The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-05-16
STILL UNSOLvED.
Bank Mystery Is No Nearer
Solution.
Reward for Detection OF RObber
Brings No Response.

The mystery of the robbing of the
Citizens State bank of North Topeka
which YVES discovered Monday mornli l
seems to deepen rather than 10 cIeaI
GERS who are working on the case pro
fess to be at sea A reward OF S1'UV.
offered by the directors has orousn'
no solution
timent regarding the disappearance OF
the $4,000 from the reserve Vaui'
among the officers as We'll as the III
rectors of the bank and the ugly ru-
first have not been lessened by the at
titude of several of the directors,
though they refuse to make direct
charges duplicating any one
From the first there have been ru-
mors that this is not the only shortage
which has been discovered in the runds
of the bank, but that they nave oeeIi
either made up from the reserve Iund
or charged to profit and loss wild
statements have been made as TO the
amount OF these shortages and the ul-
rectors refuse to make statements de-
nying or affirming the extent or the
number of these shortages
The records of the bank commission
er's office shows that such has been the
case though the bank commissioner Is
authority for the statement that such
conditions are not unusual The story
OF the banks books balancing to a cent
is beautiful myth" he said, for such
is rarely the case and in some of the
larger banks the shortage in cash some
times amounts to hundreds of dollars in
the course of a years business"
The statement filed by the Citizens
bank of North Topeka on the 3lst day
of December, 1906. shows an item OF
cash short" of $551.73. A statement
filed at the same time the year previous
shows a shortage of $3.50 in the cash
and a similar statement for the year
1904 shows that there was 5000 over in
the cash account.
Have there been shortages in the
bank at different times within the past
few years." was asked Peter Smith.
who has been president of the bank
for 33 years.
Small shortages occur in all
banks" replied Mr.. Smith, ''in making
change and in other ways unaccount-
able for"
What about a shortage of any
where from $500 to $50 said to have
occurred some time during the latter
part of last year,"
There was a shortage of about $50
following Santa Fe pay day about
that time but we accounted for that
in the loss of a check or a mistake in
change There are frequent shortages
as well as overs in all banks and the
amount of money charged to profit
and loss on our books since 1 have
been president has been more than
offset by the amounts credited to that
account.
Mr.. Smith. president of the bank
feels the loss most keenly. He not
only owns a majority of the stock but
has been connected with the bank for
thirty years. Mr.. Smith has a reputa-
ton as an excellent business man as
well as record as a good citizen.
While he can not be blamed for the
loss he naturally smarts under the
criticism which people who are always
ready to gossip distribute freely on
every street corner. Mr.. Smith is a
rich man and his bank solid institu-
ton and the loss of $4,000 would
cripple neither Mr.. Smith nor the |
bank itself. No one is more anxious to |
find the thief than the president of the |
institution in which he has taken a |
personal pride for thirty years:
Mr. Smith said today:
This bank has never been in better !