Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-10
AUTO MANAGER
DISAPPEARS WITH
COMPANY'S CASH
Benjamin.. Glaessell, Alias Ben
jamin Crawford, Also Takes
Six-Cylinder Car.

A general alarm has been sent out
today for Benjamin F. Glaessell, alias
Benjamin Crawford, who has disap-
peared with more than $4,000 of the
assets of the Nyberg Automobile Com
pany, at 577 Central avenue. The al
legged absconder was known here as
Crawford, and for the past two
months had been employed as book
keeper and manager of the company s
garage at Central avenue.
Willard S. Mears, part owner of the
company, today swore out a COM
plant of embezzlement against Craw-
ford. According to the complainant,
Crawford took the company's six
cylinder car, equipped with four new
tires, and about $3.50 with him when
he disappeared yesterday afternoon
The car is said to be worth 81, 125
The body of the machine is painted
red and the mudguards black. The
number of the machine is 1908 and
the manufacturers license number is
411-M.
Coming at a time when the Nyberg
Company is financially embarrassed,
the embezzlement will mean a severe
blow to the creditors of the company
as well as its owners. Mr.. -Mears to-
day explained how he came to en-
ploy Crawford. although he knew he
was travelling under a fictitious name.
He declared that Crawford had lost
heavily as part owner of the G. & S.
Petticoat Company, of New York
city, which went into bankruptcy.
Crawford is said to have applied
for the position as bookkeeper here
under the pretext of clearing himself
To- nYl<
Mears gave him the position eight
weeks ago and two weeks later Mears
departed for Indiana, where he is in
terested in a factory making de
tectophones.
Mears Made Inquiries.
When Mears returned East last Sat
urday he made some inquiries con-
corning the bankruptcy affairs of
Crawford's company in New York.
Mears today asserted that Crawford
heard of his employers inquiries, and
at that time evidently decided to make
his disappearance. Before Mears left
for the West he left Crawford several
checks with which TO pay the out
standing bills of the Nyberg Com
pany.
According to his employer, Craw-
ford ordered four new tires for the
company's car and had the bill
charged to the Nyberg Company.
Crawford is alleged to have appro-
priated $500 as the proceeds of a
motor delivery wagon sale, $50 col
lected on outstanding accounts and
$500 drawn ON the American Nation
al Bank yesterday shortly before
noon.
Mrs. willard S. Mears, wife of the
part owner of the garage, learned
yesterday that Crawford had been
collecting bills and had not turned
in the money. When he left with
the automobile yesterday on the pre-
text of visiting one of the men inter-
ested in the concern. Mrs. Mears
grew suspicious: She telephoned to
the American National Bank. and
after a delay of five minutes, learned
that Crawford had just cashed a
check for $500 and left the bank.
The check on which Crawford col
lected the money was left in his care
by Mears to settle an account with
r. II. Dunham & Co.. of this city.
The check had been signed and the
amount left blank, declared Mears.
The latter asserts that Crawford
was commissioned TO sell truck
the West. Crawford Is said to have
sold the truck for $500, but this
money he deposited in the bank to
the credit of the Nyberg Company
Mears asserts that had the truck
been sold for $1100, as ordered, the
Nyberg Company would have been
able to pay its creditors in full.
During his stay here during the last
two months Crawford had lived with
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