Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-05
DIES IN BANKS VAULT
Boy Clerk, When Checks Are
Presented, Kills Himself.
were DRAWN FOR $40 EACH
When Sent for to Explain, Body u
Discovered. ..
HIS BOOKS FOUND STRAIGHT
Young Weuestefeld Rose in New
York Bank From Office Bow
to Bookkeeper.
HIS BOOKS FOUND STRAIGHT

NEW YORK, August 5.-Knowing that
his fellow-employes i'm the New York
Produce Exchange Bank. at No. 10 Broad
way, were about to discover that he had
drawn two checks on the institution.
though he had no account there, Charles
w. Weuestefeld. a junior clerk shot and
killed himself yesterday afternoon in one
Of the banks vaults
The checks were for $40 each and were
sent to the bank from the clearing
house just before he took his life The
bank officials would not reveal the names
of the persons who cashed them, and il Ia
supposed there was something about the
transaction to make the youth ashamed
Weuestefeld's mother is an invalid and
his father. Charles Weuestefeld a boss
truckman, who for thirty-four years has
been in business at III East nth street,
had kept the truth from her up to a late
hour last night. Her older son, Alfred.
who is married and has two daughters,
told her that Charles was injured slightly.
This necessitated medical attendance for
her.
Rose From Office Boy.
The family lives at POI East nth street.
and Charles, who was just twenty-one,
was known in the neighborhood as boy
of exemplary habits. He got a place in
the bank three years and half ago and
worked himself up from office boy to as
sstant bookkeeper last September.
He was on the exchange desk yester-
day and the checks from the clearing
house passed through his hands. When
the two he had drawn were received he
passed them on to the paying teller. That
was at I pm.
He then remarked to one of his fellow
clerks that he was going to vault in
the basement to get slip i'm order to
trace a slight error in his books
The paying teller was amazed when he
saw the name of Charles Weuestefeld
signed to two checks. He knew the jul
Nor clerk had no account in the bank.
and after some hesitation took the checks
to John Wood. the cashier when the lat
ter returned from luncheon. They talked
the matter over and sent for the clerk.
He had been missing an hour then.
Daniel f. Cullen, jr., another clerk, went
to look for Weuestefeld and in a moment
rushed back upstairs, his face blanched.
He said he found the heavy steel door Of
the vault closed. but not locked. Opening
IL he found Weuestefelds body lying
across a book truck. A revolver was
clutched in his right hand and there was
bullet hole in his forehead.
His Books Found Straight.
The officers of the bank denied at first
that there was any business reason why
the young clerk should have shot himself,
but when questioned by Coroner Har-
burger told of the two checks. They ex-
amined his accounts. but found nothing
wrong. Weuestefeld had no access to the
banks funds.
Although there is BARRIERS shop across
a four-foot hall from the vault. and there
were a dozen men i'm il at the time. not
one heard the report of the revolver.
When the suicide became known there
was much excitement in the building.
Weuestefeld's sisters are Bertha. two
Years his senior. and Olga. two years his
Junior. Bertha Is employed by John For
man, q coal dealer, opposite the Weueste-
field home.
Forman said last night that young
Weuestefeld has always been a homelov-
ing youth with modest habits, and that
he could not understand his tragic end.