The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1924-03-06
FORMER TEACHER IN
SERIOUS TROUBLE
LEILA LEWIS CHARGED WITH
$4,000 SHORTAGE BY ST.
PAUL BANK Z
TAUGHT HERE IN 1920
SHE ENTERED PLEA OF GUILTY
AND is COMMITTED TO THE
SHAKOPEE REFORMATORY

Sank Centre people were surprised
and shocked when the Twin City pa
pers of Tuesday morning carried the
story that Miss Leila Lewis, teacher
of French English and mathematics
in the Sank Centre High School, for
a year and one-half, beginning about
January LIST, 1919, had been arrest
ed, charged with being $4,000 short
in her accounts as bookkeeper for
the First National Bank, st. Paul.
The young lady came to Sank Cen
tire Immediately after graduating
from the University of Minnesota and
quit teaching when she concluded her
work in this city, after a year and a
half's service. She retired from the
Sank Centre school voluntarily as the
board were anxious to re-elect her.
She gave as her reason that she
wanted to be with her own people.
Miss Lewis entered the employ of
the First National Bank of st. Paul
shortly after leaving her work in this
city. She was young woman pos
sessing an unusually brilliant mind
but very tempermental.
The following story from Tuesday
mornings Pioneer Press will be of
interest to many Herald readers:
Facing formal charge of forgery
in connection with the alleged theft
of $4,000 from the funds of the
First National bank, where she was
employed as bookkeeper, Miss Leila
Lewis, % years old, today confronts
in the shadow of her mothers death.
,.orof
timation Of disaster came when Of
ficials of the bank discovered manip-
ulations in Miss Lewis accounts. For
more than two years, the investigation
is said to have shown, a system of de-
falcation of the institutions funds
had been practiced, hidden success
fully for months, by use of fraud
ulent entry on the books.
At the time the shortage was dis
covered Miss Lewis mother, an in
valid for years, was dying. Action by
the law was stayed before the great
er tragedy of mothers passing.
Exposure then, it was feared, would
hasten the death Of the woman, who
died ignorant of the precipice on
which her daughter stood.
Funeral services for Mrs. Lewis
were held week ago today. Mon
day officials of the bank made form
al complaint against the girl. Mon
day night she was allowed to remain
once more with her father and
brother at their home, 1852 East Min
nehaha street, on the pledge of her
attorney, Senator James D. Denegre,
that she would appear for arraign-
ment in municipal court today.
Back of the complaint, setting
forth in it's dry legal verbiage of the,
law that wrong had been done, a
theft committed, lies the age-old
story of a woman's love of clothes.
and fneries, for the gayer things of
life, comprehensive and luxuries
denied the worker on a modest
salary, according to those who have
investigated the case.
Of the money, said to have been
taken by Miss Lewis over period
of more than two years, not cent
remains, those who have checked the
case assert.
A half dozen hats, dicordant with
their flash of trimmings gayly hued,
few shimmering party gowns, a
dresser drawer or two of costly linz
gerie, these and a pear necklace and
a diamond ring remain, mute evidence
of where the money went.
These few things, with perhaps the
memory of friendship, lavishly won
by free-handed entertaining in chop
suey palaces Of the Twin Cities, where
Miss Lewis was won't to give evening
parties for her chosen girl compan-
ions, are all that is left.
But there is that in the background
of the former bookkeeper that in
vestigators cannot reconcile with the
theft.
Miss Lewis is University of Min
nesota graduate. While at school she
took a prominent part in the social
activities of her class. She was
member of the Bib and Tucker, Pima
fore, Tam O Shanter, Y. w. G. A.,
and Women's achievement asso-
citation, all campus organizations, to-
which the students belong.
After her graduation she taught in
the Sank Centre high school, and was
ranked there as one of the most
popular of the towns younger set.
Three years ago she left her position
there, paying $3.50 a month, despite
the efforts of school officials to have
her remain, and went to work at the
bank at salary of $50 month, to-
be near her parents, she explained.
Among her fellow employees in the
bank she once more enjoyed the
greatest popularity. In school, as a
teacher, and at the bank, everywhere
her associates describe her as the
popular, "hail fellow well met" type
All pay tribute to the brililance of her
mind.
In the very method she used to
conceal her alleged defalcations in