The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-08-13
Believed That Disgraced
FIOrham Park Postmaster
Dabbled in Stocks.
NEW NOTE IN ARLINGTON
Bank There Held $4,000 Worth
of Paper-.Directors TO Make
Good-.Federal Examination
of Accounts :. Invalid
Wife Frustrated.

1t is now believed by many that Wall
Street, and not wine, woman and New
Yorks seductive White Way. is re-
sponsible for the downfall of George
M. Lanning, postmaster and president
of the Florham Park Board of Edu-
cation, who is in the Essex County
Jail in default of $4,000 security, which
he has been unable to obtain. The
charge against Lanning is uttering
forged checks, victimizing several
banks.
Lanning in a statement made yester-
day declared that his kindheartedness
to his friends when they were short"
led to his downfall, but his friends
who have stuck by him in his trouble
assert that he could not have got-
ten away with any such amount as
100000 in such a manner as charged,
and believe that he had been dabbling
In stocks. Up to the present time
Lanning has been reticent as to this.
Since his incarceration a clerk in
Lanning's employ has been in charge
of the postoffice at Florham Park.
When appointed Lanning was COM
PEELED to furnish bonds to protect the
government, and e. c. Hopping, of
Madison, and George E. Felch, of
Florham Park, went his security. The
postoffice department holds these men
personally responsible for the funds of
the office, and Postoffice Inspector
Nose c. Duryea, in whose district the
Office is located, went to Florham Park
| this morning for the purpose OF ex-
hamlnipg the accounts of the office.
Immediately after United States Distrlc
Attorney Vreeland who Is also counsel fol
Lanning, reported the mans arrest to thC
Postoffice Department the bondsmen were
notified to take charge of the office. They
notified the clerk to continue his duties
there until such time as the postof1ice In
speetor should visit the place and ex-
anime the accounts.
1t is probable, according to Federal GUS
tom, that the bondsmen will be compelled
to run the Office for some time pending the
final disposition of Lanning's case by The
Federal authorities. and in such event 1t is
probable that Felch, the resident bonds
man, will assume the responsibility. Should
the department decide upon Lanning's re-
moval which is likely, a new postmaster
will be appointed.
Seen today Mr. Vreeland said that he
doubted the published statement that the
Third National Bank, of Jersey City, held
a note alleged to have been discounted by
Lanning unless It had received the paper
from some other bank.
1t became known today that Lanning
had negotiated a note for $1,000 at the
First National Bank at Arlington. This
statement was accompanied by statement
issued by the bank officials, In which 1t
was said that the bank would lose moth
ing, as the directors would make the
amount good.
In addition to being the borough post
master and a politician, Lanning con-
Quoted a store in Florham Park Borough.
Yesterday Sheriff George Shaw, of Morris
County, placed Constable Thomas j. Nc
Darley, of Alton, In charge of the store,
attachment having been issued by the
Morris County Circuit Court.
Mrs. Lanning, who is an invalid, was
brought home from Bradley Beach, where
she had gone to spend the summer She
is almost prostrated by her husbands
trouble.