Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1916-10-20

A e-doIlar-a-week bookkeeper
In prim New England town, without
access to the funds of the bank for
which he worked, stole nearly half
million dollars and SO juggled the
books as to hide the shortage from the
directors and from the national bank
examiner for a period of two years.
The faro gang" a. band of master
crooks, as well organized as though
for the development of a mining ven
ture, financed in advance for many
thousands of dollars, took the money
from the bookkeeper as regularly as
he took it from the bank-took it all,
but never aroused his suspicion.
The detectives of the bureau of in
vestigation, department Of justice, I'M
rayeIed the whole tangled skein and
revealed the ramifications Of one Of
the compIetest schemes for the illicit
acquisition of other peoples money
that the history of the crime of the
nation has ever developed.
The first incident that led to the
discovery of this monster plot to de-
fraud took place when two most staid
and dignif1ed of the stolid citizens of
cambridge, Mass, happened to meet
outside the First National bank of that
serene suburb of Boston one sunshiny
afternoon. Their conversation led to
an argument as to whether there was
$1S6,OO0 or $4,000 in the endowment
of an orphanage, of which they were
directors. To settle this argument
they decided to have look at the
books which contained the record of
deposits and Withdrawals.
So these dignified guardians of this
endowment fund approached the cash
Ier's window in the First National bank
and asked for the balance in the given
account. The official turned automat-
ically to the ledger containing the in
active accounts of the bank, glanced
at the balance and automatically re-
ported the figures there revealed.
-Four thousand five hundred dol
lars" he said.
So was obtained the first revealing
flash into the affairs of this institution
which had stood as the conservative
financial bulwark of the community
for a hundred years. Yet week
later, when the principal pass books
had been called in, and the experts
had completed their examination, the
bank was shown to be but a financial
shell. Each of those large inactive
accounts that lent the institution
its strength was found to have melted
away. A bank of a capital Of but
100000, it was soon shown that it
had been looted for more than $780,
900 of the depositors' money.
AS soon as the shortage was evident
a report was made to the department
Of justice, in Washington, which has
charge of the prosecution of violators
of the national banking laws. Expert
accountants and Special Agent Billy
Gard of the bureau Of investigation Of
that department were Immediately hur-
ried to the scene. When they ar
rived they found that one event had
just transpired which came near es-
tablishing the facts as to the imme-
date responsibility for the shortage.
The bookkeeper of the bank had dis
appeared.
The bank was an institution which
employed but three men; a cashier,
an assistant cashier, and bookkeep-
er. The disappearance of the book
keeper, Robert Tollman, fixed atten-
ton on him, and it was ultimately
demonstrated that he was the only
individual inside the bank who had
anything to do with it's misfortunes.
Special Agent Gard who handled the
outside work of the Investigation,
found Tollman to be a youngster of
twenty-three, mild-eyed, Hkable chap,
who made friends easily. He was a
member of one of those old New Eng
land puritanical families that have be-
come institutions in the community in
which they reside. Back of him
were a dozen generations Of repres-
sion, of straight edged righteousness.
At the age of eighteen he had entered
the bank, and at twenty-three was re-
ceiving a salary of but $12 g. week.
There had beer no chance for advance
m6uC. AL LW0uLy-OAO AO AoO .NOAAO
into $4,000 as an Inheritance from
an aunt and this had been the one
event of his life, up to, that time.
The governments expert account
ants Immediately established the
manner in which the funds Of the
bank had been taken. AS bookkeeper,
Tollman did not have access, to the
cash or securities, and was therefore
not considered as being in posi-
ton of trust. He was not even bond.
ed. But beneath his eye there con
stantly passed those large accounts OF
the bank which represented its wealth
It was about six months after Toll
man came Of age that irregular
charges began to appear against the
inactive accounts. At first they were
modest and infrequent. Steadily they
strengthened and grew in size. Event
ually it was shown that charges aver
aging $4,000 a day were being regu
A&r