The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-06-21
RANK PoRRFD.

on Tuesday that the officers of the Noun
Holly National Bank were having troubl
In trying to get into their safe, it wa
not generally known that there was sus
picion that something besides the tim
lock had gone wrong. All of MONDAY
night and all day Tuesday experts worked
hard to effect an entrance into the SAT,
and it was not until about seven o'clock Ii
the evening that hole of sufficient size t,
allow the bolts to be released had beer
bored.
Then an examination proved what hai
been feared. Considerable money had
been taken and suspicion rested on Clifford
). Heller, the assistant cashier, who had
not been at his desk for two days. The
last seen of the man was when he boarded
trolley early on Sunday morning with
his family. The trolley employees thought
the party was on jaunt to the seashore
as that was the car usually taken by those
who wished to catch the shore train.
Mr.. Heller had small satchel in his
hand but there was nothing extraordinary
In that fact. The family went to Phila-
delphia where they separated, the wife
taking the children to the home of rela-
tive where they were to spend portion of
their school vacation. She came home on
Sunday evening but went away again on
Monday and did not get back until Tues
day. She did not worry much over her
husbands absence as he frequently re-
NAMED away for day, and 1t was not
until the vault was opened and the report
that money had been taken did the wife
have any suspicion that her husband had
gone wrong.
On Monday morning of last week when
cashier Lee reached the bank he found
John H. Dobbins, the bank teller, trying
to open the safe door. He was not sue
cessful and Mr. Lee could not aid him.
About two years ago the lock got out oil
gear and the safe could not be opened for
some time, so no special Importance was
attached to the present condition. Mr..
Heller had not arrived and inquiry was
made in the house attached to the bank,
where he lived, and 1t was found he was
not In town. After several unsuccessful
efforts to open the safe the cashier decided
not to waste any more time In that direc.
ton. He first drew on town bank fol
sufficient funds to go on with the days
business and then he telephoned to Phila.
delphia for an expert to come and see
what was the matter with the lock. The
man arrived and after looking the door
over and trying to work the combination
he suggested that the officers wait until
the time lock ran down. This was done
but 1t was no better, the lock would NOT
yield.
Then two more experts came up and got
to work. They began at six O'Clock and
worked continuously until two the next
afternoon. They drilled and cut plates,
wires and all the other intricacies sup
posed to keep burglars out. On Tuesday
afternoon relief crew was put on the job
and then kept going until after eight In
the evening. and then the door had been
practically cut to pieces. During all this
time Heller had not returned to his desk
and suspicious had become public pro.
perty. When the safe was entered cashier
Lee was on hand and took hasty invent.
DRY of the contents. He soon discovered
that money had been taken and he went
RI xuork IN And fha await a+a+o 80 oH.S.s
He knew that at the close of business on
the previous Saturday the bank had In Its
safe the sum of $23. 953, and when the
safe was opened all that could be found
was 50. 443. leaving deficiency of $1S, $40.
Having discovered the cash loss Mr.. Lee
began to look over the securities. and he
found they had not been disturbed.
A warrant was issued for the arrest OF
Heller and was put In the hands of detect.
I've Parker. but up to the present time nc
trace of the man has been found. He had
ample opportunity to get away and he
seems to have made the best of it. Just
what was done to the safe could not be
determined owing to the manner in which
1t had to be cut, and all the rumors about
the manner In which 1t had been tempered
with are the products Of Imagination.
The time lock was set to close at six
O'Clock In the afternoon and open at seven
the next morning. A safe with time
lock set to close at six o'clock In the after.
noon could be opened any number Of
times before that hour and 1t is probable
that is what happened-that 1t was opened
before six o'clock on Saturday evening
1t is possible the mechanism was then sc
changed as to make it impossible to oper
1t until later hour the next day.
Heller was treasurer of the Industry
Building and Loan Association and it Ii
thought that suspicious about his trans
actions in that association were the caus,
of the defalcation at the bank. The pres
ident of the building association, fol
reasons he had in mind, called the atten
ton of the secretary to the fact that 4
would not do any harm to look over tn,
accounts of the treasurer. An investiga
ton was started, and enough was dis
covered to lead to the impression tina
there was deficit there. 1t is though
that Heller, knowing that this would sool
be disclosed. determined to get away, ant
was of the opinion that 1t was of no u.s.
to take just enough to square him, so b.
took the larger amount. A coincidence
In connection with this affair is that tn
secretary of the building association is
director In the bank. Another fortunate
circumstance was the fact that S., 900 ha,
been sent to Philadelphia bank on Sat
urday to be put in the reserve fund of tn
Mount Holly National Bank.
| All sorts of stories are In circulation
about the reason for Heller going wrong
the most prominent one being that he wa
infatuated with woman In Philadelphia
but the only thing to give credence to thi
report is the fact that the man was a fire
quent visitor to that city, going there al
most daily after the bank closed and re
naming until late train at night. Thi
was known to the officials of the bank
but as the man did all of his wor
promptly and everything appeared to b
correct they did not consider they had an
right to interfere. And the idea tha
everything was all right appears to hav
been correct, as an examination of tn
books and papers do not show anythin