Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-05-27
The Convicted Thieving Bank Clerk
Tells How Easy It Was to Transfer
The National Banks Funds to
The Greedy Faro Bank.

Boston, May 26.-How to transfer the
| deposits of a national bank to a faro
bank without the knowledge of the
bank examiner. was described today by
| George w. Coleman, $12-a-week
bookkeeper of the National City Bank,
| at the trial of his friend and New York
| companion, VIM. J. Keliher.
II told Keliher, after l had taken
$1S5,O0O, that the jig was UP. and that
| the bank examiner was coming round,
but when that official passed my books
without comment l continued to take
| the money and give it to Kelher to bet
at faro was one statement made by
Coleman today.
The young bank clerk, who lived at
a half a million dollar rate for six
months last year. held the entire ses-
SIGN today, and his cross-examination
had just begun when the trial ad-
journed. Coleman, according to his OWL
story, was a persistent gambler from
the very beginning of his business ca
reer.
Borrowing $500 from the bank at the
age of IS, when he was receiving but
81 Il week as messenger he began III
the stock market. The president OF the
bank loaned him $1,000 more and in
year he said he had cleaned up $25 900.
In 1906 he concluded that the stock
market was too slow, so he tried MS
luck with Frank Diaper, a New YORK
gambler, who helped him lose all but
few hundred at faro.
Then he stopped and for two years
and half he left the cards and con-
tined himself with a Daltry $4,000 or
S15. 900 income from the banks vaults,
which he used in that gay life in which
wine suppers and joy rides are eXpen-
sive features.
In June, 1909, he said he was $30.ooo
short but this amount was easily COW
cred up in his books from the bank ex~
arni.lsf.
And every time he lost. On one oc-
casion. when he, Keliher and the card
dealer were seated about the table,
with some $4,000 in cash, it seemed
with his knowledge of the cards as Ii
he could not lose, but he did.
And so the tale went on. always with
losses until last January he saw i'm
pending exposure and said he told
Keliher that he could not take another
dollar. for the bank examiner was due
and ne was hearty p-ub,upV
Yet the bank examiner came and
went. his lying figures were accepted
and the bank funds continued to fly
over to New York. in $1,000, $4,000 and
$4,000 lots. but the end came when
new bank absorbed the old one and
then it was that Coleman acknowledg-
ed his theft by flight, with keliher
furnishing the money, he said, and
paying his hotel bills.
After the financial exposition winch
wrecked the bank, Coleman returned
and gave himself up. In the weeks of
official investigation he said that keii-
her tried repeatedly to make settle
ment and even offered 100000 for his
| silence. Then he was advised to go to
| jail, with the promise that FUNDS
would be waiting him when he came
out.
ColemanS story was told in calm,
complacent manner as long as the dis
| trict attorney did the questioning. but
when Harvey Pratt, Keliher's counsel,
took up the cross examination there
was some confusion. although this had
not become pronounced when the court
adjourned