Evening star., 1953-10-23
Two Virginia Bankers
Plead Guilty, GET
Long Terms, Fines
BY the Assoeiofed Press

ey me ASSoeiofed Press
HARRISONBURG, Va, Oct.
23.-Two bank officials-one
church-going former Mayor of
New Market-pleaded guilty yes
terday to cleaning out a bank
vault and speeding to Canada
with $103,372 crammed in slit
inner tube.
Immediately after the arraign-
ment in Federal District Court
here, Judge John Paul sentenced
Theodore Roosevelt Beahm, Sc,
former Mayor and officer of the
Citizens National Bank at New
Market. to eight years in prison.
Beahm was bank cashier and
executive vice president.
His companion, 55-year-old
Don r. Simpson, a bank direc-
tor who took out bankruptcy
papers last month, received IL
years.
FBI agents said only $10,820
of the loot, which included $34.-
500 in cash, had been recovered,
although continuing efforts
would be made to find the re-
rnainder.
Beahm Held Domination.
In giving out the sentences.
Judge Paul said in his mind it
was clear Simpson dominated
Beahm and there was some COM
mon ground between the two
men which probably would never
be known. The judge said Simp-
son had a strong influence on
Beahm.
Pleading guilty to charges OF
being an accessory was Simp-
sons nephew, Charles Simpson,
81. Judge Paul sentenced the
younger Simpson to 31a years on
charges of transporting stolen
money.
Don Simpson also was fined
$4,000 and Beahm $4,000. Simp-
son said he and Beahm divided
the cash in hotel room at To-
ronto, Canada, and that Beahm
left with his share to return to
New Market.
Beahm told the FBI he took
only $l00 and threw his share
back on the pile of money that
had been stacked up in the room.
Found With $1O,S2O.
When the FBI arrested the
two Simpsons at Tampa, Fla,
they had $10.82O in suitcases.
The money was taken into FBI
custody and the indictments
against them were reduced by
that amount.
About $4,000 of the money
was in notes and checks.
The FBI said Simpson owed
the bank $4,000 and that pres
sure was being put on him to pay
up. Other directors in the bank
also were putting pressure on
Beahm to make Simpson pay.|
When Beahm's attorneys asked
for the courts mercy in the SEN
fencing, they said the reasons
Beahm-a heretofore respected
citizen in the Shenandoah VAL
ley town-would take the money
weren't known and probably
never would be, unless it was the
pressure on him to collect the
money from Simpson.
Helped Take Money.
Simpson said it was Beahm's
idea to clean out the vault and
leave town. Simpson also said
he was in the bank after it closed
on the day it was robbed and
that he saw Beahm taking the
money out of the vault, and
helped him. He said they left
for Canada soon after with
Charles Simpson driving.
Beahm returned with story
that he'd been held up at gun
point by Simpson and forced to
hand over the money. He said
the idea was Simpsons.
The FBI said Simpsons coal
mine holdings in Pennsylvania
and West Virginia had been
losing money and that he had
taken out bankruptcy in a Fed
eral district at Charleston, w.
Va, last month.
The loss at the bank was in
sured, officials said.
The judge recommended that
Simpson serve his time at the
Federal Penitentiary at Atlanta
and that Charles Simpson and
Beahm be confined at Lewis
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