Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-02-10
Reserve Fund Chest at Utah Ma
tionaI Bank Looted
BY Unknown.
$4,000 IN CASH IS TAKEN.
Not Discovered Until Annual Meeting
OF Stockholders of the Bank
Was 10 Have Been Held.

The local community in general. and
banking circles in particular, are much
stirred up over the reported robbery of
$4,000 from the reserve funds chest
of the Utah National bank, taken at
one or more times between September
and Jan II last. The theft or series OF
thefts were not discovered until the
last date, when the annual stockholders
meeting OF the bank was TO have been
held. 1t is stated that the discovery
of the loss was the real occasion of
the postponement Of the meeting until
the Both of the month, when new
board of directors was chosen. In the
meanwhile the fact OF the crime was
kept close secret, and as the stolen
funds were at once replaced by the di-
rectors, the bank was In no wise af-
fected President w. 5. Mccormick
and other officials at once sent for Supt.
II. +. Carey of the Denver division,
Pinkerton Detective agency, who at
once came on from Colorado and took
personal charge of the investigation.
He placed doc" Londoner, an expert
enced and capable man. on the trail,
but after most careful efforts the PIN
kertons have not been able to tathom
the mystery. The money taken was
nearly all gold. the lesser part being in
currency the whole amount OF treasure
In the chest having been $500 600. The
coin was In sacks OF $4,000 each, and
the bills In packages.
TRICK TURNED INSIDE.
The interior arrangements OF the
bank make It plain that only employees
OF the institution could have turned
the trick" and 1t is this assumption
that the officials of the bank are work.
Ing on, although II Is possible that some
one outside may have been an interest
cd party. The great vault is located
at the west end OF the banking apart
ment. Ii is equipped with two doors,
the outside one being massive affair,
opened by n time lock. and the inner
door operated by combination JOCK
Within the vault Is large safe whose
doors are opened by time combination
lock. The safe contains steel chest
divided into three compartments, one
above the other, each compartment
locking with separate and distinct
combination. 1t Is the lower compart-
ment that contains the reserve fund,
the combination TO which was supposed
TO be known only TO Cashier Joseph
Nelson. The middle compartment Is
filled with colluterals, Ike notes mort
cages, etc, The funds used by the hank
In it's daily transactions are kept IN
tho upper compartment, 20 which Asst.
Cashiers Strong aud Trimmer hae ao-
cess, although before MI Trimmer
came to the bank from the National
Bank of the Republic, It was known
commonly as Mr.. strongs box. As the
two upper boxes We're open during the
day. the cashier, his two assistants and
other employees had unrestricted access
TO them.
SECRET IN ENVELOPE.
when Nelson went east last fall. he
left the reserve fund chest combina-
ton In a sealed envelope which he
gave 10 Mr. strong, stating that should
he have occasion 10 open the reserve
compartment. 20 open the envelope and
gel the combination. This envelope was
placed IN the upper compartment by
Mr. Strong, the assistant cashier, who
did not find occasion 90 use Il untll
the examination Of the banks affairs
by the bank examiner and shortly att
en- AIR. Nelson's departure Then the
envelope was opened aud the COM
bination used. However, from the re-