The sun., 1908-08-05
SUICIDE IN TIE BANKS VAULT
CLERK SHOOTS HIMSELF AS HTS
BAD CHECKS COME IN.
Man VINO Presented Them disappeared
When Payment Was Held Up-They
Were for Only SAO-No Iight Thrown
on His Relations with the Suicide.

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When Payment was Held Up-The,
Were for Only SAO-No Light Thrown
on His Relations with the suicide.
Charles w. Wuestefeld. bank clerk. 20
years old, shot and killed himself in the
vault Of the New York Produce Exchange
Bank at IL Broadway shortly after noon
yesterday just as two worthless oheohs
bearing his signature were handed in at the
paying teller's window by man who. when
payment was not made at once. disappeared.
Wuestefeld came to the bank three and a
half years ago. and according to Cashier
John r. Wood was earning more than
many men who had been there ak or seven
years. His salary had just been raised.
Young Wuestefeld left his homo at 2o1
| East Seventy-seventh street yesterday
morning apparently in good spirits. kissed
his mother good-by at the door. stopped
on the corner and told the news woman he
would pay the weeks newspaper bill when
he came uptown. and walked with his father.
Charles Wuestefeld, to the corner, where
they separated.
At the bank the young man took his place
in the cage nearest the paying teller along
with Daniel F. Cullen, Jr. Shortly after
the noon hour Wuestefeld. who was stand
hCcAi tL0 oCIOCu JI9ht bSphI bt6 Illb Cttk0
from the paying tellers cage. turned to
Cullen and said:
I'm going downstairs to the vault to
find an old check book for an account have
Then he left the cage. He had obviously.
as appeared afterward. caught sight Of a
man who had just presented two oheoks
for $40 each at the paying teller's window
The checks were drawn on the Produce
signed and indorsed with Wuestefeld's name
and were therefore payable at sight to the
for Wuestefeld. who be knew had no 40
count with the bank. Wpeetefsld was not
Cashier Woods Office. Wood asked that
Wuestefeld be sent to him at once and was
told that the young man was downstairs
In one of the vaults.
time and the cashier held the checks. wait
ing for Wuestefeld's return When he
failed to come up In twenty minutes Cashier
Wood told Cullen to 60 downstairs and see
what was OBTAINING him.
just as Cullen started down to the sub
cellar where the vaults are 8. r. Brobinski,
the superintendent Of the building and
Bank Policeman Frank w. Dunn heard q
shot In the vaults. They ran downstairs
and an inside d 2 small vault used for storing
Wuestefeld lying on the floor with the re-
ceiving teller's revolver beside him. The
grated inner door of the vault II sef-lock-
ing and they went upstairs to get key. |
When they got the door open they found !
that the bullet had gone through wueste-
fields right temple and killed himHnstantly. |
Coroner Hamburger was notified by the |
police and came to the building to be told |
that no one was dead inside. He persisted |
and was finally allowed to see the body. |
When he stepped inside the vault somebody |
shut the door on him. locking him In. and |
he ordered policeman who was with him
to arrest the superintendent Of the build
ing. but afterward discharged him.
the cashier told the reporters. -for he was
certainly in no trouble here. His conduct |
so far as we are aware has always been |
exemplary and he did not drink. He |
had good salary and plenty 10 live on
The family could not throw any light |
on the circumstances and the relations of |
Wueetefeld with the man who presented
the bad checks have not been elucidated.