Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-22
OFFICIALS CRACK
SAFE OF MAN WHO
HAD FUNDS OF POOR
State Bank Examiners Open
Strong Box Of Accused
Missing Building and Loan
Secretary.

The secret behind the closed doors OF
the big safe in the office Of Jacob Keis.
Ter. il2 South 5th street, the secretary
Of the eleven building and loan associa-
tions who has disappeared, leaving with
the savings accounts OF hundreds of poor
people, according to the police, will bo
revealed this afternoon. officers from
the office of state Banking Commissioners
Smith will go TO the office and the safe
will be cracked by an expert.
Hundt eds Of people, who toll in fac
tories and dlngy sweatshops to exc out It
meagre living, anxious to know how much
OF their small savins1 was taken away
BY the secretary, stood about Kelsler's
Office today The place was besieged by
these persons, seeking information as to
their accounts, but they could learn moth
ing The books of the association into
which they put their money were locked
IN the safe. These books are their only
source of information
1t was decided that the safe must be
opened after Deputy State Banking Com
nissioners had visited Keiser's office this
morning. The commissioners want the
books TO go over the accounts Of the
eleven building associations OF which
kelsier is secretary. Members Of Keis-
ier's Office force refused to open the safe
this morning.
Claims against the man will amount to
more than 100000, 1t is said. a large
portion of this was money that poor resi-
dents Of the district saved from small
salaries. Some OF them-old men-had
put a few dollars away a month to take
care of them after they were untitled for
work.
Many also have valuable papers in the
safe and until II is opened they will not
know whether they remain intact Among
kelsler's victims are a number of men
and women who years ago were his
pupils In a Hebrew religious school at
tached TO South Philadelphia syna-
EoEue.
Search is being made by the police for
KeiFler. to arrest him on warrant
charging forgery and embezzlement. ETis
Whereabouts Is unknown. and his wife.
who stu keeps open the 5th street Office
assuring the hundreds of poor creditors
that her absconding husband will surely
return, says she does not know whore
he Ia. subpoena summoning Eeser
TO the United States District Court in
Involuntary bankruptcy proceedings was
served today upon Mrs. Keisler in the
absence of her husband
The police are now searching for former
chauffeurs OF Ecsier. who it is believed.
may throw considerable light upon his
Whereabouts. Persons living in the neigh
borhood say he had several servants and
lived luxuriously. One man. whose name
is Schreckler and who lives in the neigh
borhood. said --eser left with $4,000 of
his money He added that his jewelry
was wonderful"
kelsler is alleged to have obtained
much of the money it is claimed he has
stolen by forging the name of officers
of the building associations of which he
was secretary to mortgage and prom-
sorry notes. He had no trouble getting
money on these. on one, however, he
made mistake in forging a name. He
Is conveyancer Of the Sixth Street
Building and Loan Association, and
Isaac l.. Stern is secretary. Instead of
signing the name of Stern as secretary
to the note he signed his own name The
mistake was caught up at the Peoples
Trust Company, where the note was pre-
sented, and an investigation followed