Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 90, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 July 1909 — MARKER ROBS BANK’S VAULT OF $85,000 [ARTICLE]

MARKER ROBS BANK’S VAULT OF $85,000

And Leaves a Note On His Brother’s Desk Saying “I Can Stand It No. Longer.” The story of the defalcation of Noah R. Marker, assistant cashier of the First National Bank of Tipton, is unchanged today and Marker is still at large. Before he left the bank Saturday evening he took between 375,000 and 385,000 of the bank’s cash and set the time lock so the safe could not be opened until nine o’clock Monday morning. "I can stand it no longer and I am going away,” was the contents of a brief note, William H. Marker, brother of the absconder and cashier of the bank, found on his desk Sunday morning. The cashier notified the officials of the institution immediately and when nine o’clock Monday morning rolled around there were a number of anxious financiers surrounding the safe, awaiting an investigation of the cash box. There was little disappointment when the safe’s doors swung open and the cash box pulled out, as its contents were gone. The defaulter had rifled it of every cent it contained, which was between 350,000 and 360,000. It now looks as though the defalcation of Marker will be between 375,000 and 3100,000. The First National Bank carries deposits of 3845,771. Its capital is 3100,000, and its resources 31,100,000. Its president, E. W. Shirk, and immediate members of his family.' In bis flight Marker left a wife and two small children to face the disgrace that Ke had forced upon them. He was only 35 years of age and a trusted employee of the bank for the past 19 years, gaining promotion after promotion, by close attention to business until he had reached the assistant cashiership. He was commander of the Tipton lodge, Knights Templar, and an active church worker. ! The farmers of Tipton county, many Of whom had been depositors of the bank since its establishment by Mr. Shirk, as a private bank, learned Monday noon of the closing of its doors and they forgot that there was such a thing as hay making or wheat thrashing and hastened to town to get their money. The sign on the door confronted them: “N. R. Marker, assistant cashier of this bank, has absconded with all its cash. The Treasury Department at Washington has been notified and the bank will remain closed awaiting the department’s instructions.” , The excitement which followed the announcement was second only to that which resulted when it was learned that County Treasurer Armstrong was short in his accounts 344,000 in 1903. Business men were dazed and the country people were badly frightened. Marker’s family was evidently not aware of his intention to leave, as a meeting of the Church Missionary Society was to take place at his home Monday evening. It was hastily called off when the news of the husband’s defalcations and disappearance was made known to the family at noon.