The Bank Cashier and the Midnight Spree
A Coupeville bank cashier is arrested in Seattle after allegedly embezzling thousands to fund a 'protracted spree.'
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Cashier Thomas F. Beals, Jr., of the Island County Bank of Coupeville, was arrested in Seattle on a warrant for embezzling bank funds. Sheriff Nunan of Island County pursued him to Seattle, where, with the assistance of local stockholders and Chief of Police Davie, Beals was apprehended. Beals, appearing weary-eyed after a protracted spree, remained oddly confident that his wealthy relatives would secure his release. He admitted to losing $1,000 carousing in the city and claimed the remaining $3,200 shortage would be covered by security. Some stockholders, however, believe he stripped the bank of everything but the building and the safe. He was held overnight at the Arlington Hotel in the custody of the sheriff before being returned to Coupeville to face justice.
“Beals is weary-eyed after a protracted spree. Some of the stockholders say Beals left only the safe and bank building at Coupeville, and intimate that he got away with everything else.”
This story highlights a recurring theme in Washington’s history: the fragility of early banking institutions and the outsized role of 'character' (or lack thereof) in the era's financial stability. Today, banking scandals have moved from local cashiers and physical safes to complex digital fraud, but the public demand for accountability when trust is betrayed remains as fierce as ever.
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