The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-09-23
CHARGE SUICIDE
WORKED BOSTON
STORES BOOKS
Officers of Hasemeier Com
pany File Suit Against Lou
ise Bentlage Estate for &c.
374.3O Alleged Shortage.
Assert Note of BOOkkeeper
on Day of Tragedy Told of
Falsified Accounts for Six

Alleging a shortage of $9,374.30 COW
ering the last six years on the books
of the company as kept by Louise F.
Bentlage, bookkeeper. who committed
suicide on Aug. 18th, the H. c. Hase-
meier company, proprietors of the
Boston Store today filed claim in that
sum against the estate of Miss Bent
lage.
On the day she committed suicide,
according to an officer of the company
a letter was received from Miss Bent
lage in which she stated she had falsi-
fled the books for some years past. An
expert accountant was Immediately
put to work on the books of the COM
pany who besides finding the books
falsified, also discovered the alleged
shortage during the past six years, the
time allowed under the statute of linn
itations for recovery.
Hasemeier Silent.
Mr. H. c. Hasemeier, president of
the company, asked to be excused
from discussing the matter, stating
that it was a most sad and unfortu-
nate affair to him, and at this time he
desired to make no statement other
than such as might be made by the
attorneys of the company. Mr.. Hase-
meier stated however, that the Bos-
ton Store would not be embarrassed
in any way and that the business
would continue without any Interrupt
tion whatever, and that the company
has been receiving and is now receiv-
ing larger and more complete fall
stocks than carried any time in the
past.
Gardner, Jessup and White and G..
H. Hoelscher, attorneys for the COM
pany, stated today that Immediately
following her death and the receipt
by Mr.. Hasemeier of letter from
Miss Bentlage, an expert accountant
was employed to examine the books
of the company. These had been kept
exclusively for some twenty years past
by Miss Bentlage, and upon the final
report under oath of the accountant
the claim filed is for the amount
shown upon such investigation.
Tell Of Letter.
The attorneys state that the deced-
ent had undoubtedly carried on her
system of bookkeeping to such an ex-
tent that the shortage could no long
er be concealed, and, finally, in order
to relieve her mind she wrote letter
to one of the officers of the company
which was received on the day of her
death, in which she stated that she
had falsified the books of the store
for some years past. In this letter,
however, she makes no statement as
to any shortage. This letter came as a
great shock to her employers, the H.
c. Hasemeier company and the stock
holders Immediately by assessment,
made contribution to an amount that
the capital and surplus of the COM
pany should be and remain intact
The attorneys speaking further for
the stockholders state that while of
course they regret extremely the fl
nancial loss, the keenest regret and
bitterest disappointment is the fact
that Miss Bentlage in whom they had
always reposed their unrestricted and
most implicit confidence and whom
they SO much respected, had violated
that confidence. The attorneys stated
that the claim was filed for the
amount of shortage for the past six
years only, the statute of limitations
barring any claim beyond such six
years and they refused to make any
statement regarding any further
term.