The Green Forest tribune., 1916-10-20

which ne Workeu, SCOle nearly a hal1
 million dollars and so juggled the
 books as to hide the shortage from the
 directors and from the national bank
 examiner for period of two years
 The faro gang 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
 yestigation, department of justice, un
 raveled the whole tangled skein and
 revealed the notifications of one of
 the completest 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 dgnfied of the stolid citizens of
 Bainbridge, 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 S1S6,000 or $187,0 in the endowment of an orphanage, of which they were directors. To settle this argument they decided to have a 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 it's strength was found to have melted away. A bank of a capital of but $100,000, it was soon shown tEat it had been footed for more than $400,- GOO of the depositors' money.
 AS soon as the shortage was evident 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- diate 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- CT. The disappearance of the book keeper, Robert Tollman, fixed atten- tion on him, and it was ultimately 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, likable 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 i'll 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 eelVing a salary of but S12 a week. There had been no chance for advance ment. At twenty-one he had come into $20,000 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, | cash or securities, and was therefore not considered as being in a posi- | tlon of trust. He was not even bond | ed. But beneath his eye there con- stantly passed those large accounts of the bank which represented it's 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 and grew in size. Event uaily 1t was shown that charges aver aging $5,00O day were being regu- larly placed against these accounts. There were weeks during which the oookkeeper had succeeded in ab- stracting such amounts every day.
 The bank accountants were soon able to demonstrate the method of these distractions The bookkeeper would give check against his own account to some individual in Boston and that individual would deposit 1t for collec- tion. It would be sent through the clearing house and eventually reach the bank in Bainbridge. The book Keeper was always early at the bank when any such checks were expected rom the clearing house He opened the letters transmitting them, turni Ing the statement of the total amount represe1ted over to the cashier, that