount that WAS written out
and the amount rhe customer asked
for. but the figures were for 81. The
grocer took only cursory glance at
7he paper and the next day sent Ii
Xith other checks 10 his bank. where