The Penn's Grove record., 1910-10-07
TREASURY lQ0TNG
DROVE HIM TO DEATH
Bauckney's Suicide Explained at
Last By Fellow Thief.
STOLE THE COUNTY FUNDS
Bookkeeper's Threat to Confess Com
plicity Believed to Have Driven
Chief Clerk in Treasurer's Office to
Kill Himself.

Kill Himself.
Hampstead, L. William w.
Rapelyea, head bookkeeper in the
office of the county treasurer of Mas
sau county and a member of one of
the oldest families of Long Island,
who was next in office to ]. Frank
Bauckney, committed suicide,
confessed he had stolen, in conjunc-
ton with Bauckney, more than $15,-
900 from the county treasurer's office
in the last five years. Slips which
were turned in by Rapelyea, however,
indicate the amount will exceed $4O,-
900.
The money was obtained by taking
the stubs from back tax bills, keeping
the stubs and making the bills paid
in the book. In this way there was
no means of knowing there was a dis
crepancy, as the book could not be
checked by the slips. The men, how
ever, kept the slips and when Rapel-
yea, who fast was becoming a nervous
wreck, made his confession he turned
in the slips. Rapelyea in his confess
sion said he had made it more to
clear Charles F. Lewis, the county
treasurer, from any blame that might
come as a result of Bauckney's death
than with any idea Of making it cas-
Ter for himself.
Rapelyea was taken at once before
Justice of the Peace Charles F. Git
tens, where he waived examination,
and was committed to the county jail.
Rapelyea said he was going to make
what restitution he could. He has
been using a fine automobile for the
last few months, and has been seen in
the Hotel Nassau, Long Beach, as
host to a party of friends and spend
ing money literally.
Bauckney, who committed suicide,
had a motorboat in the Great South
bay, and devoted himself to that to
the exclusion of everything else in
the summer time.
When Bauckney shot himself a let
ter was found beside his body. and
this letter District Attorney Coles
made public. 1t is addressed to Mrs.
Bauckney, and reads:
"My Dear Wife, know this cow.
ardly act of mine almost will kill you.
yet if I should have decided not tc
do it you would have suffered still
more. 1 cannot bear to meet my
friends since the discovery of treach.
cry by one who I supposed was my
closest friend, and since his comics.
sion to me of about ten days ago, 1t
almost has set me crazy. There Is
nothing left except going beyond the
vale.
"All of my interests in the thirty.
two acres in Roslyn; the Cornell farm.
Port Washington; the $500 in the
Stockwell Purser Realty company,
and Fred Snelle's note for $1,000.
together with the 1892 in the Valley
Stream estate, and the lot in Frank
lin street, want you to assign to
Mr.. Lewis, and, with the S455.Vf
which he owes me, will more than
pay him for my share in the con-
temptible deal. Don't let them get
any more, as that more than covers
my end of the deal. AS everything
else belongs to you, you can do as
you choose, but do not give anything
for something some n else did.
would like to tell you more, but
cannot get my mind together. Should
you need any legal advice go to oui
friend, Edward Downing, and let hin
| settle the affair. FRANK.
"The Tyler matter was a bluff. i
the suffering in hell is any worse thar
have gone through the last ten days
then I regrett my deed, but I am SURE
it cannot be-"