The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-03-19
A BANK MYSTERY
Salt Lake City Depository Rob-
bed Like Topeka Institution.
Amount Taken Is Ten Times as
Much.
EVERYONE PUZZLED.
Detectives Make No Headway
in Solution of Theft.
Money Taken From Reserve
Fund as 1t Was Here.

Salt Lake City has a bank ROBBERY
mystery that rivals that of the Gu
sens bank in Topeka. However, the
amount stolen from the vaults OF the
Utah National was over $1Oo,Ooo'
while in Topeka the sum was only
$4,000, but one is as much mystery
a. the other.
Both banks lost funds from the
surplus accounts.
The combination in each bank was
only entrusted to officials.
The loss of the funds caused a rup-
ture in the official management or
both banks.
old officials were supplanted by &C
ton of the directorate.
Suspicion attached to all employees
from the highest to the rowest-
All the cunning of trained detec-
tives has failed to trace the robber1es
to the source.
In both instances it is suspected
that the loss of the surplus FUNDS oc-
CURED some time before they were
actually missed.
The same theories for the robberies
have been advanced in both cases
The following concerning the Salt
Lake robbery is from the Evening Tele-
gram of that city, dated March IA:
after weeks of silent reserve on the
part of the bank officials the first off,
ciaI public statement filling all the de-
tails of the robbery of the cash vault
of the Utah National bank has been Is
sued Among other things, the state
ment contains an offer of a $4,000 re-
ward for the apprehension of those who
are responsible for the crime of taking
$106. $50 from the vault. With this as
an incentive it is now believed almost
certain that detectives at work on the
case will soon discover the real culpr1ts
The reward is one of the largest ever
Il han r e.
lection of criminal. 1t is thought the
reward will prove a tempting bait to
many private detectives all over the
United States, and will therefore bring
many Of the cleverest Sleuths to this
city with a view to clearing up the mys-
terry Although the detection of the
criminals who looted the bank is Off !
cially in the hands of the Pinkerton OPP
eratives it is believed other detectives
will work on the case.
AT the meeting of the board of direc-
tors of the Utah National held yester
day in the banks offices the entire rob-
berry was gone over. Every detail was
carefully explained every move on the
part of the bank officials and the Pin
kerton forces. was gone into. After
being in session for more than three
hours, it was finally decided to make
public q statement dealing with the
robbery. The decisions of the directors
present was concurred in by all, with
the exception of John Henry Smith
and J. P. Gardner, each of whom is
out of the city. r. 7. Badger, cashier
of the bank, said this morning that the
two directors not present would concur
in the action of their associates. H.
w. w. Fitzpatrick, also a director in
the bank was not present at the meet-
ing although in the city. He tele-
phoned Mr.. Mccormick after the meet
ing that he concurred in the action.
cat the meeting there were pres
ent w. S. Mccormick, Joseph Nelson,
w F. Adams, James Chapman, T. r.
Cutler, o. P. Miller, Duncan Mac
Vichie directors of the bank, Rodney
T. Badger, cashier of the institution
and J. n. Londoner, assistant super
intendent of the Pinkerton detective
agency for the Denver division. After
President Mccormick had explained
what he knew about the robbery and
told in detail his statements made to
the public press, Mr.. Londoner was
called upon to tell the detective
side of the affair. 1t was then voted
to issue a statement to the public.
Following is the statement in detail:
''To the Public: In view of the
many conflicting reports which have
been placed in circulation concerning
the theft of funds of the Utah Ma
tionaI bank, and the insinuations
based upon gossip and rumor, made
and circulated in the community, we
make the following as an accurate
statement of facts:
"On January IA, 1908, it was discov-
cred that the sum of $106.250 in
cash, has been fe1oniously taken from
the vault of the bank. This discov-
cry came at a time when the feeling
of uneasiness and apprehension as to
the financial situation was still pre-
valent throughout the country, and
many still distrusted our strongest in
stitutions The responsible officials
of the bank realized that it would not
only serve no good purpose to make