The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1910-07-22

Fidelity Trust Company-Would
Have Left Only An Empty Shell
II He had Not Been Found Out.
Was Very Economical In His
Private Life.
Louisville. KY. CSpeciaD Little
would soon have been LETT OF the F.
deity Trust Company but ~ empty
shell Z the busy hands OF August
Ropke. nov n Jail on the charge %
making false entries. had Tot been
stayed in their dishones. operations
The partial report q The expert ac-
coun,a1t now in TIE hands OF J.
v. Barr. II. president 0: the iusti-
tuition. shows thar Ropke was dip
pins into TIE hanks funds a. the
rare OF $4,000 a month for The
past year AID q half
The great bulk OF his pecula-ions
cane in Ire last Two years, during
which period he IS alleged 70 have
stolen more traa 100000. The ex-
animation b. TIE experts who have
been a. york OF The books shows
that his early thet-s were II large
part restored and were compare
lively insignificant alongside his OF
erations since 1905.
From this period Up 10 the tine
OF his detection the size o. TIE
amounts taken grew b. leaps and
bounds. They started e few thou
sand 9 month and Increased until
the gigantic SUMS OF $4,000. s35.-
GOO and even as high as S5Q, 0GQ
were stolen II single month. The
books tell IT minute detail how Al
gus Ropke. The s. .S11-a-year cIe-E.
bookkeeper and assistant secretary.
became stricken with z freuzied fear.
only % seal staggering sums il the
hope OF winning back the early
losses. At the rate RoDEe was with
drawing money from the hank in il
crossing sums. had he gone on unde-
tecteI for another TWO years. j,
would have taken millions 10 replace
the pecula-iols
Nearly 4 Million.
Although Nr. Barr has issued no
statement Of the exac- amount Of
Tie ttefts from the banks strong
box. he has figures. 4 Is said, which
are within 4 few thousand dollars
OF being final Wien the Official
statement IS given out ~ Nj Barr
il VIII Be seen, i IS said, that the
banks total losses run in excess Of
$500. 600 From one source cones
the statement that re SUN nay
reach $3.50. 900. bur viii rot 20 as
high as 100000. The directors Of
ire trust company. Z = stated. have
decided % issue 100000 o. ad-
6itiolal capital stock a. par. and Il
Te.l-i1fo-ued circles this is taken
TO indicate that the shortage VIII
BE- II the ueighborhood OF $1,000
coo.
Tie examination Of the books
have taken : backward course The
year filed the banks officials and
directorate with z panic watch con
-inCe5 % lessen as the -het-s rapid
= decreased upon further retro
spectivs examination. L was thought
a. frs that Ro2Es had been stealing
g re clip o. $4,000 4 month tcr
yea-s. and re thought OF what re
shortage might D vas staggering
Bu- [La farther tzcE TIE experts
wel., -he smaller Ire shortages T.
cane. until Z. he end OF z few yea-s
her became Insignificant. and = was
s-s1 that The de.aIca-.o1s could te
eassl! Esz-1e-ei b. Al institution
Ei-h IL ar1 financial foundation
Q: tie Fidelity.
Sentence May Be Forty Years.
There las been much speculation
ss % ths CaX!uc1 punishment that
uighr = Ee-e1 or . RopEa uool
conviction l. Is apparent from he
examination o: ire banks books tia.
RopEe : liable n Indictment upo1
Is many IS % counts. Following &
cn-Et--i-- rrrn- go ---t.-- - -