The Tribune, Hastings, PA, FRI 30 NOV 1894, VOL VI., NO. 45 Page 1, Column 2 Mammoth Bank Robbery The National Shoe & Leather Bank at Broadway and Chambers street, New York, has been robbed of $354,000 by Samuel C. Seely, one of its bookkeepers, and Frederick Baker, a depositor. Seely fled a week ago Saturday, leaving a confession in his lawyer's hands. It is supposed that he fled by steamship. Baker was drowned Saturday, afternoon at his country home at Sand's Point. There is little doubt of suicide. Baker who was a supposedly wealthy and respectable lawyer in that city, past sixty years of age, had told his accomplice before the latter's flight that he was to old to run away himself and would stay and face the music. It is alleged by Seely that Baker got all but $11,000 of the stolen $354,000. The thefts have extended over a period of ten years, and were accomplished by means of fictitious balances, false credit, and corresponding debits entered in the ledger. Seely tampered with more than a hundred accounts, it is believed, and credited the money debited upon them to Baker's account, and the money was drawn out of the Bank by Baker. Seely was implicity(sic) trusted. His salary was $1,800. He had been employed in the Bank since 1880, and the United States Guaranty Company was on his bond for $7,500. Seely's method of stealing may be illustrated in this way: The depositor Baker, who was in collusion with him, would present a check, any of $200, to the paying teller, who would ask the bookkeeper if Baker's account was good for that amount. Seely would reply "Yes," even though Baker had not a dollar in the Bank. Seely then would credit Baker's account with an amount sufficient to cover the check, and amount so placed to Baker's credit Seely would charge against the account; say of John Jones. The paper debit and credits balanced each other, and so the cash balance at the end of the day would not show the transaction. When it became necessary to balance the account of John Jones, Seely would draw (on paper) from another account, as he had done from Jones', and so on as far as became necessary. It is estimated that he did this with more than one hundred accounts. Later NEW YORK, Nov. 26-The doors of the National Shoe & Leathe(sic) Bank were opened this morning, just as unconcernedly as though the institution had not been recently plundered of $353,00 by one of its trusted bookkeepers. :"We are prepared for any emergency," said one of the Bank Directors to-day. "We stand prepared to pay out every dollar of our indebtedness just as soon as it is called for, but idications are that we will not be very hard pressed." The sons of the Late Fred K. Baker, insists that their father's business record was immaculate, but it is absurd to charge him with complicity in Seely's wrong-doing, as he had no deposit in the Bank and left no papers as evidence that he had ever had any transactions with the institution. On the other hand, the Bank officials assert that Baker had been a depositor for the past thirty years. - - - Held Up. One day last week John Zeek and brother drove from Altoona to St. Agustine(sic), in Cambria County. Wednesday evening, as they were returning home, at a lonely point of the mountain road between Buckhorn and Dripping Springs, three men appeared at the side of the road and ordered the travelers to halt. One of the highwaymen made a dash for the horse's head, but Mr. Zeek whipped up the beast and passed by just a little too quickly for the would be robber to catch the bridle. The highwaymen continued to cry "halt," but the occupants of the buggy paid no attention to them and continued on their way. - Altoona Tribune. - - - Death of an Old Resident. On Saturday at his home in Carrolltown, Peter Hoover, one of the oldest and most respected citizens of Northern Cambria County, passed from life at the great age of 73 years. He had been in feeble health for some time past and on several occasions his death had been expected.