The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-08-11
BANK TELLER
 IS A SUICIDE Frank Kowalski Takes His Own Life. COULD NOT STAND CRITICISM Accused byOld Friends of Wreck ing Stensland Bank. Re Lost s7oo of His Own Money By the FsIlure, while Hi. Relatives
 suner to the Extent of
 sso,eoo.
COULD NOT STAND CRITICISM


 for five years paying teller of the Mil waulxee Avenue State Bank which faii- ed last Monday and for some rirne as- sistant receiving teller. in addition to his other duties, shot and killed him self tonight in his home, $40 North Car penter street.
 Criticism by neighbors and lifelong friends who accused him of share in the downfall of the bank is believed to have driven Row waIkski to his death. For two days he had been Respondent and the members of his family had kept a close watch over him. Today, how ever, he returned to his home at 4 o'clock. while the family was away from home and his dead body was found four hours later.
 The climax of his trouble was reach ed last night when a woman whom he had known for years accosted him on the street and accused him of be- ing responsible for the failure of the bank. When speaking of the Incident later In the evening. Kowalski com plained bitterly of the suspicious of his friends and declared that unless his reputation was speedily cleared he would take his own life. His rela- lives assert their firm belief that he was innocent of any knowledge as to the mismanagement of the bank by President StensIand
 When the bank failed Rowalskf had $700 of his own money on deposit in the institution and his immediate reia- lives nearly s50.ooo. Had the teller known of stenslands defalcations. they assert, he would at least have notified his relatives and would have taken his own money out of the institution.
 Began at the Bottom.
 The dead teller who was 30 years of age. had been with the bank for thirteen years He began as ofice boy and had been promoted step by step to the position he held at the time of of the failure.
 While the search for Paul o. stems land, the missing president, Is being extended to all parts of the country. Cashier Herring, who was arrested yes terday. spent today with the states representativest and Bank Examiner Jones in examing the banks collateral In an effort tc determine how much the president is short in his accounts.
 After an all days search forged notes aggregating more than $500. 900 were found ana are now in the posses sion of the states attorney who will use them in the prosecution of the ofi- cia1s responsible for their issuance. From statements made today by Her ing regarding loans made by Stems land as banker to himself and the shortages found by previous investi- gations, it is asserted tonight that -s'len final adjustment of the affairs of the bank Is made. 1t will be found that President Stensland's dedication will aggregate nearly $2.o00.000.
 Nest of FOrgers.
 Assistant States Attorney Olsen found what he termed regular forg- ers' nest" while going through the books and papers of the Milwaukee, Avenue State Bank, with Cashier Her. ing and State Bank Examiner Jones today.
 The nest was composed of two en- velopes filled with notes and blank forms. The blank forms contained sig natures which had been traced from the regular deposItors' signature book. According to MT. Olsen there were ready to be filed for any amount which would be charged to the &C., count of the person whose name was signed. The other envelopes contained notes running up to thousands of dol- lars with the names of many prom inent business men attached. The whether or not these names were forged. The notes were found hidden in President Stensland's private vault.
 Francis s, Peabody and F. Herhold were two of the men who went to the bank and with Cashier Herring looking on, gave absolute proof that two pieces of the paper were forgeries. Police in- spector Shippy, who was present during the Investigation said:
 ''The thing is good deal worse tksn I had supposed. We have proved that $50o,o00 worth of the paper are abso- lute forgeries. One note for S2O. O0O bearing the signature of F. s. Peabody was examined by MT. Peabody, who declared it was not his signature"
 MT. Peabody has heretofore Insisted that the only note he was concerned in was one for $10,000. The Herold forged note was for S10.000.
 Receiver Fetzer made the folio wing statement this afternoon:
 There are S10,500.00o worth of nor tages, the value of which we know nothing about Considering the de- velopments of the day In regard 10 the l other securities. 1t is doubtful if these l mortgages will prove good"
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