The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-20
ROBBED BANK TOPLAY STOCKS.
BUCKET SHOPS GOT PITTSBURG
TRUST co. THIEVES LOOT.

Young Men, on 500 \ Month, Lost as High
asSIO,OOO In a Day 70 the Brokers'"
who Knew Their Positions and salaries
STORY or ReVIVIng Dead Accounts.
P~ITTsBURd, Oct. 19.-Despite the efforts
Of the Union Trust Company to keep secret
thef facts Of a robbery that cost the bank a
sum variously estimated from SIPS 900 to
$500 900, the whole story came out this
afternoon when Clinton b. Wray n Cliff
ford 8. Hixton, who had pleaded guilty to
the robbery, were called for sentence.
Each was sentenced to serve ten yea 70 in
the Western Penitentiary, although two OF
the penalties are to run concurrently. which
reduces the time to eight years
Every effort at secrecy was made this
al afternoon, aud Il was after 4 o'clock before
the two prisoners we're called, although
they were to nave been sentenced at ?.
Throughout their confessions and the
statements that followed Wray was de-
iant and inclined to be facetious, while
Hilton, whose wife and baby were in the
court room, was remorseful and finally
broke dow completely.
Treasurer Glefer Of the trust company
was first asked by Judge Young how much
money LAu Docu slOhtu. nc cdld hp uhN "
know positively, but that 1T was at least
Sl25 ,000."
Wray was then asked what he had TO say.
He said he did not know the amount they
had taken but that II was more h si25 900.
we were simply money mad" he said.
There were we clerks, at salaries Of $50
a month, | with my mother to support, and
Hixton with his wife and baby. We han
died millions, we associated with million
aires and we heard no talk but talk Of enor-
nous wealth. We thought we could take
money from the bank and il would never be
missed. We found il so easy that we kept
on taking it, sometimes as much as $40 900
in a day"
Wray then told the way they got the
money. He, as teller, would make out a
deposit slip in the name of some former
depositor whose account had long lapsed.
Ii would pass through the hands of several
bookkeepers, and finally to Hixton, who
would enter il. Then Wray would draw
a forged check for the amount, and the
check would afterward be destroyed by
Hixton.
After he had made this explanation
Judge Young turned to Treasurer Gleffer
and said:
But surely your counter book would
nave shown these discrepancies. Did you
not examine that2"
We did not think it necessary. replied
Mr.. Gleffer.
Judge Young then asked the prisoners
whether any OF the money was still in their
possession. and Wray, acting as spokes-
man, declared that they did not nave a
penny.
But how could you lose such an inn
mense sum Of money in so short a timer"
asked the Judge.
what little the bucket shops did not get
I lost at gambling. | was a member Of
the Randall Club and used to play poker
there almost every night. But that only
took a oomps ratively small part Of the
money. 1t was the bucket shops that got
the most. For a long time we ~patronized
one concern, and in one transaction alone
we lost $4,000"
did the owners of the place know who
you were2" asked Judge Young.
~They knew we we're bank clerks and
they knew our salaries, +" replied Wray.
Then these bucket shop men should be
brought into court" said Judge Young to
District Attorney Stewart.
Continuing his story Wray said that
sometimes they bought and sometimes
they sold short, always on the advice of
the brokers. Once, he said, they Won s25.
That was about their only winning.
Asked what the brokers would say
when their tips continually went wrong
wray said they would always have some
other suggestion as to how they could re-
gain their losses.
They we're money mad, too, | guess"
said Wray. AS fast as we would a it
out OF the bank they would get it, so that
when the crash came neither of us had a
penny left"
Wray admitted that he had led a fast
life but not an extravagant one. He sup
ported his mother in a fine apartment and
explained that she supposed that he was
one of the rising "~millionaires" too.
Hixton declared that not one penny Of
his share OF the money had ever gone into
his home or had been spent on himself.
wife never knew of his populations until
he was arrested.
The young men had a half hour zach day
in which to eat their lunch. IL was at this
time that they visited the bucket shops and
ave their orders.
Wray when asked il he had anything
10 say why sentence should not be passed
said:
Il guess not; / played the game and lost.
I guess we will have to stand the oonse-
quences.'
Hixton made a plea for mercy and broke
down completely. When the Judge passed
sentence Hixton's wife swooned and had