New-York tribune., 1910-07-31
DOUBT WIDER LOST ALL
Bank Officials More and More
Puzzled by Big Theft.
THE BROKERS TO BE SUED
Cashier Meanwhile Cheerful IN
the Tombs, but Refused at
First to Eat.

Erwin J. Wider the So week cashler
who abstracted more than s6oo.oo worth OF
securities from the assets of the Russo
| Chinese Bank. at No. 30 Pine street spent d
quiet day in the Tombs yesterday, Wnlie
the officials and counsel Of the looted paik
tossed figures around all day in vain
effort to make themselves believe that the
Young cashier had actually sunk it all in
Wall Street
Whatever NAV have been done with the
money that was not lost in speculation as
1 sunina that not all OF it went that way,
| the bank officials declared yesterday tha1
they still could not see how any broker
| could imag agine for minute that Nlder
alone could handle such enormous deals as
were possible with a margin account which
came anywhere near approaching sesooo
However in spite of the magnitude OF
his peculations. Wider seemed to have ac-
| cepted the denouement gracefully, ana even
cheerfully When card was sent up to him
at the Tombs yesterday he sent back this
message: Tell him I'm out now, but will
be back soon
A second card later brought the response
! by messenger: Cant see him now III
busy playing croquet-
his only visitor during the day, and In the
wake OF his visit amazing rumors concern
ing the young prisoners health began to
circulate.
| Calls Doctor for Prisoner.
Ginsberg himself started things going
| by telephoning for DR.. Kingman B. Page,
of No. "a West 12oth street. who was
Nider's family physician. The lawyer eX-
planned that Wider could eat nothing. re-
tained nothing that he ate and was alto
gether in state bordering close on ner-
vous and physical breakdown.
/ The doctor said he would be down i'm
mediately according to Mr. Ginsberg. but
DR.. Mcclure, the prison physician, relieved
him Of the necessity by informing him
! that Wider was in no need of attention
WIS eating good meals and enjoying them.
and feeling quite clipper. thank you.
When the time for his first meal in the
Tombs arrived Wider refused to eat, and
he remained in this frame of mind for a
couple of meals. but the deputy warden Of
the Tombs said there had been others in
the Torabs who wouldn't eat when they
arrived there. but that after they had
been there for while they changed their
minds, and so he decided not to become
alarmed. but to give the cashier time.
DR. Page, it was learned. attended Wider
from Monday to Thursday of the week in
which the huge theft was discovered.
q was called to the Wider home in The
Bronx said DR.. Page, ION Monday and
found the young cashier in such a condi-
ton that I at first thought he had been
driven crazy by the heat He talked of
his huge theft but L thought it was de-
| lirium. and in part it was. / took him to
a sanatorium on the next day and kept
him there till Thursday, when he recov-
cred sufficiently to be able TO go into a
! conference with the bank officials. and on
t Friday he disappeared
! The doctor did not know where Wider
! had spent the time since then up 10 Friday
4 Of last week but he told of calling on Sun
day last at the Wider home to attend the
cashiers wife. When he was leaving Mr.,
| GinsberS offered to take him TO the SUBJ
way in an automobile which the lawyer
had hired to take his wife and Mrs. Wider
out for an airing, and Ginsberg's friend.
A Henschel. who was also in the house,
accompanied them That was the ride on
which the detectives trailed Ginsberg, and
owing TO a likeness between Henschel and
Wider reported later that they had seen
the missing cashier
Threat of Suicide.
when I came to the house on that Mon
day said DR.. Page. Wider was threat
ening suicide-not murder, as has been re-
ported. 1 put it down to the effects of the
heat and nervous prostration, and he soon
overcame what suicidal intent he had har-
bored
Besides his written confession addressed
TO the bank, Wider made only one state
!
that statement he laid the blame for his
trouble the small pay given him at the
bank combined with the air of easy
money" in Wall Street, which drew him on
| from small to large and larger thefts, al
| ways with the hope of recouping his for
ner losses
During the day Deputy Warden Hanley.
In talking TO the prisoner, remarked that
$4,000 was a pretty good haul to get
| away with
1T was not ssoo,on" said Wider; Il took
only $3.50. coo
Ginsbers made IT plain yesterday that
even though Wider had written a confes-
sion. Yet he intended to make the best
possible terms for his client.
He will probably plead guilty, but We
VIII wait until Monday, when he Is for
| Inally arraigned in the Court of General
Sessions, TO decide that definitely, said
Ginsberg.
julius Goldman. counsel to the bank, an
nounced yesterday that the bank would
institute suits Immediately against the
brokerage houses which are named in
Wider's list for the recovery of the stocks.
The bank officials are satisfied they can
recover the stocks put up by their cashier
| in his losing fight with the market, but
they have little hope as 10 the recovery of
the bonds Gustav GoertZ. the manager of
the bank, who sailed for Europe just prior
| to the discovery of Wider's thefts, had not
| been heard from a the bank up to yes
terday, but the officials in charge said they
did not regard that as unusual and ex-
pccted that they would hear from him