The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1907-04-23
sum MISSING
LOAN CLERK HURRIED
AWAY FROM OFFICES
Leaving Big Shortage Be-
hind Him.
Caught a Few Hours At
forwards and Told
Where Missing Sum
Wes Located.

Douglas assistant loan clerk lor tne
Trust Company of America. mad
hurriedly left the firms offices, 1S7
Broadway. Saturday morning, 1t was
discovered that $4,000 worth of Chi
cago. Rock Island and Pacific cou-
pom bonds held by the firm as collat-
eral, were missing. Immediately
President Oakleigh Thorne organized
twenty eight men OF the office stan
who knew Douglas well into an am
ateur detective force TO guard every
railroad exit from the city, and the
president himself besides directing
the sleuthing of the clerks under
him. kept watch over the Grand Cen
tral station for over six hours. Az
ter Mr.. Thorne had calleu off the
vigil for the day past midnight on
Sunday by chance two OF the office
force stumbled onto the missing
clerks trail and located him eat the
Hotel Portland, 1870 West 47th street,
where he was registered with his wife
under an assumed name. When Mr.
Thorne and some police officers
knocked at Douglas door near three
o'clock in the morning. the defaulter
himself answered,
MY God, has II come TO this so
soon?" he said. then he confessed 10
the robbery of the bonds and told the
president OF the trust company
where he could put his hands on
In ha
West i7th street station, charged with
grand larceny. There remains only
one end OF the robbery not yet clear
ed up. II was n third party not
known either to the Pinkerton detec-
tiyes or to the amateur force of
trust company sleuths, who arranged
the securing of the temporary hiding
place for Douglas and his wife in the
hotel, and who plloted them there in
a closed cab in the small hours of
Sunday morning. II was only by the
merest chance that A. NJ. Ostrand and
w. +. Black, two of the trust com
pauy's hastily organized detective
force, got the clue TO Douglas where
abouts. While the two men were
waiting on the platform Of the Grand
Central subway station to take a
train down town, they saw Mrs.
Douglas and a man who was strange
TO them step hurriedly OF the train
that they were proposing TO take
and after gaining the street enter
cab In waiting near the station en-
trance and roll up Madison avenue,
al a fast trot The two Office clerks
lost no time in following in another
cab and thus traced Douglas TO the
hotel.
President Thorne, who played chief
OF his own detective force even after
he had turned the case over 20 the
PinkertOns and who was outside OF
the defaulter's room within half an
hour after his lieutenants had traced
him there today, told the story OF
the conversion OF bank clerks into
hawkshaws and dhe systematic COW
ering of all avenues OF escape from
the city, which his force 80 success
fully prosecuted. 1t was a new ex-
perience for all OF them, he said. but
he believed that IT proved the value
of common sense In practical fash
ion.
Douglas was for three years head
loan clerk of the Trust Company OF
America before the consolidation OF
that firm with the City Trust com
pany, and the North American Trust
company, two years" said Mr..
Thorne. 'and while in that position
he was always thoroughly trusted,
as he has been under the combined
management. In fact there was some
question raised when the companies
united whether he or Mr.. Ostrand
should be head loan clerk. There
was never any question raised as 10
his integrity.
Douglas came down to work on
Saturday morning as usual at $50
o'clock At twenty minutes to elev-
en- Douglas told ostrand that he was
going out then TO get his lunch and
that he would be back in half an
hour. ostrand noted that II was
early for Douglas to take his lunch,
but he thought nothing more OF the
ch cumstance until three-quarters of
an hour had passed. Then I've spoke
to Col. Herman Dowd, vice president
Of the company. Col Dowd ordered
ostrand to go through the bonds i'm
mediately under the supervision OF
Douglas. Within a short time the
loss OF Chicago. Rock Island and
Pacific per cent coupon bonds OF
1918 held at collateral, was discover
ed. When this was reported to me
| ordered the whole force to go over
all bond accounts In the Office
which had been In the province OF
Douglass or not, and look up any
further loss. Aside from the missing
five percent bonds all other accounts
tailed correctly.
"As soon as We knew where We
stood ! got the Pinkertons on the
case and then organized the Office stan
to blanket every ferry exit and train
depot in the city in order to insure
against Douglas leaving the city"
Douglas was taken before Maeis-'
trate Finelite this morning. and re-
nanded 10 the West 47th street sta
tion without bail TO await examination
fomofro.v Morning Tha rs,Ilcp said