, 1923-05-09

YORK. Pa. May s-Two men who
have confessed TO getting a million
dollars easy money" OF the same
bank at the same time. nov say II
doesn't pay.
They + in jail and the City Bank
Of York which has nearly 10000 de
positors. a beer forced to close its
doors.
Behind IT all lies the tragedy of n
drab Main Street.
Thomas b. Baird was a school
teacher in this little Pennsylvania
Dutch county. The pay wasn't very
attractive; nor was the work very
thrilling. And Baird wanted TO
marry.
So he got a job in the local bank.
Money passed through his hands
in quantities that he had only
dreamed OF. 1t set him thinking.
He wanted to rise above tho life
In h small town. He wanted to do
big things.
Thu thought worked on him. and
worked on him, and finally, he sue
cumbed.
According to his confession. he be-
gan his manipulations in 1900.
He was caught only last month.
During the 23 years of his activi-
ties. he says he stole more than
$500. 000l
Alongside Baird. who wa the
cashier Of the bank. worked William
II. Boil. as assistant. Ho. too. had
lived in the little town for many
years. and was tired OF It.
He began travelling with a fast set.
1t was hard keeping up. until he,
too. started TO find an easy way out.
1t consisted of sprlnkling forged
notes among the banks papers. and
pocketing the money. bank officials
say.
Baird's technique was different.
Tho Investigators say he took cash
from the savings deposits and put
false slips through the ledger.
Neither knew of the others opera.
tons. It went on for years.
In 1915 Boil went ON a vacation
Baird looked over the books. He
discovered defalcations. but said
nothing.
Boil learned only recently that
there were other Irregularities.
But h state authorities didn't dis
cover anything wrong until last
week. State Bank Examiner r. p.
Ferguson was the first inspector in
90 years who saw through the cash
ier's manipulations.
Just as soon as he stepped up to
tho booklteeper." say Baird. 81
wrote or a slip OF paper: It's all up
and showed It to Boil"
But TINT night both men came
back TO the bank.
Baird took $1,000. and Boil $500
as their last loot, to hire lawyers
says tho district attorney.
There's 10 use trying to beat the
game said Baird when he was ar.
rested and Jailed after failure to raise
5000, 900 bail.
He said he had lost the money in
wildcat speculations.
Anybody playing the market" he
warned. "is a sucker"
In 1915, according to Baird, he was
short in his accounts between $780,
900 and 5000. 900. all of which. he
claims. was lost in bucket shops.
He backed many oil and mining
companies with half n million dol
lars. officials say. in an attempt to
make big money and get out OF the
small.town banker class. He wanted
to show the world that he could be
a big f~inancier.
But Boil went Into the game for a
different reason. He wanted to step
up out of small-town society.
Remember two things" he told
me, the frat newspaper man to In
terview him in h county jail. at
may be easy to get into fast com
pany. but it's mighty hard to keep
up with it. 1 know. I tried II.
Small pay and lax regulation lead
to temptation
Boil salary was $4,000 a ear For
many years II had been $4,000.
Both men are over 30. married.
and have large families.
Wives OF the arrested men are de.