South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-01-15
PASS BUCK" IN
BOND MYSTERY
Series of Statements Issued
by Parties Interested Dis
claim Everything.

ing DOnd a1alr from the puDnc mind,
appears a "consummation. devoutly
10 be wished" Tuesday, following a
series Of conferences between Stude-
baker officials and other parties in
terested, at which an effort seems TO
have been agreed upon 10 wipe the
slate Of pretty much everything so
far published, and make the news
papers the goat"
Denial by James l. O'Neill. at
torney for the American Foreign &
and A. o. Martin, detective for the
concern, is quoted in a letter today
from A. l.. Erskine. president of the
corporation, with reference to the
statement published in fhe News
Times, Monday, as coming from an
! official OF the insurance company, to
the effect that they would welcome
81 it 10 collec. the value of the miss
ing S25O.0OO Liberty bonds. in which
| case they would be in a position to
| defend the company's interests.
and that the arrest of any person
or persons implicated, will be de-
! manded."
Give Out Statements.
This comes on the heels of stat
ments given out Tuesday night by
both Mr.. Erskine, and Mr.. O'Neill.
the former denying and the latter
disclaiming practically everything
that has been published in the news |
papers 10 date Mr.. Erskine takes
the position that the article, Monday, |
casts reflections upon Studebaker
officials, or employees, and that the
statement should be withdrawn. Mr.. |
O'Neils exact statement as given
out today. and sighed by him. ap-
pears AS follows:
Certain statements have ap-
peared in the public press of late !
which cast reflections upon the Off |
GERS and employees of the StudebaHer |
corporation. The present is 10 state !
that no statement authorized by me |
has appeared up to this time con- |
corning these matters. and none |
emanating from me will appear un
| less over the signature Of myself ]
or some other person duly author |
lied TO represent the underwriters
/ in this matter.
James L. O'Neill.
Jan. Is, 1919"
Observe that Mr.. O'Neill only re-
marks that no statement author
lied" by him has appeared
Erskine'S Statement.
Mr.. Erskine in a further state
ment, reiterates the former position
taken by the corporation, and the
result of its Investigations down to
date. He says:
Jan. IS. 1919.
"lO:45 .. m.
THE officials of the Studebaker |
corporation have been making every |
possible effort to find the missing |
S25O,OOO.OO Liberty bonds, if they |
we're lost, and to locate the guilty |
person if they have been stolen. Con-
trary to statements that have APP
peared in the press, there is not the |
slightest evidence Of any character |
that has yet been discovered indi-
eating any theft on the part of any |
person connected either with the /,
corporation or with the postofice. |
Furthermore, it is still believed that |!
the bonds never reached the Stude-
baker office.
1.-The facts in respect to the mat
ter, so far as they have been ascer- /
tanned, are as follows:
AT the time when the bonds arc /
alleged to have been delivered at (
our Office, it was after business hours 1
and the only employe at the infor 1
nation desk on the first floor was |
boy The boy signed receipts for
five registered parcels, all but one |
of which have been accounted for. /
he then made out the necessary Of |
fee receipts and delivered one of the |
registered letters to the addressee, |
a factory superintendent, who was |
passing the desk on the way to the |
restaurant upstairs for lunch. With /
in few minutes after the mail car
rier left the boy took the other three |
registered parcels TO the mailing de-
partment on the third floor, together
with a number OF other pieces of [
regular mail which the carrier had |
left with him All of this mail was
received in the mailing department |
i'm the presence of three persons /
and Office receipts were given to the |
boy for the three registered parcels. |
The parcel from Detroit was not in
the mail.
The extraordinary disappearance |
Of the bonds has not been explained /
by any hypothesis yet made. 1t is I
still believed that in all probability /
they have been lost and will be 1
found. 1t has been stated in some |
papers that il suit is brought, the /
mystery will be cleared and charges
brought against the guilty parties.
Fhere is no foundation for this, and |
no charges have been made by any /
parties entrusted in the matter so |
far as diligent inquiry discloses-
"a. X. ETSkine."