The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-14
OF TWO
SETS OF BOOKS
IN SIEGEL BANK
Cashier Explains How DepOs'
itors' Money Was Dis
tributcd to Stores.
MEMORANDA OF LOANS
"ON SLIPS OF PAPER"

GENEsEo. Nov. 13-The testimony de-
pended upon most by the prosecution TO
convict Henry Siesel OF grand larceny
was put before the farmer Jurors here
this afternoon through Frank l.. Cham
pion, cashier Of Henry Slegel & Co. bank
ers, more popularity known as Siegels
Fourteenth Street store bank Champion
appeared to be reluctant witness and
at times his Information practically had
to be dragged from him, particularly on
vital points.
Champion told how money deposited in
the Siegel bank was taken in bags TO the
office of the Fourteenth street Store and
the Simpson-Crawford Company. two Of
the concerns in Segel's chain Of depart
ment stores. He said large amounts were
sent to one or another OF the concerns
and then split into smaller checks so
the money was divided among the enter
prises
The witness related how notes for loans
were kept in the office of Siegel and Frank
Il. Vogel. the dead partner of the de-
PENDANT. and not In the bank. He dis
closed the fact that two sets of books
were kept. In one OF these loans were
credited merely to numbers. the names
of the stores not appearing In private
book kept by himself, Champion as
serted. the names OF the stores were en-
tered and the disposition OF the money
indicated.
Through having the witness identify the
documents as those he had prepared for
the approval Of Siegel and Voge and had
sent out under their Instructions, As
/ sstant District Attorney Train was en-
ahled to read to the jury the contents
/ of a circular bidding for The pennies OF
small wage earners through the little
/ dime savings banks. and Instructions to
newspapers how to use advertisements of
| the bank so as to- avoid violating the bank
laws relating to savings banks.
From Champion the prosecution elected
! the manner in which the bank was
brought 20 the attention OF the public
/ In manner which attorneys for the
/ State contend might have msled many
into believing the bank Was an authorized
savings bank.
ExpInins Operations In Detail.
III OBTAINING tic MANNER III "HiNli
cal operations were conducted in the
| Fourteenth Street Store bank Champion
told the jury:
81 would he Instructed by Mr.. Nogei or
Mr. Prall. Siegers confidential man, that
the Simp. on Crawford Company, the
. Fourteenth Street store or the Henry
Slegel Company of Boston was TO have
a certain amount of money, usually
around $1,000, $4,000. $4,000 or $780,
900, and would diaw checks for odd
amounts aggregating the total with
which that particular store was to he
charged The check registers show cor
| rectly the payee of those checks the
dates on which they were drawn and
the amounts thereof.
| 81 would send these checks to Mr.. No-
gels office and / would have no means of
knowing at that time for whom the funds
were intended.
81 took my Instructions and posted
them into the ledger as directed, for ex-
ample Mr.. Prall or MIR. Vogel might in
struct me that they wanted $4,000 and
to draw three checks aSgregating that
amount; sometimes they told me against
whom to charge these checks. Sometimes
they told me they would let me know
later and they would 90 so IN Il ddy Oh
two.
81 was told on July II, 1912. tn draw
two checks to the order OF Henry Siege
& Co. bankers, one for sl2.62O42 and
the other for s7,379.5s. Taken together
these two checks aggregated $50, u
was told to indorse them over to the
ISimpson- Crawford Company. The other
Endorsements on the lack of these checks
showed the one for $l2,620.42 was de
nosited by the Simpsou-Crawford Com
pany In the Bank of the Metropolis anc
the other was deposited in the Nationa
Park Bank. These two checks illustrate
an ordinary split which enabled thu
Simpson Crawford Company to depos
each check in different bank. the banl
of the Metropolis and the National Parl
Bank both being engaged in lending
money to the allied stores.
Issued Checks for sI5O,OOO.
"On or about January 10, 1918 | wa
instructed to issue checks aggreg atm
$3.50 900. which were Endorsed to the va
rious stores, which in turn issued thei
own checks to each other or to the Siegel
Cooper Company of Chicago, so that even